Introducing Jennica Davis-Hockett

A woman with brunette hair and bangs smiles at the camera; she is wearing glasses, a red shift, and has tattoo on her shoulder.
Support for youth and emerging adult ministry (14-24ish years of age) from the UUA is evolving! The office of Lifespan Faith Engagement now has five youth and emerging adult (YEA) ministry staffers and an events coordinator who are charged with providing equitably accessible support for YEA ministry across the country. As such, Jennica Davis-Hockett will be serving New England Region congregations directly! This direct connection looks like:
  1. Attending LREDA cluster meetings to get to know your ministries.
  2. Being available for consultations on safety and organizing for your congregational ministry and events.
  3. Helping you connect with one another as we rebuild youth and emerging adult ministries together.
  4. Providing registration templates or helping to run registration for your inter-congregational events (fka "Cons").
  5. Connecting you with seed money for growing your community ministries.

Here’s a note from Jennica:

I’m pretty darn excited to get to work with New England Region congregations. I’ve worked in UU religious education and youth ministry since 2008. If you can believe that, I hardly can! I began working at the First Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, UT (where I still live) and have served at the district level, regionally, and nationally. I’ve been meeting with your congregational life staff to get a better understanding of the history, geography and current trends in the region.

I am passionate about creating multigenerational communities of care that center young people, especially young people with marginalized identities, those going through life's transitions and those experiencing mental health challenges. That passion is what drove me to edit the second edition of Youth Ministry Advising: A Complete Guide, and create the Peer Pastoral Care UU Institute Course and the Youth Ministry Volunteer UU Institute Course.

My favorite thing to do at work right now is steward Deeper Joy: Games, Activities and Practices for Community Builders. You can join me in my happy place if you attend a Deeper Joy Open Studio any Thursday where I gather with others excited about creating more accessible and inclusive communities.

My spiritual practices include learning things from my flower and medicinal herb garden, sitting with my buddhist meditation sangha, practicing anti-oppressive parenting, and being a total nerd for relationship dynamics.

I am open to talk about all these things and anything youth or emerging adult related. You can email me or just pick a time that works for you using my calendly to talk via phone/zoom.