District Youth News

Watch this page for upcoming news for youth – opportunities to get to know other youth and do fun stuff together!

Redwood City Christmas Cheer

Redwood City First Youth Spread Christmas Cheer

Redwood City -- January 12, 2005

With the Rev. Dale Weatherspoon joining in one of the dances, 21 youth of First UMC of Redwood City shared Christmas cheer a week before Christmas with the seniors, volunteers, and staff of the East Palo Alto Senior Center. The audience showed their appreciation and delight as they sang along, clapped, and shouted "Amen!"

At the end they gave the youth a standing ovation for two dance numbers, a song, and one in both dance and song. Then part of the group and other First UMC members traveled to Hopkins Manor in Redwood City to offer a medley of carols. With First UMC director of music Godelinde Degroot, the ensemble went to two church members' homes to continue the cheer.

Five District Youth Events a Year?
Hiring of Contractors Considered

San Mateo -- April 12, 2004

As United Methodist churches around the nation ponder how to bring a faith experience to youth and young adults in the increasingly secular culture, the Golden Gate District is considering the hiring of contractors to put on five major youth events a year.

The Rev. Steve Thompson of Hillsdale UMC of San Mateo volunteered over a year ago to be the catalyst for a district-wide youth ministry vision. He called an ad hoc youth ministries subcommittee of the District Council on Ministries, which this month announced this plan:

-- Contract out five events a year. Two will be one-day trainings -- one for training youth in music, another for training workers in youth ministry. There would be an annual, intensive three-day youth confirmation event for two age groups, junior high and high school. Two other events a year would be varying themes for a day each.
-- A contractor would be paid $750 for each of the one-day training events, $2,000 for the three-day confirmation, and $2,000 for each of the two general thematic events. Beyond those stipends, $4,500 a year would be allocated as resource funds for all five events.
-- The contractors would do all organizing and publicity.
-- An appeal will be made to the three district unions -- the Peninsula United Methodist Association (PUMA), the San Francisco United Methodist Mission (SUMM), and the Redwood Empire United Methodist Mission (REMM) -- to grant the total $12,000 annual cost.

Besides Rev. Thompson, involved in the discussions to date have been the Rev. Schuyler Rhodes of Temple UMC in San Francisco, the Rev. Kelley O'Connor of Forestville UMC, and two local church youth ministry directors -- Meredith Dodd of Community UMC of Half Moon Bay, and Dana Griener, heading the four-church joint youth ministry that was recently dubbed "Christ Led Abiding Youth." Those CLAY churches are UMC of Petaluma, St. John's UMC of Rohnert Park, Sebastopol UMC, and Forestville UMC.

Great America vs. Church

After a youth group weekend jaunt to Great America, the theme park in Santa Clara, Burlingame UMC youth director Matt Schlager wrote: "If we compare our church with Great America in terms of fund and excitement, Great America will win every time.

"However, there is one category that our church will beat Great American in every time, and that is the relationships we build together and with God. Great America isn't going to listen to you when you want to talk about how your life is going. A roller coaster cannot tell you have special you are."

Emiko, John and God - Part I

Recently my four-year-old Emiko, out of nowhere, asked, "Daddy, tell me a story about the children and God." I quickly tried to figure out how deep my answer should be. "Well, honey, God loves all of the children." My mind, which is not always my best friend, said, "You spent three years in seminary and that's the best you can do?!" I was getting ready to explain the concept of an immanent God when I noticed Emiko pondering my answer. "Oh," she calmly said.

Something was happening that I did not understand. God was walking with Emiko. I quietly sighed in relief. A quiet voice inside my heart reminded me that God was also going to remain with Emiko forever, and that she will learn more about God as her life unfolds. I know I can be a guide, but that morning I came to understand that Emiko is developing a special relationship with God all on her own.

The Rev. John Oda
Pine UMC, San Francisco

Christ Led Abiding Youth (CLAY)

The four-church joint youth venture in Sonoma County has named itself Christ Led Abiding Youth -- or CLAY.

The four churches of CLAY are Sebastopol UMC, Forestville UMC, UMC of Petaluma, and St. John's UMC of Rohnert Park.

