When I was 22 years old, I was elected to be the President of the Youth and Young Adult Federation of the Methodist Church (for people 18 to 30 years old) in Chile, a volunteer role elected by all the youth and young adult members of the church. I coordinated youth and young adult work across the country and represented them at the national and international levels in boards, conferences, and general assemblies.  

This was an enormous experience for me as a young woman and an opportunity to grow in my leadership beside the strong adult church leaders in those days. The Bible verse I used in most of my reports was 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (NRSVUE). The phrase that I also shared was “young people are the ‘today’ of the church.” 

That phrase that I shared 25 years ago is something I still strongly believe. Young people are not and should not be considered only the future of the church; they are the TODAY. Ministries with young people are a vital part of The United Methodist Church and are as diverse as the global youth and young adults who connect with their community, their church, and God. 

I’m encouraged to see the diverse ministries that churches in our conference are doing with the young people in their communities. Churches creatively offer different kinds of opportunities, such as confirmation classes, kids clubs, messy church, Sunday school, afterschool programs, cooking classes, vacation Bible schools, and camps, among others. 

Every four years, youth from throughout the UMC gather for four days of discipleship, fun, and fellowship at Youth event organized by the UMC’s Discipleship Ministries. It includes interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service opportunities, and fellowship.  

Here are some of the upcoming events for youth in our conference:  

• JOY Camp (June 2024). A weeklong overnight camp focused on delivering the message of God’s love through fun, fellowship, nature, scripture, and worship. This camp is organized by a group of clergy and lay in our conference who have extensive experience in youth ministry. Learn more. 
• Fall Youth Retreat (September 2024). This retreat is organized by youth leaders from different NIC churches who wanted to plan a special event for the youth in their congregations. Attendance continues to increase, and recently they have invited all churches across the conference to send their youth to learn, get to know each other, and experience God in their lives. Watch the conference eNews and website for more information. 

A couple of years ago, the Discipleship Task Force offered a series of resources called Youth Ministry Jumpstart. In one of the videos, Pastor Seamus Enright said, “Youth ministry is not about how cool you are, it is about showing up.  .  . Show up, listen and invite young people to follow Jesus.” More information.

I celebrate the churches that are developing extraordinary youth ministries, and I encourage other churches to consider starting a ministry with young people or to partner with neighbor churches to do so. You don’t have to have all the answers and all the ideas; just the desire to make a difference in young people’s lives in your church and your community. Remember that all we do is not only for the future. Young people are the TODAY of the church!