Zipsqueal :: The Official Site of Niagara Youth Ministry

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is NYC?
What is YLTP?
What is Youth Synod? What is the difference between Youth Synod and youth member to Diocesan Synod?
What is Servers' Fest?
What is the Diocesan Synod Residence and Orientation?
What is SpiritQuest?
What is Junior Youth Connections (JYC)?
What is Youth Ministry Sunday?
What is the Leadership Training Weekend?
What is the Diocesan Youth Ministry Committee or DYMC?
Who are Joyce Wilton and Christyn Perkons and what do they do?
What is the Diocesan Resource Centre (DRC)?
What resources do you have at the DRC?
How do I get Youth Ministry Leadership Training?
How do I publicize my parish youth events?
What is Regional Youth Ministry?
What is the bursary fund and how does it work?
Parish Consultations: What are they, how do I get one?

What is the NYC?
NYC or the Niagara Youth Conference is the cornerstone program of Niagara Youth Ministry. This is a residential conference for youth ages 14–19. It starts on Sunday night and ends on Friday night before dinner and runs the week before the Labour Day weekend. About 110 participants and staff attend this conference which takes place at Canterbury Hill camp. You can find details about dates, costs and register on-line by selecting “programs” on the main menu and click on “Niagara Youth Conference”.

What is YLTP?
YLTP or the Youth Leadership Training Program is a residential program that runs for 3 consecutive years during the March, Sunday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. You only apply once, for first year program and then you are in! There are usually 12 participants and 2 leaders for each year group, therefore about 42 folks in total. This program takes place at Canterbury Hills camp. To find details about dates, the application process and cost, select “programs” on the main menu and click on Youth Leadership Training Program.

What is the difference between Youth Synod and youth member to Diocesan Synod? What is Youth Synod?
Youth Synod is an annual event that takes place around the first weekend of May (it is always the first Sunday of May). This weekend event is hosted at an area parish and is attended by approx. 130 youth ages 13–21 years. Each parish can send up to 3 delegates and these delegates are chosen/selected to attend by the parish. This event is modeled like an actual Synod, in other words, we debate motions and have education sessions which help us to understand the issues that relate to our lives. We also work hard to build community among the delegates, worship in a creative and spirit-filled manner and spend time “playing” together with lots of fun social time as well. To find details about dates, location and cost, select “programs” on the main menu and click on Youth Synod.

A Youth Member to Diocesan Synod is a parish delegate between the ages of 16 and 25 who has been elected at vestry to attend the annual Diocesan Synod which takes place in late November at the Hamilton Convention Centre. This is a one or two day event that deals with the business and ministry issues of the Diocese of Niagara. For details about the Diocesan Synod Residence and Orientation select “programs” on the main menu and click on Diocesan Synod Residence and Orientation.

What is Servers' Fest?
This is an annual one day event held at Christ Church Cathedral in Hamilton on a Saturday in February of each year. We invite Anglicans involved in their parish ministry of “serving” to join us for a day of celebrating of this ministry and learning more about its history and practices across the diocese. We also learn about new and creative worship experiences that we can all enjoy. We call this our 8 to 80 program as our participants are of all ages. Whether you are a youth server, an adult server, clergy, a lay server coordinator or just a parent volunteer driver for the day; all can enjoy this day, make new friends and learn something you didn't know before. For details about dates, cost and how to register, select “programs” on the main menu and click on Servers' Fest.

What is the Diocesan Synod Residence and Orientation?
This is an annual program that runs parallel and supports our annual Diocesan Synod that takes place each November. The length of this program depends on the schedule of Diocesan Synod, but generally we meet the night before or the night of the Synod Service and we are housed at Canterbury Hills Camp. In a residential environment, we spend time orienting ourselves to the process of synod and the content of the meeting we are about to attend. If there is an issue for which they want to create a group as well as individual voices concerning, there is an opportunity to do this as well. We also spend time in community building and just plain having fun hanging out together on the “off times” of synod. For more details about the dates and cost of the event, select “programs” and click on Diocesan Synod Residence and Orientation.

What is SpiritQuest?
This is an annual weekend retreat around the mid-semester break in early February. The focus for the weekend is for a small group of youth and young adults to spend time in individual and group process growing in their relationship with God and learning what that means to their lives. The youngest delegates are 15 years of age with our older delegates in their early 20's. In our new location at the Unity Retreat Centre in Hamilton , we can accommodate up to 20 delegates and 4 staff. For details about date, cost and how to register, select “programs” on the main menu and click on SpiritQuest.

What is Junior Youth Connections (JYC)?
This is a Regional Youth Ministry event for young people ages 10–13. It takes place on a Friday night twice a year, once in the Fall and once in the Spring, and is hosted by a different parish and region of the diocese each time. The goal of the program is to gather Junior Youth from the area of the host parish, to build community, to sponsor a local outreach project (by donations such as toiletry product, food or clothing items) and to begin to think about the possibility of joint ministry for area youth. Alongside a youth program, there is a parallel leaders program which brings leaders together for training and sharing opportunities. Each leader goes home with a Leader's Resource Kit full of great ideas and possibilities for growing your Junior Youth Ministry Program. For details about dates, locations, cost and how to register, select “programs” on the main menu and click on Junior Youth Connections.

What is Youth Ministry Sunday?
Each year we offer parishes the opportunity to celebrate Youth Ministry Sunday at the parish level. We offer a theme idea, create a unique bulletin cover and offer liturgical resources to help parishes celebrate the youth ministry at the parish and diocesan levels. We offer a Sunday in early June as a target date, but parishes can move this date to suit their schedules. All resource material is available by late March and is mailed in a hard copy version to the parish office as well as being available on-line by selecting “programs” from the main menu and click on Youth Ministry Sunday.

