Youth Ministry Institute

The journey of LGBTQ+ and immigrant youth are both beautiful and complex. In this presentation, Yadi Martinez-Reyna shares a glimpse into their various journeys and the worlds they navigate and negotiate with as they try to find a sense of belonging. Yadi will provide resources and ideas on how to create a safe space for all young people. Through lecture, dialogue, and open conversation, Yadi will invite you to reflect on the following questions: How do we create space for young people who are not already here? How do we partner with those who are here to evaluate, enhance, or transform our space? How do we reach beyond the borders of comfort and familiarity to share the good news with young people in need of support? In addressing these questions, Yadi aims to share with you their social, academic, and ethical experiences working with the youth and providing some working practices to guide your ministry.

Video and clips from the event are here: A Journey with LGBTQ+ and Immigrant Youth.

If you’ve ever wondered about ways to better engage with LGBTQ+ youth in your setting, you’ll want to join this webinar as the Rev. Phiwa Langeni shares their experiences in youth ministry and, most recently, founding Salus Center, Lansing, Michigan’s only LGBTQ+ resource and community center. In addition to learning practical tips on language, pronouns, and other queer-related issues, you’ll gain insights on simple changes you can make in your own practices to create space for LGBTQ+ youth and others you intend to serve. The interactivity built into the presentation aims to make room for you to leave with tidbits that you can directly apply to your setting.

Video and clips from the event are here: Adventures in Space-Making with the Rev. Phiwa Langeni

Everyone knows that existing models for caring for teens (especially in ecclesial contexts) are pretty tired. The problem is that the church in North America often struggles to do excellent and compelling work. It also struggles to innovate.

This webinar will stimulate your imagination about how to best engage the teens/young adults in your community. We will look at an innovative model of ministry that has been developed in the Pacific Northwest and it’s engagement in the world of social enterprise. We’ll also explore how to finance new forms of ministry to help reach and enrich the lives of your youth.

Video and clips from the event are here: Innovation, Imagination, and Frustration: New Directions for Youth Ministry.

The most popular course in the more than three-century history of Yale, “The Science of Well-Being” highlights research that reveals misconceptions about what makes us happy — and the concrete steps we can take to live a more fulfilling life. Yale Professor Laurie Santos has taken this course and created a new version specifically for high school aged youth. Join us for a conversation about how youth (and youth workers) can improve their mental and physical health.

In the first six months of 2020, today’s children and youth have lived through so many soul-provoking experiences. With the advent of COVID-19 illness and death, quarantines, school closures, summers on hold, graphic depictions of violence, the prospect of not going back to school or going back in a socially distanced fashion, and difficult imagery and discussion around issues of race and justice, youth have a lot of questions—and some even have deep concerns and fears. Add this to the daily, already complex lives of many youth in this country and the resultant mixture cries out for a resilient response for both them and those who work with them.

 This webinar will highlight various strategies for promoting resilience in, for and among today’s generations of youth. It will be presented in two parts.

PART 1: Through a combination of academic, scientific and theological theories and studies, Jannah Scott will share information on:

• • What resilience is from both theoretical and practical perspectives
  • How resilience is weakened through adverse childhood experiences
  • How resilience can be strengthened
    • • Physical – Natural methods
      • Mental, emotional methods
      • Spiritual methods
  • Highlights of promising practices in building resilience with youth

PART 2: Through a series of case studies and interactive exercises, Jannah Scott will:

• • Reinforce the importance of the connection between mind, body and spirit in strengthening (or adversely weakening) resilience.
  • Invited participants to join one of 2-3 breakout rooms to think together, discuss and model resilience interventions based on what they have learned about resilience, with application to various “composite” youth profiles.
  • Reconvene the group for brief share-outs of the models developed and questions/discussion sessions.

The video and clips from this event are here: Just Breathe: Resilience Strategies for Today’s Youth & Youth Workers.

Slides from this event are here: Just Breathe: Resilience Strategies for Today’s Youth & Youth Workers