Prayer - Petition & Praise

Henry T. Bergh: Pathfinder pioneer and writer of the Pathfinder Song, Henry passed away on July 15, 2011. Henry has left an inspiring legacy to youth arround the world.

Shootings & Bombings in Norway: At least 80 people died on Friday, June 22, during a shooting at a Youth Camp in Norway. Another seven died in a bomb attack in the capital, Oslo. Please pray for everyone affected by this tragic event.

Justin Bieber: The 17-year-old singer is now near the top of Forbe's best-paid celebrities under 30 list. His mother has asked for prayer for both of them, to keep their eyes on Jesus, to make wise decisions and not be swept into the dangerous mindset that fame and celebrity suck people into.

Personnel Changes

Tibor Shelley: An ordained minister, Tibor has accepted the position of Assistant Director for the Center for Youth Evangelism. He has served as the Youth/Communications/Ministries Director for the Arkansas Louisiana Conference, as well as several other pastoral positions.

Ministry Seekers

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Ministry Openings

School Chaplain & Assistant Pastor: Hilliard Christian School, Australia.  This position is to provide pastoral function for Rosny Church, facilitate spiritual development and christian care for Hilliard School as Chaplain.  More info: visit Adventist Volunteer Service.

Youth Ministries Leader: New Zealand Garden City Fellowship Company.  This position calls for a strong leader to work with youth and young adults organizing various spiritual gatherings.  More info: visit Adventist Volunteer Service.

Southeastern California Conference: Seeking an Associate Youth Director to develop summer camp and conference-wide year-round spiritual and recreational programs. More info: Contact SECC Human Resources at (951) 509-2352.

Bloomington/Bedford, Indiana: Pastoral position available in two-church district. Looking for someone willing to do church planting, camp ministry, discipleship and educational youth ministry. More info: Contact Van Hurst, Indiana Conference President.

Adventist Resources

Youth Ministry Resources: The Center for Youth Evangelism provides several resources online for those interested in learning more about reaching youth and young adults for Christ. More info: Visit the CYE Resources page.

Porn Free: Bernie & Christina Anderson give voice to one of the greatest challenges young adults face - both men and women - in this conversation-starting video. More info: Watch the video. (Sponsoed by the Pacific Union Conference)

Non-Denominational Resources

Christian Media Reviews: Focus on the Family offers online reviews of popular entertainment: movies, TV shows, music, etc. More info: Visit PluggedIn.com.

The Bible Online: Any chapter, any version at your fingertips! More info: Visit BibleGateway.com.

The Bare Facts: Sex is everywhere, and so are the misunderstandings about it. Moody publishers offers a 6-week youth group study kit, created by Josh McDowell. More info: Visit Josh.org.

The Indespensable Youth Pastor: Smiply Youth Ministry provides a new resource for youth pastors with a candid look inside youth ministry and addresses how to "land, lock-in and love their youth ministry dream job." More info: Visit SimplyYouthMinistry.org.

Book Review

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Adventist National & International Events

Festival of the Laity 2011: September 7-10, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. Training provided by the NAD Youth Department. More info: Visit the event page, or call (301) 680-6430. (Sponsored by the North American Division)

AMiCUS International Student Congress: September 22-25, 2011, in Paris, France. An Adventist Ministry to College and University Students event, with the theme "Arise in the End." More info: Visit amicus.euroafrica.org. (Sponsored by the General Conference)

Jesus Loves Jeans Culmination: October 8-15, Live from Nashville, Tennessee. As part of Net 2011, the JLJ youth discipleship initiative will present the culmination of its efforts with a "youth reaping" meeting. More info: Visit Host.PropheciesDecoded.com/Resources. (Sponsored by the North American Division)

Leadership Training Convention: October 14-16, 2011, in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. This event will offer training in several different areas of youth ministry, including Pathfinders and Federations. More info: Visit SNECyouth.org. (Sponsored by the Southern New England Conference)

180 Symposium: October 18-20, 2011, in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Addressing the most pressing youth/young adult issues in Adventism, the 180 Symposium will be focusing this year on "Reaching the 2nd & 3rd Generation Youth & Young Adults." More info: Visit AdventistYouth.org/180. (Sponsored by CYE & the Lake Union Conference)

High School Bible Retreat: October 20-23, 2011, at Camp Kulaqua, in High Springs, Florida. The theme for this retreat will be "Made 4 This." More info: Contact Pedro Perez, Florida Conference Youth Director. (Sponsored by the Florida Conference)

the One project: October 31 - November 1, 2011, in Helsinki, Finland. Celebrating the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. More info: Contact Japhet De Oliveira, or visit the1project.org.

