Resources For Revitalizing Youth Groups
September 15, 2007
Q. We could use some help in revitalizing our youth group. Are there resources for that?A. Jill Schwendeman, Director of Youth Programs at the thriving White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church in Mahtomedi, MN, has written a book, When Youth Lead: A Guide to Intergenerational Social Justice Ministry, which seems likely to become an important resource for youth group leaders and congregations that want to develop or reenergize youth groups.
Schwendeman explains why it’s important for congregations to include youth voices, noting in the chapter titled “Youth as Ministers,” that youth prompt congregations to question the status quo, and that they often say things in a different way than adults, thus adding to understanding.
She describes how to grow a youth program, the importance of adult support and how to get it, and how youth can be involved in social justice. She devotes almost fifty pages to 101 youth projects “to build a better world.”
When Youth Lead is available at the UUA Bookstore ($15 #4914).
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
