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Do you have questions about any of these resources or need additional information?
The Michigan Conference Young People’s Ministry group offers materials for local churches, youth groups, parents, young adults and youth. Whether you’re new to youth ministry or have been working with youth for decades, a parent, or a young person searching for ways to grow closer to God and serve your community, Youth People’s Ministry is here to support you!
Local Church Resources
Youth and Young Adult Roundup
Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, OCT 2026
This fall issue highlights upcoming events and mission opportunities for youth and young adults, as well as their leaders, that churches can feature in their publications. Last Updated on October… Continue Reading Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, OCT 2026
Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, AUG 2026
This late summer issue highlights upcoming events and mission opportunities for youth and young adults, as well as their leaders, that churches can feature in their publications. Last Updated on… Continue Reading Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, AUG 2026
Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, JUN 2026
This early summer issue highlights upcoming events and mission opportunities for youth and young adults, as well as their leaders, that churches can feature in their publications. Last Updated on… Continue Reading Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup, JUN 2026
Faith Formation Cohorts. Cohorts in the Michigan Conference offer youth ministry leaders regular opportunities to meet with others in similar positions or with similar interests. They have made a profound impact on leaders in Michigan and beyond. Past cohort participants have described the cohorts as a place for “community and relationship with people who do the same thing,” “building networks and resources,” “developing self-confidence to try new things,” and “learning opportunities.”Some short-term cohorts are seasonal or topical, while others are structured around the school year. See the Connectional Ministry Coming Attractions page for upcoming events and cohorts.
The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry is an annual gathering of people in the church, the academy, and the world who are committed to cultivating and caring for the Christian faith of young people. Designed around a theme that inspires the conversation and content each year, the forum is a place where people of all demographic and denominational backgrounds come together to learn from and encourage one another. Less of a conference that teaches “how-to,” the forum is a creative hub where people gather to ask “how come?” Travel scholarships are available from the Michigan Conference Board of Young People’s Ministries.
Youth Worker Collective podcast from UM Discipleship Ministry.
Check out the Youth & Young Adult Resource Roundup for the latest news and information related to Young People’s Ministry.
Articles and books
- Sustainable Young Adult Ministry by Mark DeVries and Scott Pontier
- Young Adult Ministry Now by Steven Argue
Funding Requests and Grants
Have a young adult ministry program or event in mind and need financial support to make it happen? Request funding from the Board of Young People’s Ministries by contacting Rev. Paul Reissmann.
Youth Ministry Resources
Michigan Annual Conference Youth delegates are invited to attend the annual sessions of the Michigan Conference in Traverse City, where fun and caring adults offer ministry, programming and help navigating through the event. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other United Methodist youth from across the state.
Fuller Youth Institute offers a variety of tools and resources to help support youth ministry.
Consider attending the Forum on Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary.
Young Adult Resources
Young Adult Vocational Fellowship. A Michigan Conference Board of Young People’s grant for supporting young people in their vocational discernment. $1000 maximum can be used for stipends for young adults, trainings, retreats, and resources. Application due December 1st for winter/spring fellowships, April 15th for summer fellowships, August 1st for fall fellowships. Churches and UM ENGAGE Projects can apply here: https://forms.gle/3Zuzb43bP8Jf2iGq9
The Michigan Conference’s Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools program is an intergenerational leadership model staffed primarily by college students and recent college graduates, with a 10:1 child-to-adult ratio. Rooted in the Mississippi Freedom Summer project of 1964, the CDF Freedom Schools program is a six-week summer literacy and cultural enrichment program designed to serve children and youth in grades K–12 in communities where quality academic enrichment programming is limited, too expensive, or non-existent. The CDF Freedom Schools program enhances children’s motivation to read and makes them feel good about learning. The Michigan Conference currently operates two sites in Detroit — Second Grace and Conant Ave UMCs — and two in Flint — Bethel and Calvary UMCs. Young adults interested in applying to be a summer intern should contact Lisa Batten at [email protected].
Discover…Mission The young adult short-term mission program of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM), a grassroots movement of United Methodists seeking to put their Christian love into action worldwide.
The Global Mission Fellows program of The United Methodist Church places young adults aged 20-30 in social justice ministries for two years of service in either international or U.S. settings. Fellows address deep-rooted systems of injustice, working in a variety of areas, including food insecurity, migration/immigration, education, and poverty.
College students can connect with Campus Ministries across Michigan.
Scholarships
United Methodist Higher Education Foundation (UMHEF) awards $2+ million yearly to students attending UM-related schools.
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) offers a range of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.
The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan supports several scholarship programs for college, university, and seminary students.
Metropolitan UMC in Detroit offers Centennial Scholarships to help full-time students attend college, university, or graduate school. The scholarship amount varies yearly, but recent recipients received $2,000 each. All students who are active members of a United Methodist church are eligible to apply. Students can reapply each year if they continue a full-time schedule.