Cruise With a Mission 2011: December 11-18, 2011, from Tampa, Florida. A young adult annual cruise and mission trip in one! More info: Contact Fidi Mwero or visit AdventistYouth.org/cwm. (Sponsored by CYE & the Lake Union Conference)

the One project: February 13-14, 2012, in Seattle, Washington. Celebrating the supremacy of Jesus in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. More info: Contact Japhet De Oliveira, or visit the1project.org.

Just Claim It 3: March 7-10, 2012, in Greensboro, North Carolina. All youth and young adults, as well as youth and young adult leaders, are invited to attend this weekend of dynamic worship, community outreach and much more. More info: Visit JCI3.org.

Pathfinder Bible Experience: April 21, 2012, in Silver Spring, Maryland. NAD Pathfinder Ministries introduces a Pathfinder team challenge on immersion in the Word of God. More info: Contact Pam Scheib, or visit the event page. (Sponsored by the North American Division)

Non-Denominational Events

ReFined Youth Leadership Conference: September 23-25, 2011, in Columbia, South Carolina. A revolutionized evangelistic effort to foster an expansion of community outreach and cultivate effective youth leaders in today's society. More info: Visit TheReFinedLeaders.org.

D6 Conference: September 21-23, 2011, in Dallas, Texas. Join 2,000+ leaders, ministers, volunteers, and parents as they discuss and collaborate on what's NEXT in the strategic integration of youth ministry and generational discipleship. More info: Visit D6Conference.com.

LifeServe National Conference: September 26-29, 2011, in Louisville, Kentucky. A conversational conference for those with a heart for serving and leading others in the church. More info: Visit LifeServe.group.com.

National Youth Workers Convention: September, 2011, in San Diego, California, and November, 2011, in Atlanta, Georgia. A chance for youth workers around the nation can get a much needed respite so they can be refreshed, renewed, and recharged. More info: Visit NYWC.com.

Emerge N Engage: December, 2011, and January, 2012, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A Bible Conference designed to challenge students to go beyond the surface of casual Christianity and bring them into a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ. More info: Visit StrengthToStand.com.

Planet Wisdom: Through an in-depth look at God's specific attributes, Planet Wisdom events provide an experience for students to discover practical ways they can change the world by becoming more like Him. Event locations and dates vary. More info: Visit PlanetWisdom.com, or call (888) 346-4179.

Acquire the Fire: 27 hours set apart to give your teens a life-transforming experience with Christ. ATF tours occur periodically throughout the year at various locations. More info: Visit ATFTour.com.

Dare2Share: The 2012 "Game Day" Tour, taking place in various locations on various dates, provides training conferences to "inspire, equip and unleash" teens for the most important competition of all. More info: Visit dare2share.org/gameday.

Research

As a partner with Roger Dudley and the Institute of Church Ministry, CYE features ICM's research in the area of youth and young adult ministry.

In 2003, a nationally represented telephone survey of 3,290 teens 13 to 17 years old, in 45 states, was conducted, follwed by personal interviews with 267 of them. The results were published in the 2005 award-winning book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teens.

In 2005, a second telephone survey was conducted with most of the same subjects, and 122 of the same respondents were re-interviewed. This important longitudinal study was continued in 2008 with a third wave of surveys of 2,458 youth, now 18-23 years old, and 230 personal interviews. Christian Smith* and his associates published a report of this more recent wave in 2009 entitled Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults.

