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Young Adult Ministry Network

"Members of the Committee on Young Adult Ministry (CYAM)"

Left to right:  

Lemuel Moncur (SE Florida), P’tricia Egbert (Kentucky), Carlton Allen (N California), Ewart Jones (Texas), Lucas Grubbs (Idaho), Nicole Seiferth (New York), Moises Quezada (Dominican Republic), missing from photo - Wendy Barrett (Honduras).

Mission

The Young Adult Ministries Network exists to advocate on behalf of young adults, establish a national network of ministry relationships and provide vital resources for young adults and those whose minister with them.

Vision

We seek to understanding the Source of goodness, be Christ-like in our dealings with others, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide our actions.

Resources: Recognizing God the Creator as the source of all good things, we seek to provide young adults with information that will aid them in discerning their calls, within and outside of ministry.

Relationships: Following the example of Jesus Christ, we seek to foster healthy relationships for young adults as well as provide them with networking opportunities.

Advocacy: With the help of the Holy Spirit we strive to communicate the value of young adults in the life of the Church while utilizing their various gifts.


The YAM Network is a direct response to the priorities of General Convention 2003 for increased ministry among young adults.  New funding provided by Convention indicated a strong commitment to this goal.  This investment has made a big impact in just two years.  In fall 2004 a national gathering engaged over 30 people from 29 dioceses in creating the structure and agenda for this network, and for the first time initiated significant relationships among those doing young adult ministry in dioceses throughout the Church.

Young Adult Network Meeting 2006
YANCC Working Groups Update
Advocacy Letter
Join the Listserv
Resource Persons
Young Adult Ministry Network 2005 meeting


Working Groups were formed around three priority issues discerned at that gathering: Resources, Relationships, and Advocacy. A Coordinating Committee of nine members was nominated by peers and appointed by Douglas Fenton to coordinate the activities of the Working Groups, liaise with Douglas Fenton’s office, and represent the network in the wider Church.

In the course of its first year, the Coordinating Committee and network volunteers successfully met their goals:

  • Began to advocate for young adults in the Church, by educating local and diocesan leaders about young adult ministry and submitting resolutions for diocesan conventions. 
  • Organized the September 2005 national gathering of the network.
  • Created an e-mail listserv for network members to share questions and resources.
  • Created a web site for young adult ministry, as part of the national church web site, providing a clearinghouse of resource people, materials, and programs.

The leaders of the network are grounded in a theology of abundance, recognizing that God calls them to minister with young adults and provides the resources to faithfully grow in this mission.  Network gatherings have emphasized sharing ideas and resources to advance this ministry on a national level, building on good works already begun across the country.  Relationships within the network help people identify individual and institutional gifts to develop young adult ministry in their diocesan and local contexts.  Advocacy begins with thanksgiving for the lives, talents and contributions of young adults, and seeks to offer these to the wider Church and the world. 

 

There is a Trinitarian expression to the work, recognizing the Creator as our primary resource, Jesus as the perfect model of incarnational relationships, and the Holy Spirit as the great advocate for our mission.  The network is one body made up of many dioceses and people, and each has need of the others.  Only in this way can the network be a fully effective ongoing ministry, not just a momentary meeting of people with similar interests. 

Activities and Outcomes

The Denver gathering, which brought together 140 young adult and young adult ministers from 70 dioceses,  was organized around the network’s three Working Groups, with some common time for introductions, presentations, worship, and meals.  Each Working Group identified important issues in fostering young adult ministry and actions to address them.  This is a summary of the most significant outcomes.  Volunteers from every group committed themselves to working on these projects in the next year.   

  • Resources Working Group
    This group will be focused on four issues: people, programs, information and communication. The goals for the next six months to a year include: 1) developing an extensive database of people and the specific young adult programs they are conducting, 2) researching the work other denominations are doing with young adult ministry, 3) developing a communication plan to advocate for young adult ministry in the Episcopal Church, 4) defining the specific target audiences to reach, and 5) developing a statement of purpose for young adult ministry in the Episcopal Church.  Work has already begun on goals one, two, and five. 

  • Relationships Working Group

    This group aims to: 1) use and enhance the young adult web site as a vehicle for fostering relationships, 2) create and distribute an e-newsletter about young adult ministry, news, and events, and 3) host another young adult network gathering

  • Advocacy Working Group

    The three priorities for this group are to: 1) use educational and public relations strategies to promote, inform and encourage existing and future Church members about the needs, challenges, and gifts of young adults, 2) explore the existing governing structures to see how they serve young adults and how they represent the whole Church, and 3) include stewardship efforts towards growth, development, and support of YAM throughout the Church.