Dates Set for YOUTH 2019 to Help Youth Leaders Plan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. July 22, 2016 /Discipleship Ministries/ – The date and location for the next national gathering of United Methodist youth in 2019 are being announced years in advance to provide as much planning time as possible for local churches who want to join other youth from the connection at the event.

YOUTH 2019 will take place July 10-14, 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri, said Chris Wilterdink, Director of Program Development for Young People’s Ministries (YPM), a division of Discipleship Ministries. Specifically, the event will take over the Kansas City Convention Center and Municipal Auditorium.

“Youth leaders are taking their own sustainability seriously, which is a great thing. Many are planning ahead, calendaring out events six to 18 months in advance,” Wilterdink said. “We realize that attending YOUTH 2019 means youth leaders need time to get the event on the calendar, gauge interest with their church and begin fundraising.”

The national gathering for UM youth takes place every four years, and at the last event in 2015, nearly 5,000 youth and adult leaders came together in Orlando for inspirational worship, meaningful workshops, service opportunities and fellowship. Attending the YOUTH event in 2015 was valuable for many youth and their adult leaders.

After attending YOUTH 2015, many youth reported back that the event made a positive difference for their faith development and calling, Wilterdink said. Youth leaders also provided excellent feedback about how the event increased their youth’s understanding of Methodism, and specifically the Wesleyan Acts of Piety and Mercy.

In addition to reporting their spiritual growth, Wilterdink said participants also provided a variety of feedback on the event itself.

“In looking over the evaluations from the event, several specific trends about the event itself emerged.” Wilterdink said. “Participants, in general, valued the worship, diversity and connections made at the event. Leaders reported several specific factors that would influence their decision to bring youth from their local church to the next YOUTH event in 2019.”

From those evaluations of adult leaders, the five most significant factors for potentially attending YOUTH 2019 included:

• Affordability
• A central location
• High quality worship experiences
• Service Opportunities
• Time to plan and raise funds
  

YOUTH 2019 will take place at the Kansas City Convention Center, with big-room worship taking place in the 10,000-seat Municipal Arena.

“Kansas City is very central within the United States,” Wilterdink said. “Multiple affordable lodging options within walking distance of the convention center, along with the safety and fun of Kansas City’s Power & Light District, make this an ideal place for the youth of the United Methodist Church to come together. We believe the national youth event builds value for local church youth ministries and we want to make it as easy as possible for youth leaders to attend this connectional event. This location allows us to positively address each of the five significant factors that youth leaders reported regarding their potential to attend YOUTH 2019.”

For up-to-date information on YOUTH 2019, connect at https://www.facebook.com/Youth2019

The mission of Discipleship Ministries is to support annual conference and local church leaders for their task of equipping world-changing disciples. An agency of The United Methodist Church, Discipleship Ministries is located at 1908 Grand Ave. in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit the Press Center or call the Communications Office at (877) 899-2780, Ext. 1726.

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