The following post comes from John Uldrick, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Rome, Ga., and president-elect of the CBF Youth Ministry Network.

As I write this, I’m surrounded by 30+ youth ministers from Georgia to Hawaii and everywhere in between, sharing life and learning together.  It is a beautiful picture of community.  It is also a gathering of the future of CBF.  CBF Youth Ministry Network has been in existence in some form or fashion since 2010.  During the past 3 years, it has changed, grown and blossomed.  Today, we stand together on the verge of something exciting.

We stand on the verge of a movement where Youth Ministers of CBF will encounter one another.  We have always gathered…but we have begun to be intentional.  This week at ChurchWorks, we are learning from Brian Foreman and Beth Kennett about coaching and asking good questions among our peers and in our vocational settings.  We have a vision of a ‘new’ yearly conference where CBFYMN is intentional about gathering, learning and creating sabbath space.  Our first annual Oasis event will be hosted at Montreat Conference Center in NC, February 18 – 21, 2014.

We stand on the verge of a movement where Youth Ministers of CBF will encourage one another.  We have organized ourselves to the point where we are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and sharing life with depth.  This week, we are rekindling friendships and making new connections that will allow us to be better ministers in our own setting.

We stand on the verge of a movement where Youth Ministers of CBF will expect more from one another.  We are seeking partnerships that will enable Best Practices in Youth ministry.  We are seeking partnerships that will offer certification in Youth Ministry.  We are seeking partnerships that will offer scholarships to provide coaching.  We are seeking partnerships that will build sustainable skill sets in Youth Ministers who feel called to the task for a lifetime of ministry…not just for a season.

The most exciting part about this movement is that CBFYMN stands TOGETHER on the verge of this new and exciting future.  If you’d like more information about CBFYMN and how you can be involved, visit our website at www.cbfymn.org.  There you can find resources, contact information for each Board member and a schedule of events for our near future.  How could you join us in our endeavor?  Come stand TOGETHER with us.