The longitudinal nature of the study allows examination of the transition of attitudes and behaviors from teenagers to emerging adults over a five-year period. While those involved in young adult ministry will want to read this book, I would like to point out some of the more pertinent findings:

In one set of analyses, factors found in the teen years were examined to discover which were most related to high religious commitment in emerging adults. High religious commitment was defined by three measures:

1. Regular attendance at religious services
2. Importance of faith in one's personal life
3. Frequency of praying alone

The following factors were found to be "consistently very important" in the life of the teens in predicting higher religiousness:

1. A regular personal prayer life
2. More religiously committed parents
3. Greater importance of religious faith in everyday life
4. Expressed few or no religious doubts
5. Had teen religious experiences, such as personal miracle, prayers answered, and a powerful spiritual experience

The following factors were found to be "consistenty somewhat important":

1. Teen believed in divine miracles
2. Frequent Scripture reading
3. Many supportive religious adults
4. Had not had oral sex or sexual intercourse during the teen years
5. Had been made fun of for religious faith.

The following factors were found to be "somwhat less important":

1. Believing sex belongs in marriage
2. Frequent church attendance
3. Deciding on morality by religious reasons
4. Having more religious friends
5. Being happy with the congregation
6. Sunday (Sabbath) School attendance
7. Being in a youth group
8. Closeness to parents
9. Participation in other religious activities in addition to worship services

Any of these points could be a launching pad for future study and action. More points will be shared in the next issue.

Roger Dudley

Director, ICM

*Christian Smith, Professor of Sociology and Director for the study of Religion in Society at the university of Notre Dame, is one of the leading researchers in the study of youth and religion and directed the National Study of Youth and Religion (NSYR). He consistently gives young adults the label "emerging adults," and his range is 18-23 (not as wide as usually used in young adult ministry).

Spanish Resources & Events

Hispanic Scholarship Fund 2012: This NAD fund is available for masters and doctoral level students. The NAD has set aside $300,000 in scholarship monies to give to qualified applicants. More info: Visit the NAD Treasury Dept. Resource page.

Pathfinder Camporees

Euro-Africa Division: August 1-8, 2011, Bassano Romano, Roma, Italy. Theme: "Faith Adventure - Walking With Paul." More info: Visit the EUD Camporee website.

Lake Union: September 15-18, 2011, at the Berrien Springs Fairgrounds. The theme will be "Finish Strong." More info: Contact Craig Harris, LUC Camporee Director, at charris@misda.org or (616) 834-2372, or visit the LUC Camporee website.

Pacific Union: March 21-25, 2012, at Glen Helen Park. Theme: "Love, Lead, Live." More info: Visit PUCcamporee.org.

Miscellaneous

Hot Cities for College Grads: Newsweek published its annual rankings of which cities offer the brightest future. Among the top were:

1. Fayetteville, North Carolina
2. Omaha, Nebraska
3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
4. Austin, Texas
5. Houston, Texas

(Source: Newsweek 13 & 20 June 2011)

First Female Elder Ordained: The Bermuda Conference made history on February 26 when they ordained Julie Richardson, a member of a newly-organized Restoration Ministries Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Hampton, Bermuda, as an elder. More info: Read the article (page 8). (Source: NAD News Points 25 May 2011)

Bullying Stats: According to studies done by the Josephson Ethics Institute and McAfee & Harris Interactive, the problem of bullying has extended into the realm of "cyberbullying," but the traditional forms are still of concern:

• One in three teenagers (33%) say physical violence is still a big problem at their school (Compared to 36% in 2008).
• Half (50%) of teenagers say they've bullied, teased, or taunted someone within the past year (a number that hasn't changed in 3 years).
• 12% of teeneage boys "strongly agree" it's okay to hit or threaten a person who makes you angry (Compared to 5% of teenage girls).
• 11% of teenagers admit they have bullied someone online.
• 52% of teenagers say they know someone who's been a victim of cyberbullying.

(Source: Group Magazine May/June 2011)

Potomac Conference Youth Impact Community: During Camp Meeting 2011, the youth and young adults of the Potomac Conference made a difference in the local community through their own Extreme Makeove & Street Art. More info: Check out the youth blog and photos.