Lisa Batten shares changes to intern programs within the Michigan Conference and invites us to listen and discern what future young adult ministry will look like.
LISA BATTEN
Young Adult Initiatives Coordinator, Michigan Conference
Ever-changing dynamics in young adult ministry, along with the impact of COVID-19, have left many wondering what’s next in the area of young people’s ministry. Vibrant ministries frequently assess legacy and ongoing programs and adjust when needs change.
As the Michigan Conference downsizes and reconfigures program staff from age-level specialists to generalists, what does this mean for conference young people’s ministry? The focus of the smaller conference program team will be shaped by the Conference Leadership Council’s goals of developing leaders, faith formation, and anti-bias/anti-racism work.
To assist Michigan Conference staff with looking to the future, the Michigan Conference Board of Young People’s Ministries will host several listening sessions in 2023 to hear from youth and young adults about what they need from the conference.
The first listening session will be held at Annual Conference, on Friday, June 2, for those youth and young adults, ages 16-32, attending. It will be from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm in the Young Adult Hospitality Suite, and lunch will be provided. Additional online listening sessions will be scheduled for later this fall.
The listening sessions aim to ask these questions: “What excites young people, and what gives them joy?” “What pains and hurts are young people experiencing?” “What passions do young people bring to faith communities?” “How does the Michigan Conference design new ministries or adapt existing programs where young people are centered?”
As conference leadership prepares for these listening sessions and looks to the future, some changes to programming related to young adult interns will be implemented immediately.
While transitioning to the new staff configuration, the Mission Intern Program will continue in 2023, with fewer sites hosting interns. These sites will be directly caring for training and supervision. EncounterMICall was paused during the pandemic and will remain fallow until the upcoming listening sessions are complete. Ministry Exploration grants continue to be available through the Board of Young People’s Ministries. Campus Ministries will continue to be resourced and supported by the Division of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
And the Board of Young People’s Ministries and Michigan Conference leadership will look to the inspiration of those who, decades ago, had the vision and wisdom to start new ministry or adapt existing programs. We aim to listen deeply and center young people as we adapt and develop programs for future generations.
Many laity and clergy have participated in the Michigan Conference’s young adult programs as hosts and interns over the years. Many have found a call to ministry through the training and mentoring these programs offered. These innovative ministries responded to the needs of young adults through creative collaboration with the conference and local congregations. And we want to celebrate these ministries and the people impacted by them.
The Michigan Conference has a rich history of caring for young people with a variety of programs. Over thirty years ago, the West Michigan Conference added a new position to conference staff to specifically care for ministries with youth and young adults.
Twenty-four years ago, the Detroit Conference began the summer Mission Intern Program, bringing young adults and congregations together in missional ministry.
According to Mary Gladstone-Highland, an intern and now a nonprofit director, the Mission Intern Program was one of the Detroit Conference’s greatest ministries for the engagement and leadership of young adults. She reflects, “It was a shining light for the children who attended the programs as well. Many felt their call to ministry or servant leadership while serving during their summers. To the interns, to the staff who supported the program, and to the program itself, ‘Well done, good and faithful servants!’”
Ruth Vandersonde, another former mission intern now an ordained elder, appreciates the program’s impact on her whole family’s life. “My sister, brother, and I participated in the program. For me, it solidified my call into ministry and gave me the opportunity to connect with another future clergyperson who went through the entire process together with me, a wonderful colleague and friend. For my sister, it gave her a foundation for her work in social services. For my brother, it was a place to build up his skills to join the field of education. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Mission Intern Program.”
The Ministry Exploration program was created to provide grants to local congregations that identified young adults who were discerning ordination as an elder.
Eleven years ago, the statewide EncounterMICall program was created in collaboration with campus ministries to connect students to local congregational ministries.
Sarah Mannshreck Prowless, lay member of Westwod UMC, was an EncounterMICall intern and believes the program shaped her ministry. “As an . . . intern, I was told, ‘You can plan Sunday school to a T, and it won’t go that way at all.’ I later realized there is so much grace and forgiveness that I had accounted for because, in the end, it’s about creating a relationship with God. I now look for ways to create opportunities for children to grow in their relationship with God. I am now more open-minded about kids (and adults)!”
Destiny Wells, a current student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, also points to this program’s impact on her life: “Being an EncounterMICall intern was one of the first steps into exploring my call to ministry. It gave me direction and experiences that were crucial for my discernment.”
These are just a handful of the many stories that are told by those transformed by the Michigan Conference’s young adult ministry programs. Will you join me in thanking God for the lives changed and the programs now transitioning? Will you pray with me and ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we discern next steps and listen to young people’s voices and needs? And will you encourage the young people, ages 16-32, in your life to dial into our upcoming listening sessions and speak from their hearts?
Last Updated on May 9, 2023