April 20 & 22, 2021 Conversation Circle

Collaborative Quaker Youth Ministry

Linking Yearly Meetings, Monthly Meetings and Quaker Camps

Much can be gained when youth workers embrace a shared stewardship for the same youth across multiple Quaker venues. Centering the ministry to the youth instead of the programming sponsor allows us to weave nurturance and pastoral care for individual young Friends beyond the time and space of our particular events. The better we know our youth, the more we will be able to support them and speak to their condition. Let’s explore how QREC’s informal network can help make these connections come alive! We invite youth workers, youth ministry committee members, and youth program administrators and interested Friends to a conversation on collaborative ministry.

Queries:

• How can youth ministry flow seamlessly between yearly meetings, monthly meetings and Quaker camps?
• How can we enhance the informal, friendship ties that make this collaboration work?
• How can we move toward a ministry-focused approach rather than a program-centered approach?
• What are some effective practices for committees tasked with supporting Quaker youth workers?

Resources:

• Delighted: What teenagers are teaching the church about joy, by Kenda Creasy Dean, Wesley W. Ellis, Justin Forbes
• Despair, Hope and the Great Turning, A weekend retreat plan, by Chris DeRoller and Mike Clark, Powell House
• Quaker Affirmation: A course of study for Young Friends, Indianapolis First Friends Church.
• Silver Bullets: A Guide to Initiative Problems, Adventure Games and Trust Activities, by Karl Rohnke
• Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices, by Conti, Curtis, Daniels, Lomuria, Condori, Hart et al.
• STRIDE: Strengthening Transformative Relationships in Diverse Environments, Baltimore Yearly Meeting initiative on growing diverse youth leadership
• The Quaker Way, by Signe Wilkenson
• Whispers of Faith: Young Friends share their experiences of Quakerism, edited by Black, Klos, Reddy, Smith and Stacy
• Wild Things: a recipe for Running a Middle School Friends Overnight for your Meeting or Quarter, by Jennifer Galloway
• Young Friends web page, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting 

Learn more: Visit the QREC Resource Library and subscribe to our announcements