In the midst of the transitions in the new Indiana Annual Conference, there are no current plans for Youth Annual Conference (YAC) in the Fall of 2009 or Winter of 2010.  Please know conferencing and connecting opportunities for youth remain a priority for the conference.  The new Youth Ministry Team will be meeting later this Fall to examine how our conference can best support youth ministry in our local churches, and future connectional opportunities for youth and youth ministry leaders will be part of their conversation.

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Greetings from Indianapolis!  Over the past nine years in youth ministry, I’ve learned two important lessons.  First, you can’t be an effective youth worker or youth minister in isolation.  Too often because we spend all our time in relationships with youth or we have so much else on our plate, we find ourselves isolated from the rest of the church and/or from peers in ministry.  Second, there are so many resources out there, and you have to pick the ones that work in your ministry context, which takes a considerable investment of time that we don’t always have.

So this blog has two goals.  To connect us – Indiana United Methodist Youth Workers, volunteer and paid, and anyone else who enjoys a good conversation about youth ministry – that we may avoid feeling isolated or alone in ministry.  And to sift through the resources that are out there so you can focus on your ministry.

Now bookmark this page, return for connection and resourcing, and let me know what resources have worked for you and what you need to focus on your ministry in the local church.

Peace and blessings,

Brian