A086 Create a Task Force for Youth Formation and World Mission
Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring,
That the 81st General Convention establish a Task Force for collaborative research, relationship-building and program development for the purpose of identifying, sharing and developing global mission opportunities for youth (ages 13-21) in The Episcopal Church; and be it further
Resolved, That the Task Force gather information on programs and resources currently in use across The Church, highlighting particularly the areas of intersection that exist between the formation of Christian identity and the expression of God’s love through loving our neighbors near and far and especially in global and intercultural contexts, and be it further
Resolved, That the Task Force may be comprised of membership including, but not limited to, from Interim Bodies, relevant Episcopal Church entities, youth (ages 13-21), and representation from domestic and non-domestic dioceses with special consideration given to inclusion of persons from non-English speaking dioceses, jurisdictions, and mission areas; and be it further
Resolved, That the General Convention request a budget allocation of $30,000 for the implementation of this resolution.
Explanation
Acknowledging the myriad ways in which world mission and faith formation intersect with other disciplines and ministries in The Episcopal Church and beyond, and lifting up the increasing need for vocational discernment and formation opportunities for young people, the Standing Commission on World Mission and The Standing Commission on Formation and Ministry Development call for the creation of a Task Force to study, network and share resources regarding the formation and discernment of young people in global and intercultural contexts. The two Commissions seek to work in partnership with each other, the relevant TEC offices and stakeholders across the Church including, but not limited to, the Standing Commissions for World Mission and Formation and Ministry Development, and Office of Youth and Young Adult and Campus Ministries, the Office of Global Partnerships, the department of Faith Formation, the Young Adult Service Corps, Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers, seminaries and diocesan formation programs.
Meeting the emerging needs of youth in the context of a changing Church and world requires new ways of collaborating and imagining God’s dream for our world. Currently, there are no ways for youth to access global mission travel, pilgrimage or learning opportunities unless they are able to access it privately or are resident in a diocese or parish that offers such programming. Such inequality must beResolved by sharing opportunities more broadly across the Church.
This Task Force would do the research of discovering what resources and programs are working well to highlight formation as growth experience, and global mission as an inherent expression of our Christian faith in the Episcopal tradition. Intercultural programming could be included in this body of work, as welcoming new Americans and immigrants through migration ministries is a facet of global work, conducted within our own communities. The work of the Task Force over the course of the upcoming triennium may include lifting up existing resources like the Toolkit for Pilgrimage, exploring opportunities for collaboration (even across dioceses) ensuring all young Episcopalians have access to intercultural and international programming, adapting the Guiding Principles and Global Mission Toolkit put out by SCWM for use specifically with persons aged 13-21, identifying opportunities for dioceses/parishes with global mission experience to become mentors to those interested in growth, exploring ways to incorporate/adapt anti-racism and anti-colonialism training for young people and coupling that learning with opportunities to engage that work as Episcopalians in the world, creating opportunities for vocational discernment for youth interested in international and advocacy work, making known the possibilities to work alongside our global partners within the structure of the church, and potential for collaboration with the new Global Mission Advocates Network through the Standing Commission on World Mission.
Acknowledging that world mission and migration ministries will only increase in volume and urgency as climate change redefines our human existence, and that the landscape for young peoples’ formation and participation in church is changing rapidly, a Task Force for sharing, resourcing and innovating in these areas in the Church is essential.