Spirituality Development Conferences
Like Leadership Development Conferences, Spirituality Development Conferences (SDCs) are small working conferences for youth and adults. An SDC focuses on ways to design effective, creative and meaningful worship services; and ways to integrate spirituality more deeply into youth programming and the lives of the participants.
SDCs work to bring youth and adults together to share common worship experiences. Of the Six Components of Balanced Youth Programming (worship, youth, adult relations, community building, leadership development, social action & learning), the first, worship, is often overlooked or saved for Youth Sundays.
An SDC can greatly transform the tone and culture of a local youth group and congregation; people return from an SDC inspired to integrate worship more deeply into their program and congregation as a whole. An SDC provides experience and skills for those that are inexperienced in leading/designing worship services. They also give the experienced worship leader an opportunity to grow and stretch through exchanging ideas and inspiration.
Who should attend an SDC?
Youth who want to learn how to create meaningful worship experiences and deepen their own spiritual practice should consider attending this program. Advisors who want to support youth in bringing as sense of religion back into their youth group should also consider participating. Ministers who want to ensure that their congregational worship services speak to youth and want to see their congregation grow by keeping their youth members involved in the community will also find value in this program.
For SDCs we are especially interested in bringing youth and adults together to worship. We are particularly interested in involving parish ministers with youth through this program.
The r ecommended ratio of youth to adult participants is 1:1.
To request a training, please contact the Youth Office or fill out the online form.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Wednesday, November 28, 2007.
