#4 Inclusive Youth Ministry
Being truly inclusive of all individuals and identities is a key part of our Unitarian Universalist (UU) theology, articulated in our Second and Third Principles. Adults need to be able to make space for a wide range of youth identities, race and ethnicity for white youth and youth of color, disability (PDF), sexual orientations, gender and class. One way to make anti-racist and multicultural space available is to use the Be The Change! curriculum with youth. Adults and youth need to develop skills in intercultural competency—recognizing that individually and as communities we all have culture and must practice working across differences.
Managing group dynamics is one way to ensure each youth feels included and knows they truly matter. It is important that adults recognize that, developmentally, adolescents care deeply about being included and seen. Volunteers and staff should be familiar with game-based community development which includes the Five Steps of Community Building.
Training: Inclusive Youth Ministry in a Diverse World
Video recording, 1 hour 15 minutes
Audio only (1 hour, 15 minutes)
HOSTED BY: Elizabeth Nguyen (Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries), Jessica Laike (Mountain Desert District); with special guests: Linda Middleton-Hill (Mountain Vista Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Tucson, AZ), Annie Kern (youth), Elliot Ferrell-Carretey (youth).
PRESENTED: January 10, 2017
There is no such thing as a perfect community, but there is such a thing as imperfect, messy, beloved community. We’ll explore ways to better include youth of many identities and life experiences. Jessica and Elizabeth will share stories about real ways to create brave space, honor differences, shift culture and widen who we mean when we say “We." This webinar is based on the fourth competency in the Competencies for Ministry To/With Youth: Creating an Inclusive Youth Ministry.
Additional Training Materials
Training: Inclusive Youth Group Dynamics
Video recording (1 hour, 13 minutes)
Audio only (1 hour, 24 minutes)
HOSTED BY: Eric Bliss (Pacific Western), Natalie Briscoe (Southern), Larissa Hunt (Mountain Desert District)
PRESENTED: February 21, 2017
During this webinar we will be looking at creative, healthy ways to center introverts, believers, new youth, youth in the margins, and other cohorts within youth community. We'll also be sharing some REAL TOOLS for engagingly creating your group covenant - which, by the way, will help do that very centering!