What is the Leadership Training Weekend?
This event is a residential weekend that takes place in the late October or early November at Canterbury Hills Camp. This program is designed primarily for adults leaders but we welcome older youth participants if they are part of a parish team. As well the participants come from Dioceses across Ontario and the event is coordinated by Niagara, Toronto and Ottawa Diocese. For more details about dates and cost select “programs” and click on Leadership Training Weekend.

What is the Diocesan Youth Ministry Committee or DYMC?
DYMC is a group of individuals from across the diocese, clergy and lay, young adult participants and leaders, adult leaders as well as the diocesan Youth Ministry Consultants, that meet approximately eight times a year to oversee, vision, plan and support the work of diocesan youth ministry across Niagara. For a complete list of the individuals on this committee, select “Youth Ministry Committee” on the main menu.

Who are Joyce Wilton and Christyn Perkons and what do they do?
Joyce and Christyn job-share the “Consultant in Youth Ministry” position and they work out of the Diocesan Resource Centre in Hamilton . They are responsible for volunteer staff recruitment, training and support and the design and delivery of programs such as the Niagara Youth Conference, the Youth Leadership Training Program, SpiritQuest, Junior Youth Connections, Servers' Fest and more. Christyn and Joyce also support and resource regional youth ministry initiatives across the diocese and are available for parish consultations and resourcing. They are only a phone call or email away. For contact information select “Youth Ministry Consultants” on the main menu.

What is the Diocesan Resource Centre or the DRC?
The DRC is the head office for the Diocese of Niagara, other names we are often called are the “Synod Office” and “ Cathedral Place ”. Our primary goal to always be resourcing and assisting parishes in the work of their ministry, therefore we have adopted the name of “Diocesan Resource Centre” to reflect that mission.

What resources do you have at the DRC?
We have a large variety of books, games, CD's and electronic equipment available for loan to assist you in your parish ministry. Go to the home page and click on “resources” for an up to date listing of what is available.

How do I get Youth Ministry Leadership Training?
We offer a number of programs that specialize in the training of young people as well as adults. We also support some outside options that are very valuable:

Leadership Training Weekend
This event is a residential weekend that takes place in the late October or early November at Canterbury Hills Camp. This program is designed primarily for adult leaders but we welcome older youth participants if they are part of a parish team. As well the participants come from Dioceses across Ontario and the event is coordinated by Niagara, Toronto and Ottawa Diocese. For more details about dates and cost select “programs” and click on Leadership Training Weekend.

YLTP
YLTP or the Youth Leadership Training Program is a residential program that runs for 3 consecutive years during the March, Sunday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon. You only apply once, for first year program and then you are in! There are usually 12 participants and 2 leaders for each year group, therefore about 42 folks in total. This program takes place at Canterbury Hills camp. To find details about dates, the application process and cost, select “programs” on the main menu and click on Youth Leadership Training Program.

Leadership Development Program (LDP)
This program runs parallel with the Niagara Youth Conference (NYC) overall planning, training and program delivery time (January through September). There is an application and selection process over the fall and generally 3–4 candidates are chosen to join the NYC staff team. The LDP participants are full members of the NYC staff team but there is a parallel program of leadership development that is part of this program. This is a one year time commitment.

NEOS
NEOS is a Youth Ministry Training Program offered by the United Church Education and Retreat Centre out of Five Oaks in Paris , Ontario . There are a number of courses offered to choose from and after the completion of five courses (certain courses are mandatory such as Nuts and Bolts of Youth Ministry) you will receive a Youth Ministry Leadership Certificate.

Regional and National Training Opportunities
From time to time we are made aware of Regional and National training opportunities in the Anglican church and beyond. We will work to keep this website up to date about those opportunities, and you can find out about them by clicking on “programs” and looking for training opportunities.

How do I publicize my parish youth events?
Send any parish information you want advertised on Zipsqueal to Jane Wyse at jane.stewart@niagara.anglican.ca ; once it is posted, you can locate this information by selecting “news & events ” on the main menu.

What is Regional Youth Ministry?
We presently have three areas or cluster in the diocese working together on youth ministry initiatives. These areas are Northern Greater Wellington (Orangeville, Erin, Shelburne & Grand Valley ), Hamilton Area (which includes Burlington and Haldimand) and Lincoln Area (which includes St, Catharines, Beamsville and Grimsby ). For more details about the exciting plans in these areas select “programs” and click on Regional Youth Ministry and the area(s) you want to learn about.

What is the bursary fund and how does it work?
The Youth Ministry Bursary Fund is a venture of the Diocesan Youth Ministry Committee. We saw a need to create a bank of funds to assist the many people of the Diocese of Niagara who were requesting financial assistance each year to attend diocesan youth ministry programs such as NYC, YLTP, SpiritQuest and more. To date we have sold Youth Ministry Cook Books ($10.00) and purple rubber bracelets that are embossed with our logo Pushing the Boundaries ($3.00) to meet this need. We also gratefully accept and donations to this fund.

Parish Consultations: What are they, how do I get one?
Both Christyn Perkons and Joyce Wilton are available to come to your parish and discuss the issues that are important to you in your parish as they relate to youth ministry. We will work with parish lay leaders and clergy to strategize how to meet your needs and offer on-site training and resource sharing opportunities as well. We are also available to assist parishes in educating themselves about diocesan youth ministry opportunities and how they can become involved? Just call or email Joyce or Christyn and there contact information can be found on the main menu, just click on “youth ministry consultants”.