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General Assembly is the annual gathering of Unitarian Universalists from all over the continent. This year it's in Spokane, WA June 19th-23rd. ...

UU young adult Alex Jensen shares how the tradition of Lent is an opportunity to forge deeper faith, and stronger commitment to living the sources, values, and Principles of Unitarian Universalism everyday of the year.

Learn how to register as a youth attendee to GA - all the parts and steps - that will get your youth group into GA smoothly.

Last year, somewhere around this exact time, I applied for Summer Seminary. I remember applying for various reasons: ...

A sponsor is an adult who meets the criteria and pledges to provide supervision for a youth attendee while at the UUA General Assembly. Review this video for more info on recruiting, identifying, and managing adult sponsors for the youth you're bringing to GA.

Experts share their experience with successfully getting groups of youth to GA, with best practices and links to resources.

Experts share their experience with successfully getting groups of youth to GA, with best practices and links to resources.

Experts share their experience with successfully getting groups of youth to GA, with best practices and links to resources.

​In this month’s episode, Bart acknowledges he can't finish a young adult ministry book right now. So instead of reviewing a book youth or young adult ministry book, he’s going to persuade you to read fiction, which could also be described as sci-fi/fantasy edition... intrigued...

Experts share their experience with successfully getting groups of youth to GA, with best practices and links to resources.

Each year a team of youth is selected to build community and run programming for youth at General Assembly. The application is open from November 1st to December 15th. Get to know our current staff and prepare yourself to apply!

Each year a team of youth is selected to build community and run programming for youth at General Assembly. The application is open from November 1st to December 15th. Get to know our current staff and prepare yourself to apply!

Each year a team of youth is selected to build community and run programming for youth at General Assembly. The application is open from November 1st to December 15th. Get to know our current staff and prepare yourself to apply!

Each year a team of youth is selected to build community and run programming for youth at General Assembly. The application is open from November 1st to December 15th. Get to know our current staff and prepare yourself to apply!

Every year Summer Seminary students write a homily. Friday night they present them at a "Preach-Off", and select 4 or 5 for Sunday worship at their host congregation. These are the Summer Seminary student homilies from Sunday Worship at First Unitarian Church of Chicago on July...

Each year Summer Seminary students select 4 or 5 student-written homilies to be shared at Sunday worship of the host Unitarian Universalist congregation. Watch one of them here.

A youth group doesn’t magically transform into a welcoming, inclusive and accessible space as soon as you hang a poster of the Seven Principles on the door. We need to intentionally cultivate an environment where youth can practice caring for one another and holding one another...

Each year Summer Seminary students select 4 or 5 student-written homilies to be shared at Sunday worship of the host Unitarian Universalist congregation. Watch one of them here.

Each year Summer Seminary students select 4 or 5 student-written homilies to be shared at Sunday worship of the host Unitarian Universalist congregation. Watch one of them here.

Twelve youth, 5 adults and 2 UUA staff are support youth and sponsors at General Assembly. Some positions are one year terms and some are two. Those who serve two year terms serve on the executive team in their second term. One year and "junior" positions are selected in the...

Each year Summer Seminary students select 4 or 5 student-written homilies to be shared at Sunday worship of the host Unitarian Universalist congregation. Watch one of them here.

Each year Summer Seminary students select 4 or 5 student-written homilies to be shared at Sunday worship of the host Unitarian Universalist congregation. Watch one of them here.

Announcing! "Which GA Youth Dean are You?" Find out if you're more like Sr. Dean Kari Gottfried or Jr. Dean Andreas Rivera Young.

Being able to connect with children and babies is like this weird superpower I have, but its not a really awesome or impressive superpower like flying, laser eyes, being rich, or being able to control sea creatures. Is it just baby charisma or is it something else?

Morgan Miller shares her life-expanding experience at Youth Midwest Leadership School , and encourages other youth to attend.

The identities of Unitarian Universalism (UU) are becoming more diverse. Cameron Whitten's project captures the voices of 123 diverse UUs, giving is a glimpse of the future of this faith.

Sustainable Youth Ministry is one of the seminal books about youth ministry and explores a number of crucial concepts.

On July 4th, declare interdependence. It’s kind of hard to enjoy a Fourth of July BBQ on a lovely sunny afternoon with meat and veggies on the grill when we think about the people who are in cages right now. On July 4th, recommit to use freedom in ways that liberate others.

