The pilot of the NEW Youth Ministry Sparks module will be offered online Mondays, July 14, 21, and 28 and August 4 and 11, 2-4pm EDT. The module will be facilitated by Jenni Papp, CRE-Advanced Level and Shannon Boston, JD and Certified Spiritual Director. Registration is limited to 15 participants and the fee for this 5-session module is $250, payable on a sliding scale according to availability to pay. More payment details are available in the registration form. The registration deadline is July 7, 2025.

Module Requirements

The Youth Ministry Sparks module is an online learning experience that includes five two-hour webinars with reading and other assignments for each session. This module utilizes the UU Institute for content delivery. Credit will be offered for full participation in the module. Full participation includes:

• Online attendance and active participation in five two-hour sessions;
• Reading and reflection to prepare for each session, which will require about two or three hours;
• Completion of all module assignments; and
• Submission of the Participant Evaluation within one week after module ends.

Learning Objectives

Participants will

• Investigate the histories and cultures of Unitarian Universalist youth ministry;
• Explore dynamic, iterative, and responsive youth programming, including Coming of Age programs, Our Whole Lives programs, and Bridging;
• Examine adolescent human development, faith development, and the spiritual lives of teens in the context of today’s world, including UU identity development and the adolescent need for deep connection and belonging;
• Articulate the dynamics of adult relationships with youth, located within a lifespan ministry and multigenerational context;
• Equip participants to empower youth to discern for themselves what faithful action around our shared values means to them and commitments to which they want to devote their time, such as in broader congregational life (i.e. worship, justice making, leadership, religious exploration, pastoral care, etc);
• Explain and support the implementation of youth safety, bearing in mind incorporating basic pastoral care skills and the change management that’s necessary for implementing newer youth safety practices;
• Discern measures of success for youth ministry; and
• Create space for the learning community to share tools that assist in achieving the above-mentioned goals, including the ever-evolving use of technology.

Required Reading

The required reading for this module is on UU Institute. Information to access this course material will be shared with you two weeks prior to the course start.

Technical Considerations

The webinar platform is Zoom, which you can download from Zoom.

In order register and access module materials, participants must have or create a UU Institute profile. On UUinstitute.org, click on “Log In/Register” at the top right and follow instructions on the page to Register. If you have already participated in a UU Institute training, you will be able to use the account you have already created once your facilitators add the course to your profile. In your course registration at the link below, you must provide the email address affiliated with your UU Institute account for facilitators to add you to the group and begin the preparation required before the first session.

Register here!

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