CLAY, for the first three Sundays of May, will visit three of the churches and put on the entire worship service. May 2 they will be at Forestville. On May 9 they will be at St. John's, and on May 16 at Sebastopol.

Devoured by a Linebacker . . . Not!

Those who attend the Tuesday and Thursday evening Youth Cafe at Community UMC of Half Moon Bay have drafted the top ten reasons for inviting other youth to come:

10. Hot-dog eating contests (the record is fifteen!)
9. It's fun!
8. Because we say so.
7. Come lose badly to us at ping-pong.
6. Because your parents aren't here.
5. Because we are such sexy boys.
4. Friendly interaction.
3. To play tournaments of Scrabble and Cranium
2. Because you will not be fangoriously devoured by a linebacker.

And the number one reason to come to Youth Cafe is . . .

1. No SEX AND VIOLENCE

-- From the Half Moon Bay Communique (April 2004)

Community UMC of Half Moon Bay youth explore a "church word" each week. Recently they considered "creed," and drafted this "Senior High Creed 2004":

"We believe in one God, The father and mother, the entity; We believe that the New Testament is true.

"We believe in the Giants . . . In fun and education, In fun without education.

"We believe that you need friends, That we are not alone; We believe in each other and In doing good for others.

"We believe that life doesn't end with death; That there is eternal life, Through Jesus Chist our Lord.

"We believe in the Indianapolis Colts; That video games are fun, In Sponge Bob Square Pants.

"We believe in consequences, both good and bad."

-- From the Half Moon Bay Communique (March 2004)

From a Youth Cafe . . . to a Yahoo Group

Updated: March 30, 2004

Community UMC of Half Moon Bay has started a "Youth Cafe" in its new church facilities -- a time for youth using computers, indulging in food favorites, and playing games on Tuesday and Thursday nights after school until 6 p.m. Meredith Dodd, Half Moon Bay's director of youth ministry, reports that the city's public library "has started referring kids to Youth Cafe in droves. We are now seeing more than 20 kids, most of them from Cunha [Middle School], many of them Spanish speakers." Dodd and two others from the church went to a seminar on Progressive Youth Ministry, sponsored by the Center for Progressive Christianity in Sausalito in February, to learn different approaches to youth ministry and to share this one...

Sebastopol UMC youth will be part of a Sonoma County trip to southern California this summer for the Sierra Service Project, which helps underprivileged Native Americans. The youth at Sebastopol, and youth leader Dana Greiner, every month fill the church's kitchen cupboards with goodies for the bags they give out to the needy of their community. They take advantage of sales at stores. The Sebastopol youth are also offering babysitting for a Parents' Night Out about once a month.

Inspired from their attendance last year, the youth of St. Paul's Community UMC of Point Arena are inviting district folks 11-16 years of age to join them for another hands-on weekend of learning and working at the Heifer International Farm in Ceres CA (near Modesto) April 30 and May 1. Heifer supplies farm animals to countries around the world to help people become self-sufficient in food production. It's called the annual United Methodist Hunger Happening Youth Event...Ukiah UMC youth are boycotting Coca-Cola products, following up on an Annual Conference resolution of last year to do so because of Coca-Cola's alleged unfair labor practices in other nations. The Ukiah youth group meets Monday evenings with the the youth of Grace Lutheran Church, rotating between the two churches.

The Rev. Steve Thompson of Hillsdale UMC in San Mateo, a banjo player, has started playing music with the youth at their Wednesday night practice. Hillsdale has hired Shawn Reifschneider, a music teacher at Hillsdale High School, as its new choir director...As part of Hillsdale's ministry to young people, it will be starting two new spiritual growth groups this spring, one for young adults and one for youth...

Youth at Mount Tamalpais in Mill Valley have started a "Koinonia" discussion board on Yahoo groups. Koinonia is a Greek word from the Bible that means a close, intimate, community of people who love and respect each other. The Yahoo group is open to all Mount Tam high school students and friends to talk about whatever is on their minds. They can be silly, happy, or sad. They can talk about faith, or family, or school, or relationships. Each week a lead-off question is posted, but then they shoot off in any direction.