NWC Youth Ministry News

Youth Pastor's Connection

Internet and Cell Safety for Youth and Children's Workers

Thursday, March 19, 12-3 p.m.

YPC logo new Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, MN

A joint Connection with Children & Family ministers (This event is also open to any staff people or parents who are available and interested in this topic.)

Youth and children can find themselves in over their heads with various online concerns from cyberbullying to sexting. Alison Feigh from the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center will present details about the risks students are facing online and practical ways that adults can respond.

As a classmate of Jacob Wetterling, Alison learned early on how important it is to protect children and youth from exploitation, and believes strongly in avoiding fear-based approaches when educating young people. The Jacob Wetterling Resource Center is committed to using what they've learned in 25 years of case management of missing and exploited children to empower audiences to walk around smart and not scared.

Alison previously worked as a minister to youth and children at a metro area faith community for six years. She continues to be inspired and re-energized by working directly with children and teenagers at camps, retreats, and theater companies.

MOVE 2015 is April 10-11

Minnehaha Academy South Campus

Speakers: Hope Ledeboer-Smith and Cesar Castillejos from Young Life in the Twin Cities area.

MOVE is the NWC's high school service and learning experience. This year's theme is "Now What?" We want students to take a holy risk and dream about ways to take the ideas of MOVE home to their communities.

One of the ways we're going to do this is by a variation on the reality show, "Shark Tank." Youth groups will have an opportunity to select a challenge facing their home communities (best to do some homework in advance) and develop a strategy to address it. At stake: a $500 grant to help them put their plan into place.

Visit the MOVE page for registration materials.

CHIC 2015 registration

CHIC registration is open at CHIC2015.org. So far, there are over 4,000 students and adults registered. If you weren't able to make the CHIC training at YWC in Denver, the CHIC office will be making the training available online in March. If you want a CHIC training manual before that time, contact Ginny (ginny@northwestconference.org) or Cheryl (cheryl@northwestconference.org).

Excursions

Excursions are a variety of off-site recreation options at CHIC. They usually cost some extra bucks and you'll need to reserve space for your group. Excursion reservations open up on March 15 at http://chic2015.org/excursions/. If this is your first CHIC, don't feel like you need to sign up for an excursion every day (or at all). There's lots of stuff happening on campus during free time.

CHIC Transportation

Taking a NWC bus? It's only $205 and you don't have to worry about sleepy drivers and the church van breaking down in the middle of a cornfield. A $100 per person deposit was due March 1.

northwestconference.org/chic-2015-bus-info

CHIC Scholarships

We're raising scholarship money to help out churches with NWC transportation costs. If you have former students, or families, who were impacted at CHIC, would you ask them to give to Get Northwest Conference Kids to CHIC at http://www.youcaring.com/other/get-northwest-conference-kids-to-chic/265502? We chose YouCaring.com because they don't charge any fees for administration (just a small credit card fee). Our goal is 100 $100 scholarships.

Upcoming NWC Events

Adventures in Leadership - June 20-27

Nominate one or two of your students who have strong leadership traits for an intense, week-long leadership development experience. AIL is for select high school students and is based at Adventurous Christians camp on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It's a powerful time of learning leadership principles and putting them into action, all in a guided, challenging environment.

If you're interested in being an AIL leader, contact Jon Kramka at jon@northwestconference.org. Information and materials are available at northwestconference.org/children-youth-family/adventures-in-leadership

MUUUCE - Aug. 6-8, 2015

Crossroads Church, Woodbury, MN

Upcoming Youth Ministry Events in the Area

Inclusion on this list doesn't imply endorsement. Do your homework to make sure these events fit you or your group ...

Youth Leadership Seminars

Youthleadership.org

"The End of the Critical Decade" with David Boyd and Tiger McLuen. March 16. youthleadership.publishpath.com/3-hour-seminars

Breaking News

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