Local churches and nonprofit ministries in the Michigan Conference are invited to apply for a $1,000 grant to mentor a young adult they know who is discerning purpose, vocation, or ministry. Apply now for summer.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
This month, the Michigan Conference launches the Young Adult Vocational Exploration Fellowship, a grant program that allows local congregations and affiliated nonprofit ministries to apply for and receive a $1,000 grant to support mentoring a young adult (ages 18-30) they identify in their midst.
This young adult might be considering a career in professional ministry and could benefit from experience and mentorship, or they might be exploring other vocational interests as a layperson. Maybe they are considering pastoral ministry or a specialized ministry vocation, such as chaplaincy or music. Maybe they are interested in social work or education.
Fellowships are awarded throughout the year on a seasonal basis. The application period for summer fellowships is now open. It will then reopen on July 15 for fall, and on November 15 for winter and spring. Churches and nonprofits can reapply each year.
Apply now for summer fellowships.
Local churches that participate must develop a 6-8 week plan for vocational discernment, including mentoring with a pastor or qualified church or staff member, weekly mentor/mentee meetings, and opportunities for the young adult to engage in various church or nonprofit ministries and connect with the community.
Mentors will also agree to attend two online resource meetings led by a member of the Board of Young People’s Ministries and a Michigan Conference staff member. For summer fellowships, these one-hour trainings are scheduled for April 6 at 4:30 pm ET and May 5 at 4:30 pm ET.
The $1,000 grant will assist the local church or nonprofit in providing hourly stipends for young adult mentees and covering expenses for books and other resources.
The Young Adult Vocational Exploration Fellowship is the latest in a long line of meaningful programs for young adults started by our conference. Connexion, the conference’s summer intern program for young adults, has now evolved into this new model to offer greater flexibility and make these formative experiences more accessible to more young adults, since the fellowships will be awarded throughout the year rather than only during the summer.
Recently, Lisa Batten, a Connectional Ministries Staff member, and Rev. Paul Reissmann, chair of the Board of Young People’s Ministries, discussed Connexion and how best to support young adults as they explore their next steps in vocational discernment.
“Paul and I had a great discernment conversation in January,” explains Batten, “that led to the final decision of transitioning the Connexion summer intern program to this fellowship model, which still prioritizes the needs expressed by young adults that include mentoring, meaningful experiences, progressive theology, and peer relationships.”
These four areas of need had been highlighted by young adults in various listening sessions and conversations throughout the Michigan Conference.
In this new model, the site where the young adult serves will be where much of the mentoring, meaningful experiences, and exposure to progressive theology will take place. The Michigan Conference will then provide spaces for mentees to develop peer relationships, such as the Young Adult Discernment Cohort (a monthly online small group that meets for much of the year), seasonal retreats, and gatherings at events like Annual Conference.
Reissmann understands that the Michigan Conference is learning to pivot and adapt to changes in young adult ministry as new needs arise. And that’s the case with the transition from Connexion to the Young Adult Vocational Exploration Fellowship program.
“Our young adult programs,” notes Reissmann, “have consistently provided a model for how church and leadership development can be done in response to the needs of our current generation, who are yearning for spiritual formation and the power to make a difference with their faith. As a result, I have faith and trust that when we listen to the needs of God’s people and move accordingly, we are heading toward the new thing God is doing.”
Programs like the Michigan Conference’s Young Adult Vocational Exploration Fellowship are rare in the outside world, says Reissmann. “No other institution holds intention space for discernment and personal formation quite like the church can,” he explains. “Programs like these also challenge the church to believe in itself, that those who come after can be entrusted with the legacy they are being given, and the church of today can still meet the moment.”
As local church and nonprofit leaders think about the young adults they know, here are a few practical tips for identifying those who could benefit from a discernment experience.
Reissmann says, “Church and nonprofit leaders have the opportunity to not only create spaces of curiosity and deep questioning but also mentor the next generation and help them chase what is animating them. When looking for a young person in your community who is quickened for a change in their world, look to their motivations and ask why. Youth and young adults who show conviction and a thirst for integrity; those who yearn for the world to be a better place for all of God’s children; those who embody creativity and problem-solving; those who inspire others — these are all hallmarks of a leader being formed.”
Apply now for summer fellowships.
Do you have questions about the new fellowship? Contact Rev. Paul Reissmann, chair of the Board of Young People’s Ministries, at [email protected] or Lisa Batten, Connectional Ministries Staff member, at [email protected].
The Michigan Conference’s new Young Adult Vocational Exploration Fellowship is made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on March 30, 2026