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presbyterian.ca
FALL 2018
A Youth Ministry Perspective
Connection
FEATURE (cont’d)
PRESBYTERIAN
5
    By Chelsey Joudrie, youth leader
CY is where people of all ages come together to worship, play and eat lots of ice cream!
For those of you who do not know about Canada Youth (where have you been?) this will be news, and for those of you who do know about CY, this will be a recap. Canada Youth is a five-day Presbyterian conference that takes place every two years at Brock Univer- sity in St. Catharines, Ont. The youth and adults stay in the dormitories and get to experience a taste of university student life, quite literally, as we eat in their cafeteria every mealtime!
There were four different tracks: Youth Track (for those who had gradu- ated grade 9), Discipleship Track ages (ages 19–25) and the Youth Ministry Training Track (ages 18+). There was also a new track created this year called the NEXT Track, which was de- signed for congregational leadership, that met for the last three days of the week. Each day included energizers, small groups, keynotes, workshops, free time, worship and recreation. It was a full week of love for people and love for God!
The theme of Canada Youth 2018 was “Stirred Not Shaken, Faith Acti- vated,” taken from II Timothy 1:3–8. When we returned home, I wrote a message for our Canada Youth church service about being stirred at CY. I talked about being stirred at the fact we had 14 youth represent- ing Bethel Presbyterian Church from little rural Scotsburn, Nova Scotia. I talked about being stirred when our youth didn’t run off to recreational activities but stayed to sing and do the actions to “My Lighthouse,” and ended up starting a movement when others joined in. I mentioned how I was stirred every time I saw them interacting with new people and cre- ating new friendships. I was stirred watching our youth taking part in leading music at worship and par- ticipating in readings. I couldn’t have been any more proud of the 14 youth from our home congregation and all of the other participants at Canada Youth. Their enthusiasm, excitement and love of worshipping God to this day gives me goosebumps.
A word that you hear time and time again during CY at worship, in work- shops and/or in conversations is hope. CY gives all of its participants hope. Hope that the church is indeed still alive and well. Hope that the Holy Spirit is in fact working through our youth, and
our youth are feeling empowered by that. How encouraging is that?!
There are many things that I hope for our youth as we journey in faith together. Four of my top things are the obvious: a relationship with God and Jesus; a love and respect for one and all; for them to know how loved they are, and; to know that they are never alone, no matter what they are going through. Sometimes as a youth work- er (in whatever capacity) you wonder if you are getting through. Sometimes you may wonder if what you’re saying and doing is actually resonating with them. Through Canada Youth, you get to watch your youth living out what you have been telling them all along! What you have been hoping for them all along. How reassuring is that?!
So what does CY have to offer? I could go on and on about the impor- tance of Canada Youth to all who have attended and will attend. But as I have
is their usual comfort zone. How em- powering is that?!
Canada Youth offers our youth an oppor tunity to par ticipate in wor- ship in a way unlike many of them have ever experienced before. It gets them excited about church and being the church. Doing the Canada Youth church service at Bethel the Sunday after CY, all of our youth wanted to par ticipate, and wanted to take par t in any way possible, without any fuss. They all felt confident in their ability to lead the service. I believe God was on the move at worship at Canada Youth and now our youth want to share that movement with others.
On the bus trip home (and yes, par- ticipants from the Atlantic Provinces travelled over 23 hours on bus, there and back; and yes, it is the best and not-so-best experience!), I debriefed with the youth about what their fa- vourite things were about CY. At first, I was expecting to hear things such as recreation, ice cream or the everyday abundance of chocolate milk, and as wonderfully amazing as those things were and as much as our youth en- joyed them, at the top of their lists were worship and creating new friend- ships! How amazing is that?!
For me, this was my sixth CY and I have been lucky enough to par ticipate in all the different tracks. Without a doubt I would not be the youth leader, Christian or even person I am today without the experience of Canada Youth. I watched our youth join to- gether in community; I watched them be stirred during every single activity. I watched them be changed by their experience. One of my youth minis- try goals is to have as many youth as possible experience what my kids did this year. I believe in the power of community, fellowship and Canada Youth and I think you will, too!
If you are a newbie at youth minis- try, like I was two years ago, or if you are well seasoned at working in youth ministry, or if you have some years under your belt, you all can and will gain so much by not only encouraging and suppor ting your youth to attend, but by attending yourself as well.
