Dear colleagues,

This past year has been a rough one for our world. The economic situation across the globe has affected all of us in ways large and small. Even as we begin to see signs that things may not get as bad as expected, we grapple with a world that is significantly different than the one we formerly knew.

In times such as these we are reminded—also in ways large and small—of the grace, hope and abundance in which we live. We are reminded of God incarnate, Christ's body made manifest, in the people with whom we share this journey.

We continually give thanks for the fellowship we share with you; we pray for your ministries and the young people's lives being changed by the work of Holy Spirit in your dioceses and parishes; and we strive to support your hope-filled service of those around you—even as the ways we do all these things change and are re-invented.

Living Faithfully in Difficult Times

The church on all levels has been affected by the financial crisis. Our ability to financially support many of the ministries we believe to be important to God's mission in the world has been challenged. It has been difficult to see some dioceses forced to cut funding for campus and young adult ministries. It has been even more difficult to witness the effects of such cuts on our colleagues and friends and the ministries to which they have shown such devotion. Our prayers and support go out to all those affected by these changes.

We move forward, however, with renewed enthusiasm and unfailing support for the hands and hearts whose passion lie in young adult & campus ministry. In a resolution of the 76th General Convention, bishops, clergy and lay deputies stated that they "recognize, commend, and encourage those engaged in young adult and campus ministry in their continued work,” citing much of the good work we have done together over the past three years. This stands as a reminder that our Church as a whole supports our collective ministries.

What these two realities mean—the support of the church and the reduction of financial resources—will be a puzzle we will have to work out over the coming months and years. We do not know what that will look like. What we do know is that this new reality will necessitate new ways of working. It will require renewed creativity, greater collaboration and thoughtful stewardship of our limited resources.

The Reality at the Church Center

As many of you know, the Church Center staff is directly affected by the budget approved at General Convention and administered over the triennium by the Executive Council. Due to necessary budget cuts as a result of a large shortfall, many staff positions were eliminated and virtually all ministry areas witnessed a reduction in their program funding. However, the General Convention re-affirmed their support for young adult and campus ministries not only in word but also in their financial decisions. The positions of Program Officer and Associate Program Officer for Young Adult and Campus Ministries have been preserved as has a part time position overseeing our discernment ministry, The Pastoral Leadership Search Effort. We are grateful to continue to serve you in these roles.

We will, however, be discerning in coming months how best to make use of limited program funding for each of the three areas of ministry we oversee, Young Adult Ministry, Campus Ministry and PLSE.  A Church Center committee has been convened to create new and more collaborative ways to accomplish the General Convention mandates which direct our work through the next triennium. We ask your prayers in this time of transition. We will keep you posted as new developments arise.

Moving Forward

As we prepare to move into the altered landscape of the upcoming triennium, we have identified three priorities that we believe will assist all of us in living into this new reality:

Strengthened Communications: First, we live in a world of near-constant communication. It is vital that we open as many communications pathways between ourselves and one another and between the church and God’s world as we can. We are not all communications experts, but you will be surprised by what you do know, and by what the young adults surrounding you can and will do to help you—even without much of a budget. In the past year our office has worked to strengthen our communications resources and we will continue to look to expand and multiply the many ways we facilitate the flow of information. Broadcast will continue to expand with a multi-media approach to providing best practices and "lessons learned" on a wide variety of topics for both young adult ministers and campus chaplains. We will also continue to support the less structured sharing of experience, social and theological reflection, and personal expression by young adults through venues such as Episcorific, our website, blogs and meditation guides. We hope you and those you work with will engage with these tools, provide feedback and share with us your innovations in communication.

Regional Networks: We encourage you always, but especially in this time, to look to the parishes, dioceses, regions and institutions around you to work together to build local networks of support and creativity. We are each other’s best resources. In the coming months we will be hosting a series of introductory conference calls to introduce diocesan young adult leaders and ministers to others in their corner of the church. In these introductions we will have the opportunity to share and hear stories, to swap ideas and to identify areas for collaboration and mutual support. Due to budget restrictions we know it may be more difficult for many of us to travel to national events, but we also know that our ministry is relational, and without face-to-face interaction with others in the field, it can often feel very isolating. In the next 3-6 months we will encourage and support you—through facilitation and resource development—in finding ways to get together and collaborate with those engaged in similar mission in your area.

Leadership Development Resources: Due to the different world in which we are living and the character of the generation we engage with, many structures and styles of leadership available within the church fail to be effective in our ministries. It is our priority with your help to identify and develop leaders and leadership training for a 21st century church. Through curriculum development, skills assessment and church-wide leadership training offerings, we will begin to develop our leadership resources with focuses on fundraising, communications, advocacy for ministries within the structure of the Church, program and resource development, and a strong theology of leadership. We will need your help in identifying other areas of concern and developing resources to meet those needs.

These are no small goals, nor are they answers to the anxieties of our time. It is our hope, however, that they will begin to orient and equip us to face the challenges ahead as a community of ministers. We look forward to your thoughts, your innovations and our collaboration in all three areas as we seek to support the work the Spirit is doing in our world.

Our prayers are with you always and we look forward to hearing from you often about your ministries and the young people whose lives are being changed in your area by the good news of God's grace and love in Jesus Christ.

With peace and much passion,
Douglas, Jason & Miguelina