Youth 2011 is the national youth gathering for the United Methodist Church. It is an event that only happens every four years and is the largest single gathering of UMC youth in existence. This four day conference will bring together top United Methodist leaders as well as the best ecumenical speakers, bands and talent with thousands of youth from all around the nation for what is sure to be a life-changing event that consists of:
- Passionate Worship Experiences
- Concerts
- Bible Study
- Small Groups
- Workshops and Trainings
- Interactive Exhibits
- Onsite Mission Opportunities
- Late-night Fun and Games and more!
Our denomination has a diverse membership that holds varying worldviews. Youth 2011 will be focused on what unites our denomination: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The goal of the Youth event is to accomplish this while reflecting the depth and breadth of United Methodist Christians. The Design Team, speakers, and workshop leaders are all committed to this goal.
For a detailed schedule and descriptions of Youth 2011 activities, click here.
COMING TO YOUTH 2011
More announcements coming soon so keep checking back!
Kristian Stanfill – Worship Leader
Worship leader Kristian Stanfill is emerging as one of this generation’s most compelling singer/songwriters. A writer of rare insight and vulnerability, he has the unique ability to build bridges over boundary lines that separate the hurting from the Healer.Consequently, the songs on ATTENTION, his sixstepsrecords debut, create an atmosphere of worshipful unity in this too often fragmented world. read more
FIREFLIGHT – Concert Band
For your consideration: Fireflight—Artist of the Year. Imagine. Thanks to GMA’s 2009 Dove Award nomination, thousands of people did. And, frankly, many liked the way it sounded. So what if Fireflight was a modern rock act nominated alongside six of Christian music’s biggest giants? The future had arrived. Now, with the release of the band’s double-taker of an album, For Those Who Wait, it’s time for everyone else to catch up. read more
Chasen – Concert Band
Things that last are often those that are allowed to grow naturally, organic talent that develops over time, nurtured along by the love of family and friends, spread by means of a grassroots effort and word of mouth. That’s the story of Chasen. Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Chasen Callahan had a gift that was honed during nearly a decade as a worship pastor. read more
Philmont – Concert Band
Since the release of their debut album Attention (Forefront Records, 2009), Philmont has been hard at work expanding their ministry, their performance, and their fan base. With an extensive amount of touring under their belts (including two trips to Europe in 2009), the guys have connected with audiences on a global scale, a connection that is further enhanced by their everyday online interactions with fans. read more
rezlife band – Worship Leaders for Bible Study
The rezlife student band leads more than 800 students a week in passionate worship at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area. Resurrection is one of the fastest growing and influential mainline churches in America. Their youth pastor Jason Gant and worship leader Cory Ryan encourage youth to rise up and lead. In response many of the band members have begun writing original and powerful praise songs, some of which you will hear at this years Youth 2011! rezlifekc.org
Zach Hunter – Keynote Speaker
Zach Hunter describes himself as a painfully normal teen. He’s also the author of three books and speaks around the world helping people discover a passion to be changed and to change the world. He launched a campaign to end modern day slavery when he was 12 – through Loose Change to Loosen Chains students around the world have gotten involved as abolitionists. zachhunter.me
Fred Lynch – Keynote Speaker
Fred Lynch is the lead pastor of a new urban church plant in Dallas, TX called Tha MYX. He is a dynamic youth communicator with more than 20 years of inner-city ministry experience and is the founder of UrbNet, a National Network of Urban Youth Workers. At the age of 18, Fred helped found P.I.D. (Preachers in Disguise), one of the first gospel rap acts and went on to record 6 albums. He is also the author of The Script, an artistic translation of the Gospel of John in rap. Fred and his wife D’Ann live in Dallas with their two children: Asia and Jordan.godstyle.com
Motoe Yamada – Keynote Speaker
Rev. Motoe Yamada is a senior pastor of Sacramento Japanese UMC in California. She is one of four United Methodist members of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee and a chair of the United Methodist Association for Asian American and Pacific Islander clergywomen (AAPIC). She is so EXCITED to be a part of Youth 2011! Her hobbies are singing for God, reading, Zumba, playing Ukulele and facebook.