You think your youth like you now? Let me tell you, after the bonding ex- perience and the happiness they’ll feel at having been there, they will thank you for the rest of their lives that you convinced them to attend. So, what are you waiting for? Star t getting them excited! Star t fundraising! And let’s see Canada Youth 2020 be the biggest and best year yet!
A Life-Changing Decision
  “CY gives all of its
participants hope. Hope that the church is indeed still alive and well. Hope that the Holy Spirit is in fact working through our youth, and our youth are feeling empowered by that.”
limited words to express my unwa- vering commitment and advocacy to CY, I will say this: it offers our youth independent faith formation. It offers a larger experience than we can offer at home. As one of my youth’s parents, Laura Rowan, said, “It offers a chance to see that there are many more peo- ple like them all across Canada. Kids who are interested in church, in wor- shipping God, in singing and prais- ing.” It offers a chance to make some really great lifetime friends. It offers a chance for our youth to use their leadership skills. It offers our extro- ver ted, outward enthusiastic youth a platform to be themselves and to en- gage and share with others. It offers even our quietest, introver ted youth to have a safe platform to use their voices. The fellowship here is like no other, a completely inclusive, non- judgmental space where everyone can become comfortable enough to be themselves and to push past what
By Amanda Henderson-Bolton, a veteran CYer, and one of the intrepid Rec leaders at CY2018
When I was in my last year of high school I heard about a new youth event called Canada Youth 2000. I was getting ready to graduate and my friends and I thought it would be a great chance to have one more trip together before we headed out across the country for university. So we signed up, then loaded onto a bus and began the trip from Nova Scotia to St. Catharines. We did not know what to expect when we arrived, but I remember being blown away by the entire experience.
I attended a small church in rural Nova Scotia that I loved, but it is hard to compare to a national conference! Worship that first night was incredible. It incorporated different learning styles and visuals, all in a room jam-packed with other people my age. I experi- enced my faith in a new way. To be surrounded by my peers from across the country, who gathered to worship and learn and play was an amaz- ing experience. I will never forget the impression the communion service made on me that week.
The second thing that really caught my attention was the recreation. I had never seen anything like that on such a big scale. On carnival night, as my friends and I explored all the games, lights and music, we thought it was the most incredible thing ever. Who knew the Presbyterian Church in Canada had access to so many cool things!?! We loved going out to rec- reation each night because we never knew what to expect.
The last aspect of Canada Youth that really had an impact on me was the workshops. Canada Youth was where I explored my call to both mis- sion and ministry. I got to pick out the workshops that I found interesting and was able to learn and experience new things. I didn’t know what to expect from Canada Youth going in, but it ended up having a huge impact on my life in the best way possible.
It can be hard growing up and feeling
like there is no one else in the world like you and that your home church is just an isolated little piece. Canada Youth draws people from across this incred- ible country. It is still to this day one of the most important things I do. Part of who I am is because of Canada Youth and it is a lot of what encourages me in my ministry. I have made friends from coast to coast through my time here. It is a place where participants are en- couraged spiritually and a time when we see the youth of the future engage in their faith now. For me, it was, and is, where I experience God in powerful and unique ways.
I didn’t picture myself as having a role in the planning of Canada Youth, but 13 years or so after my first CY experience I received a call that changed my life again, and I became part of the Canada Youth leadership. If you had told me back in 2000 that I would one day get to come back and help by out with this incredible event for youth and young adults, I never would have believed you! It is one of the most important things I do in my ministry. I am encouraged watching our young people thrive as they actively engage in their faith— sometimes in new ways. It is a place where we are stirred spiritually and have our lives broadened. Each time I watch the talent show and see our young people share their gifts, speak honestly, and display their talents I am blown away by their diversity and passion. Getting on that bus in 2000 was one of the best decisions I ever made. You won’t regret it, either!
My prayer for Canada Youth is that it continues to bless, encourage, challenge, motivate and strengthen the lives of our young people, their leaders and our churches. May we never stop being inspired by our youth and their enthusiasm. May Canada Youth continue to be a place where we can meet God face to face. Somewhere among the guitars, cot- ton candy, pool noodle games and henna, we get to meet God in the everyday moments. I pray that con- tinues for years to come.
































































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