We have needed to bring the youth of our local churches together for a very long time, and now it’s going to happen! SAVE THE DATE!
SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2012
The Chicago Metropolitan Association of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ has announced plans for a regional youth event, to be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at University Christian Church (5655 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637) in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The event will last from 2-6pm, and will feature live music, food and games, concluding with a worship service. This event is FREE and open to all youth.
See BELOW for the FULL RELEASE, but University Church is excited to open our space for this wonderful event. If you’d like to participate in the worship, or know of a young person/ministry that would be AWESOME and wants to serve, please let us know! We are planning the event now and will have more information as the date draws closer.
For more information contact Alli Baker at: CMAYOUTH2012@gmail.com
ARE YOU READY TO IMAGINE!!!
***********FULL PRESS RELEASE***********
January 25, 2012
Local Churches Unite Youth for One-Day “Imagine” Event
March gathering in Hyde Park set as precursor for National Youth Event
Chicago, IL – January 25, 2012: The Chicago Metropolitan Association of the Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ has announced plans for a regional youth event, to be held on Saturday, March 24, 2012, at University Christian Church (5655 S. University Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637) in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. The event will last from 2-6pm, and will feature live music, food and games, concluding with a worship service. This event is FREE and open to all youth.
Working around the theme “Imagine If,” the March 24 event is scheduled to include workshops that foster skills development and community building; global activism in the 21st century; and a session for parents and youth leaders to share best practices. Besides live music playing throughout the “festival atmosphere,” youth will also have the opportunity to present their own talents in a closing worship service. The targeted age range is 12-18.
“There is a simple purpose in doing this,” says Pastor Julian DeShazier, senior minister of University Christian Church. “We want to allow Chicago-area youth an opportunity to connect with each other and with God on their own terms. As advocates for this generation, we must not only protect our children, but also provide a forum for their inherent genius to breathe.” Allison Baker, Youth and Young Adults Pastor at Wellington Ave UCC and one of the organizers for the March 24 event, hopes the program will be a “space for youth to share their diverse culture and lifestyles with one another, opening them to a world of new possibilities and partnerships.” Imagine that!
The organizers are also hoping to generate momentum for the United Church of Christ’s “National Youth Event”, a gathering of more than 3,000 youth, held July 10-13, 2012, at Purdue University (Lafayette, IN). Says Pastor DeShazier, a University of Chicago alum: “We need to create community in Chicago first, and then send them to a larger community to impact this nation.”
All UCC churches are invited to participate in this event, along with other local churches of all affiliations. This is a YOUTH EVENT; please distribute to youth groups. This is a FREE event, but please consider a donation of $5 per child in your group. If you’d like to volunteer, or contribute one of your ministries to the closing worship (yes!), please contact: CMAYOUTH2012@gmail.com.
More information on UCC website. All media are welcome.
