The Youth Mission Co Mission Scholar program is a year-long intensive program for 9th-12th grade youth from around the Denver Presbytery area who are interested in diving deeply into mission, service, the root causes of social injustices, and discernment regarding God’s call in their lives.
Through the co-leadership of Rev. Doug Friesema (First Presbyterian Aurora) and Rev. Blair Buckley (Minister at Large), youth will have the opportunity to:
learn about topics such as homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, healthcare, and other social concerns in the Denver and mountain areas. Together we'll learn about the root causes of these issues, their history, and the systems that perpetuate them.
learn through our experiences, working among neighbors who are marginalized and working within agencies throughout Denver and the mountain region.
look to our faith tradition and the Bible for insights of God's call to support and stand with the marginalized.
listen for God’s call in our lives to help marginalized and oppressed people, through the exploration of our interests and life goals.
have the opportunity to connect with youth from around the Presbytery of Denver, with leaders of community agencies (locally and nationally), and with community organizers and theologians.
WHO WILL BE PART OF THE COHORT?
Youth! This cohort is for high school youth in 9th - 12th grades living in the Denver and mountain areas. This cohort is capped at 10 participants.
Facilitators: Rev. Doug Friesema and Rev. Blair Buckley both have a heart for mission and a passion for youth. They will be organizing and leading this group over the course of the year. Learn more about them at our YouTube Page.
Youth Mission Co (YMCo): Youth Mission Co is a youth mission organization based out of Asheville, NC. YMCo has developed this program out of their experiences of hosting and leading mission opportunities for youth. YMCo's executive director, Bill Buchanan, and staff will join via zoom from time to time. While we won't see them much, they will accompany the facilitators and youth along the way and play a big role behind the scenes.
Guests: Throughout the year the cohort will be joined by community and agency leaders engaged in justice work in our local area. YMCo has relationships with youth and community leaders from around the country. There may be opportunities to connect with similar cohorts in other parts of the country and to be joined by guests via zoom.
PROGRAM ELEMENTS
An initial group experience of Mission Immersion with fellow mission scholars and facilitators.
Monthly zoom and/or in person meetings with the mission scholars, including special guest speakers and planned discussions.
Ongoing mission engagement throughout the year, as determined in a mission immersion plan set at the beginning of the process.
Monthly connection with a designated mentor to debrief and discuss your local engagement.
A midpoint weekend mission immersion with fellow mission scholars and YMCo Facilitators
A creative project or presentation that the scholar chooses and develops throughout the year on a particular concern that is meaningful to them (homelessness, poverty, food insecurity, etc.) This project is shared with their fellow scholars and home congregation and includes their personal experiences engaging in this issue, the history of this issue, the systems and dynamics that perpetuate the issue, keys to solving the issue, and their theology related to the issue.
A closing gathering and celebration of Mission Immersion with their fellow mission scholars and YMCo Facilitator.
DATES
This cohort will begin with a Mission Immersion Day on Saturday, September 11, 2021. The deadline to sign up is August 21, 2021. You can apply online HERE!
COST
$100/month
Cultivation and Innovation, a workgroup of the Presbytery of Denver, will sponsor each youth participant for 1/3 of the cost. It is recommended that churches help offset the costs by 1/3, so that participants are responsible for 1/3 of the cost. This would amount to $400.00 for the year. Youth who are interested should apply regardless of finances.
Cost includes:
Initial Mission Immersion Day
Mid-year Mission Immersion Weekend
Closing Mission Immersion
Staffing and guest speakers
Consultation for creative project
Individual consultation with Youth Mission Co staff, including the Executive Director, Bill Buchanan
COVID CONCERNS
As formal health guidance and projections continue to change, we will continue to adapt our plans for this cohort to ensure the well-being of cohort members and our community. We anticipate a hybrid of zoom and in person gatherings over the course of the year together. Any in person gatherings will follow current guidelines for social distancing and health screenings.
In the face of this uncertainty, there is only one thing we can all do to prepare for the unpredictable—and that’s be flexible.
While this creates certain challenges, it also creates opportunities! We're hopeful that this makes it easier for youth in both mountain communities and the city to participate together via zoom. It also opens up the possibility for connecting with youth and leaders from around the country.
CONTACT
For questions or to express interest in participating in this cohort contact Denver.Mission.Scholar@gmail.com.