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​Youth: If You Ask Them, They Will Tell You How to Reach Them

In March, Fr. Lorenzo was with the good folks of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Bay View, Ohio, for a congregational Youth Design Day. He led the youth in reimagining their youth ministry.

• A recap: A Youth Design Day is a two-day, on-the-ground process during which young people determine their youth program rather than having an off-the-shelf program imposed on them.
  

Why it matters: Now more than ever, the church needs to be innovative in how it reaches and forms young people.
The result: The event was a great success!

• We had nine young people and four of the adults who will help run the youth program.
  
• The youth were able to agree on the same goals as the church leadership and then develop a weekend retreat to begin the work.
  
• They decided on the retreat's output (a cookbook based on the Episcopalian faith) and all the events to take place during the weekend.
  

What they’re saying: Here’s what the rector, The Rev. Alex Martin, had to say:

• “We had a critical mass of teenagers and very little organized for them. This program provided the perfect forum for our youth to come together, make connections, start exploring questions, and take ownership of their own faith formation. By the end of the day, they were laughing together, had a plan to move forward that they created themselves, and were eager to keep the momentum going. Our whole congregation embraced the program and parents involved affirmed that they could use the materials to recreate a similar experience in another context. I absolutely encourage others looking to start or re-energize youth programming to give this a shot.” 
  

What’s next: We are developing the program into a how-to manual that can be used in other settings without requiring a Fr. Lorenzo. 

• And here it is!...
  

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PS- This is the work-in-progress file. Let us know if you suggest any changes!