April 2018 Newsletter
www.diomassyouth.org
Join Bishop Alan M. Gates and the B-PEACE for Jorge Campaign again this year in making a public witness against gun violence by walking together in the Mother’s Day Walk for Peace on Sunday, May 13.

This annual pledge walk is sponsored by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and is a fundraiser for the institute's work in support of families affected by murder and its efforts to create more peaceful communities.

The Diocese of Massachusetts and its B-PEACE campaign have had a strong team at the walk since 2013, and organizers hope many will join the walk to make 2018 another year when Episcopalians are witnessing together for peace, building relationships and celebrating mothers and families.

For more, see the diocesan website .
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!

Week-long sessions begin Sunday, July 1 and run through Friday, August 3. Plenty of options available for campers heading into 4th thru 12th grades.
And don't miss the week-long
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 Diocesan Youth Missioner H. Mark Smith and BCH Camp staff.

Scholarship support is available. Inquire with the Camp .

Note that the yearlong Youth Leadership Academy will be replaced 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.
A Day of Service, of Fellowship, and of Fun!
BCH WORK DAY
Saturday, June 23, 2018

Join BCH staff and friends and help get the camp ready for summer. Projects include trail maintenance, fire pit bench repair, spreading mulch, and generally sprucing up! Clock community service hours while helping maintain this important resource. This is a great activity for a youth group, or for a group of young people and parents.

Please come ready to work! The Camp will give you a great lunch, but the point of the day really is to get a lot of important work done. Options for overnight accommodations also available for a fee. Contact the camp directly for more information.

Advance notice is required so that the staff can be sure to have sufficient tools and supplies.
Encourage Your Young People to Speak Out on
facebook/DioMass Youth
The new DioMass Youth FaceBook page is a platform for young Episcopalians across the diocese to speak up and speak out--to encourage them to speak out about the need for faith in action in our world, to give them a fun look into other youth groups and other parishes, and to develop connections among young people across the diocese.
Do your young people have an issue they want to raise by staging a "takeover" of this page? Contact H. Mark Smith for more information. Posts, pics, vlogs--it's all good!! 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 publish. Anyone can post, pending approval of one of the administrators.

The site was launched last month 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.While that conversation continues, the hope is to cultivate an ongoing virtual salon for young people to share their ideas and help The Church learn from their wisdom and experience.
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
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
2018-19 Planning Underway
Care to join us?
Plans are already underway for diocesan youth ministry events for the coming year. In fact, the dates for the middle school retreat, the high school retreat, and the two preconfirmation retreats are already available at the diomassyouth.org . website. Diocesan Youth Council applications will be available soon, and we are working on a brand new yearlong program for 9th-12th graders in partnership with Episcopal City Mission.

And we are always looking for new partners with new ideas and energy! Does your parish, cluster, deanery, or network have an idea for an event that you would like to offer to the diocese in partnership with the Office of Youth Ministry? Now is the time to have conversation Let's plan next year's calendar together, NOW!