March 2018 Newsletter
www.diomassyouth.org
Saturday,
March 24, 2014

This Saturday, many will make the pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. Many will march in locally organized "sister" marches, including one in Boston. 
Episcopalians participating in the Boston March for Our Lives will have several opportunities to come together and follow Jesus in peaceful action. See the diocesan website for details.

May God be praised for the restless, prophetic lead of our young people. May God’s church heed the call to follow their lead!!

#enoughisenough#NotinOurSchoolsAndNotInOurStreets
#MeetWithStudents#PassERPO
TIME IS RUNNING OUT--REGISTER NOW!!
Good Friday Overnight
March 30-31, 2018
Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston

for middle- and high-school aged young people and their mentors, pastors, and youthworkers


Join us for this Taizé-inspired time "away from it all" to connect with what it all means.

Taize, France is a place where young people from all over the world come to live together as a sign of God’s possibility for humankind.  Come to Trinity Church and be welcomed in the manner of the Taize community! We will spend the night and morning living as the community in Taize lives, sharing food, prayer, and conversation. In praying together, in thinking about the Bible together, in eating and working with one another, we discover we can transcend the brokenness of Good Friday and of our world as we live into sacred communion.​

2018 Preconfirmation Retreats!!
Last one: April 6-7
PreConfirmation retreats are a chance for young people of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts to meet other young people discerning their call to Confirmation, or even just the faith journey in general! The retreats do not try to sum up a year’s worth of classes in one overnight, but we do try to give all who come a feeling for how making a commitment to one’s faith can be lived out not only in church, but in every part of our day.

The retreats are led by the members of the Diocesan Youth Council, 10th-12th graders who see part of their leadership and ministry as welcoming all the youth attending retreats, leading small groups, and giving reflections on their own spiritual journeys. They look forward to getting to know all participants!
It's Time To Sign Up!!
How will you and your friends spend their summer? How about hiking, boating, campfires, swimming, learning, archery, arts & crafts, worship, challenge course, dance, theater, music, camping, and so much more!
And be sure to check out the
July 22-July 27, 2018.
Discover the leader within and join with others in exploring what faith in action in the world means in our lives. Climb a mountain. Dream a dream. Make a friend. "Challenge by choice" for rising 9th and 10th graders. Led by Director of Youth Ministry H. Mark Smith and BCH Camp staff.

Scholarship support is available. Inquire with the Camp.

Note that the yearlong Youth Leadership Academy will be replace in 2018-19 with a new program currently being developed in partnership with Episcopal City Mission. Stay tuned for details in the coming months--but don't wait to sign up for the camp week!! Enrolling in the week at camp does not presume a commitment to the yearlong program.
Other Opportunities for Young People in the Region:

Interfaith Youth Initiative
The Way Forward: Forging Common Ground Amidst Beautiful Difference
August 1-7, 2018, Brandeis University, Waltham
DEADLINE TO APPLY: May 1, 2018

Sponsored by Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, the Interfaith Youth Initiaive offers an all-expense-paid immersion experience for young leaders (ages 15-19) providing an opportunity to meaningfully engage together with important global and local issues through the lens of their different religious, ethnic, cultural, economic, social and political backgrounds. Program consists of community building activities, workshops, artistic expression, field trips, service, theological dialogue and reflection, and more!

For more, see their website
New England Youth
Environmental Justice Summit
Saturday, April 7, 2018
Manchester, NH

Sponsored by the New Hampshire Conference of the UCC, this Summit for youth in grade 7 and up through college.

Learn about climate change and efforts to create a just and sustainable future for all! Find out from UCC leaders and partners about how youth are engaging and how YOU can use your gifts to help build the future we want to live in. For more, see their website
Micah Conference
Empowering young people to create social change
June 25-28, 2018, Wenham, MA

The Micah Conference is a 4-day student-run conference which seeks to inspire high school students to pursue social justice based on the belief that youth have the potential to be the leaders of today. Now in its sixth year, the event is led and run by the students of Boston Trinity School in Hyde Park.

Attendees will be exposed to a broad range of current social justice issues and potential solutions through a variety of interactive workshops, influential speakers, and observation of certain ministries in the city of Boston. Ultimately, our desire is that attendees leave with a deeper understanding of justice and a greater love for mercy and humility in their walk with God.   
 
The "Early Bird" registration fee is $200 per participant. You can find more information about The Micah Conference at their website
Resources for Youth Ministry
New FaceBook Page

DioMass Youth

Launched earlier this month, the new DioMass Youth FaceBook page is a platform for the voices of young Episcopalians across the diocese and to give our youth a fun look into other parishes, other youth groups in the diocese and other youth’s daily lives.

The site was launched by a Youth Council "takeover" with postings throughout the month expressing "why I walk" and "why I march," in connection with the March for our Lives and related actions.

Perhaps your young people have an issue they want to raise through their own "takeover." Or perhaps they simply have opinions they want to express, or experiences they want to share, expressions of gratitude they want to raise up, or reflections they want to p-ublish.

Anyone can post to the page, but all posts will need to be approved by one of the page administrators before going “live,” to assure that all posts are in keeping with our guidelines. Administrators include appointed members of the Diocesan Youth Council as well as several diocesan staff members.

Note that the intent of this page is to give young people a platform to express themselves--NOT to give others a platform from which to sell to, preach to, or otherwise promote at young people.

Check out the page. Like the page. Share with your young people. Encourage them to step up and take over!!