Today we welcome guest blogger Teresa B. Pasquale. Teresa is a trauma therapist, yoga teacher, “crooked mystic,” and 18-30’s spirituality program leader within the Episcopal tradition. Teresa is involved with planning the “Where Tomorrow Meets Today” conference in Ft. Lauderdale next February.

The Question

Who are young adults? What do they like? What do they believe in? Where do they worship? What do they want in a community?

In the last few years in which I have been engaged in young adult ministry work, both at a parish and diocesan level, I have fielded these questions many times. Yet on some days when people wonder about the future of the church, I want to scream:

“We are right here! Just come and find us!”

The Response
Daniel Ledo and myself, both the co-chairs of the Diocese of Southeast Florida Young Adult Community, decided this year to respond to these questions by crafting an event where we can seek the answers in each others wisdom.

The Details
We will be in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where the rich urban and natural environment of the Las Olas Boulevard and downtown Ft. Lauderdale add to the backdrop of our event. Here are the details:

Pre-Conference
Thursday, February 6th, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
General Cost: $30
Young Adult Cost [ages 18-30’s]: $10

Conference
Friday, February 7th-Saturday, February 8th, 2014
9:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. both days
General Cost: $60
Young Adult Cost [ages 18-30’s]: $25

Click HERE for more information about cost, housing, and food.

All profits go to support the young adult Community of the Diocese of SE Florida’s work and the 2014 Summer Mission Trip to the Wanikiya [Messiah] Episcopal Church at Wounded Knee on the Lakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation.

Some of the highlights …

• Keynote speaker for the main conference is Sarah Cunningham, author of several books on young adults and the church, will bring knowledge and a sense of adventure.
• Pre-conference facilitator, Larry Bourgeios, who has spent over 40 years working on “fresh expressions” of the church and engaging with “third places” for ministry.
• Some of our generation’s most inventive mind-body ministry practitioners [as well as Episcopal-Lutheran collaborators in their home communities and church-wide] from Western Florida and Chicago: Rev. James Reho, RYT and Rev. Mary Frances, RYT.
• Straight from the Wild Goose Festival come Steve Knight and Holly Roach to engage us in dialogue about topics like new media, missional communities, and activism & faith.

Additionally we will have ….

• Time for contemplative practice woven into each day, including facilitated morning yoga practice.
• Great live music with Charles Milling of Live Hymnal and young adult ministry musicians & music therapists Peyton Davis and Joe Kim.

We are the Present. We are the Future.
Margaret Mead, cultural anthropologist and Episcopalian [part crafter of our Book of Common Prayer], as well as long-time hero of mine once said:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

You can contact me with any questions at teresa@stpaulsdelray.org.

Filed under: Conference