Today so many people I love are mourning the loss of Unitarian Universalist leader Wendi Winters, murdered in the shooting that happened yesterday at the Capital Gazette Office in Annapolis, MD.

Opportunity for Youth and Adults to take the lead on the global stage Are you passionate about creating inclusive learning environment and working for peace and justice on a worldwide scale? The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office is looking for youth and adults to lead...

Summer Seminary , the immersion program for UU youth exploring the possibility of becoming a religious professional, is supported by 4 staff members and a host of faculty members. Summer Seminary 2018 is happening in Chicago, IL, at Meadville-Lombard Theological School .

One of the most surprising places I learned about deeply spiritual community was my Grandma Bette’s bridge club. Those old ladies were really knew something about showing up and caring for each other.

Recently the team at the UUA Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries discussed how February being “Black History Month,” March being “Women’s History Month,” and June being “LGBTQ History Month” is positive because it raises up awareness of the history and contributions of...

Our knowledge of history defines our understanding of the present. With these posts the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries lifts up our awareness of the history of people of marginalized identity so their actions can influence ours. Meet Victoria Woodhull, the first...

Summary: Protest movements like March for Our Lives , and The Women’s March are generally legally permitted events, but protest movements can also use the tactic of unpermitted civil disobedience as a way to increase the pressure on authorities to right injustice (think of Black...

Watch the premiere of Come Sunday on Netflix on Friday, April 13. Produced by Ira Glass of This American Life, the story of Pentecostal Bishop Carlton Pearson’s epiphany of inclusion shows what happens when a responsible search for truth and meaning runs into religious dogmatism...

In this month’s episode, Bart reviews Lyn Mikel Brown’s Powered By Girl. Published by Beacon Press, Powered by Girl explores how young women are embracing activism and are showing up for themselves and their peers. It also serves as a guide for adults who want to support youth...

We pray for our minds and hearts to be open to the messages of younger generations. We pray that we may find it within ourselves to offer practical, financial and emotional support to all youth who fight for their lives. We pray for physical safety which is never guaranteed,...

Youth, adults from across the country form a team to support Youth Caucus at General Assembly, 2018 in Kansas City, MO.

Religious Educator Jamaine Cripe reports from the first ever Youth Ministry Leadership Exchange on the big takeaway anyone interested in successful youth ministry needs to know.

Bart circles back to re-read Kate Erslev's "Full Circle- Fifteen Ways to Grow Lifelong UUs" and finds its as indispensable as ever for anyone growing vibrant youth and young adult ministry.

The Blue Boat Editorial Board is proud to announce the beginning of a new monthly series, Bart Reviews Books! In this series, Bart will review a series of new and older books related to youth and young adult ministry. Read the first installment today!

Why do so many UU youth lose connection with UU communities as they move into young adulthood? Are we failing our youth? Or are we preparing them for their “ free and responsible search for truth and meaning ”? Inspired by these questions, I created the Post-Bridging Survey...

Take some time to evaluate yourself: how are you getting your needs met for unlearning systems of oppression? How is your community doing on meeting people's needs?

When we've acquired new learning/done some unlearning of systems of oppression we need to practice. But what does practice actually look like? We can take actions on the personal, interpersonal, communal and systemic levels for maximum impact.

In order to unlearn systems of oppression we need to be challenged, comforted and have space to process. How do we meet those needs well while respecting others?

"Given that everyone in our congregation is in different places around racial justice, how can we meet all their needs?" wondered the religious educators in my white caucus at LREDA Fall Con. If you've ever wondered how to support yourself or your community in unlearning systems...

96% of parents prioritized that youth programs should be safe spaces for youth to explore their faith. We’re pretty good at creating safe spaces for our young folks, but how do we engage in promoting spiritual growth for everyone in our congregations?

As we approach the one year anniversary of the Women's Marches that erupted all over the world immediately following Trump's inauguration, we take a look at the Women's March in D.C. from the perspective of a Unitarian Universalist youth.

I was reading an article the other day about a school that is like “Christian Hogwarts” and the church that runs it also has a program called Young Saints . I started thinking and wondering, if these young folks are “Young Saints”, then are Unitarian Universalist youth and young...