From Planner to Participant: Youth Group for Adults
What if wild hope is found not in doing more, but in experiencing differently?
Youth ministry is a fun, wild, hard, and sometimes just plain weird world to live in and work in. So what happens when we step out from behind the clipboard and into the experience ourselves?
In this class, we’ll move to the other side of the programming we spend so much time coordinating, cultivating, and stressing about. Together, we’ll step into the role of participant, exploring what it feels like to engage games, worship, Bible study, and community from the perspective of the young people we serve.
This will be a space to play, pray, discern, connect, and rediscover the spark that drew us to this work in the first place. Along the way, we’ll pay attention to where energy, joy, and connection show up, and how those moments can shape more meaningful ministry. Sometimes, wild hope looks like letting go of control, trying something new, and trusting what emerges.
Bring your best ideas, your favorite games, your tried-and-true programs, and your willingness to see them with fresh eyes.
You’ll be led by Tristan Wall, Director of Youth Ministry at University Presbyterian Church in Chapel Hill, NC. A lifelong Montreat person who grew up in Asheville, Tristan brings both deep experience and a contagious love for youth ministry. When he’s not working with youth, you can find him playing disc golf, reading fantasy or sci-fi, cheering on the Chicago Cubs, or talking jam bands.
Come ready to jump in, shift perspective, and rediscover a sense of wild hope in the work you love.