Jim Walker – Keynote Speaker
Jim Walker is the founding pastor of the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Hot Metal was planted in 2002 with help of young people doing ministry out of a local tattoo shop. Hot Metal has grown significantly in its 8 years of existence and has recently purchased and renovated a local bar in which they hold their worship services, concerts, art shows, feed the homeless, and community events. Jim is the author of a book called “Dirty Word” and is currently working on a book entitled “Something Strange”. hotmetalbridge.com
Gracie Schram – Singer/Philanthropist
Gracie Schram is a 12 year old singer/songwriter, entrepreneurial philanthropist and member of the UM Church of the Resurrection in Kansas. In 2008, Gracie heard a sermon series about a mission trip her pastor took to Africa. She saw videos of the children there who are orphans due to AIDS and saw the conditions of extreme poverty they lived in and was inspired to help them. She recorded a CD of some of her original songs and donated the profits to the African village. To date she has raised over $17,000 and has built two fish ponds in Africa and is currently building an orphan home in Haiti. She is also working on songs for her next CD which will be released summer 2011 and is hoping to make a trip to Haiti early next year. site.showersfromgod.com
Olu Brown – Bible Study Leader
Olu Brown is the founder and lead pastor of Impact Church 1.0 and the author of Zero to 80: Innovative Ideas for Planting and Accelerating Church Growth. He is married to Farrah Brown and they are the proud parents of Daya Brown. A native of Texas, Olu graduated from The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and was Associate Pastor at Cascade United Methodist Church for six years prior to starting Impact Church. impactdoingchurchdifferently.org
Steve Keaton – Emcee
Steve Keaton is the minister of students at Mt. Tabor UMC in Winston-Salem, NC as well as the Founder/President of Tsunami Ministries, Inc. He has spoken at hundreds of youth events, conferences and gatherings around the country and with Tsunami serves youth ministries by providing youth spiritual growth experiences, youth worker training events, youth leadership conferences and mission opportunities. TsunamiMinistries.com
Ciona Rouse – Emcee
Ciona Rouse is a writer and co-creator of Pray With Africa, a non-profit organization hoping to affect change in the world through learning people’s stories, joining them in prayer and acting alongside them to change their community. Her writing has covered topics like child soldiering, Hurricane Katrina, HIV/AIDS and anorexia, and she released her first book “Like Breath and Water: Praying with Africa” in 2009. Ciona is the former director of the denomination’s Shared Mission Focus on Young People. She also hula hoops, dances and plays hopscotch as often as possible and is grateful that God manages to meet her always in her playfulness.
Strangely Warmed Players – Drama/Skits
The Strangely Warmed Players, under the direction of founder Beth Miller, is a UM youth drama troupe presenting original comedy sketches. They have performed on five continents, bringing insight and inspiration to audiences around the world. Through humor, they challenge Christians with compelling questions of faith. The Strangely Warmed Players are committed to working for peace and justice, funneling all proceeds for educational scholarships for youth in Meru, Kenya.
Agape* – Hip Hop Artist
AGAPE* (Dave Scherer) has inspired youth from Brooklyn to Bosnia with his relational ministry “Hip Hop Outreach.” Combining rapping, dancing, storytelling and his fluency in Spanish, AGAPE* connects with his listeners in a way that they really “get it”. His energy is contagious, and his stories of faith transcend differences. Even those who do not normally enjoy hip-hop find themselves dancing to his music and captivated by his unique presentation of the Gospel. hiphopoutreach.com
Jared Hall – Illusionist
Jared uses illusions and comedy to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in relevant, engaging ways. Traveling extensively across the nation, Jared does shows for many conferences, festivals, outreach events, youth camps, and Upward award nights. He has shared the stage with many artists including Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, David Crowder, Shane and Shane, Toby Mac, Building 429, P.O.D., GRITS, Jeremy Camp and Leeland. jaredhall.com
Scott Erickson – Artist
Scott is a working studio artist as well as an experiential artist – bringing the making of art into public spaces. Scott has collaborated with a number of non-profits, such as WorldVision and International Justice Mission, using his art skills for advocacy and fund-raising. He has also worked with a number of musicians and has been on two nation-wide tours making art in live concert settings. Scott’s work has been exhibited throughout the Seattle area, and in galleries in Atlanta and Central California. He currently lives with his wife Holly in Houston, TX where Scott is the artist in residence at Ecclesia Church. scottericksonart.com
Andy Mattick – Sacramento Speaker
Andy serves as the Senior Pastor of the UMC of Simi Valley, CA. His passions in ministry are reaching all people through excellence in the arts of worship, preaching, and teaching. A storyteller, Pastor Andy strives to make the story of our faith in Scripture relevant and lively, practical and personal. He has a ten-year history of work with youth and families and has a vision for shepherding the ministries of the church to address the needs of the families in our communities. He is passionate about God’s transformative message of hope reaching the ears, hearts, and spirits of young people. As he strives to live his faith out-loud, he invites others to do the same.
