Youth Leadership Symposium’s 2024 cohort gathered for their second session on April 6, starting with a keynote on leadership in the midst of change from Rev. Terri Hord Owens. She lifted up the importance of imagination and spiritual grounding in any change process and drew on examples from her time as General Minister and President while also looking at the present and future in the context of the “Implementation Team” for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that is working on the changes to the Church’s structure requested by the last General Assembly.
Rev. Owens was joined by Dr. Mica Stewart of Mt. San Antonio Community College who laid out a history of change, looking at how rapid and slow change have been advocated for throughout history, what experts we associate with those movements, and what problems are inherent to each. Rev. Eli Rolon Jeong of the Illinois / Wisconsin Region and Krista Johnson Weicksel of Global Ministry shared their own personal stories of working for change in the world, providing some contextual examples to illustrate Dr. Stewart’s presentation.
Between presentations, our YLS youth spent time in small groups, sharing their own stories, frustrations, and experiences with navigating change. Examples ranged from issues in Israel and Palestine to the current Financial Aid (FAFSA) chaos that seniors are facing, to local community politics over tourism and fears of crime. The wisdom of these young leaders was on full display as they bounced off each other, celebrated each other’s resolve, and offered hopes and ideas for the future.
The later sessions included presentations on faith formation and the importance of mentors, the difference in Gen-Z’s priorities and focus, and a conversation on how this new generation of leaders might approach Church in new ways. More guest voices deepened the conversation as Rev. Jose Martinez from Disciples’ New Church Ministry, Rev. Debbie Kline Allen of the Southern New England Conference, and Rev. Bruce Fowlkes from Eureka College shared personal stories of intergenerational faith shaping. More small group time gave the youth a chance to really dig into these presentations and imagine how this information might impact the projects they are designing in their own congregations.
Youth Leadership Symposium will close out its 2024 gatherings with a “Show and Tell” day on June 1 as each youth shares their project plan with the cohort for feedback, problem solving, and celebration of their efforts so far. Once youth complete their projects, they submit a report, evaluations, and a self-reflection to help them see what all they have accomplished. These projects, and the stories that inevitably come with them, will be shared as they are collected over the Summer and through the Fall.