"Mining Potential in Latino Youth: Lessons Learned From Serving Youth in an Urban, Cultural Context"

Pastors Rebecca and Jorge Gonzales will deliver a lecture entitled, "Mining Potential in Latino Youth: Lessons Learned From Serving Youth in an Urban, Cultural Context." Regardless of the economic, cultural, and language barriers our youth face, they have the God-given potential to succeed in life.  A listening heart, unconditional love, and safe-spaces instill confidence that transforms. We’ll share stories from our life’s work – “nuggets” found in the midst of poverty, abuse, violence and apathy.  

"The Next Generation: Practicing Youth Ministry in the Global City"

Dr. Mark R. Gornik, Dr. Janice A. McLean Farrell, and Dean Maria Liu Wong deliver a lecture entitled, "The Next Generation: Practicing Youth Ministry in the Global City." This session will examine the practices of youth ministry in the global city, especially among African, Asian, West Indian, and Latin America churches.  As new and globally linked churches in the United States are established, the transmission of faith between generations is a primary concern for parents and church leaders.  Given this concern and the context of urban life, what are the opportunities and challenges for youth ministry in the city?  This session will be based on the findings and ongoing activities of the Next Generation Project conducted by City Seminary of New York.  

"Tending the Sacred Souls of Teenage Girls"

Dr. Evelyn Parker delivers a lecture entitled, "Tending the Sacred Souls of Teenage Girls." Lives of young adolescent girls are plagued with struggles of racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism and many other –isms. How does an adolescent girl foster her personal spirituality in the face of such beasts? Dr. Parker proposes that there are four essential components for nurturing a wholesome spirituality in adolescent girls: realization, resistance, resilience, and ritual. These four concepts and the practical ways in which they can be applied to the lives of young girls to help foster that strong sense of spirituality will be the cornerstone of this session.