Canadian Mennonite University is inviting pastors and lay leaders to come together and think creatively about young adult ministry at a one-day conference later this month.
A Transformative Moment: Seeking God in the Transitions of Young Adulthood takes place from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on Saturday, February 25 at CMU. The event will feature a variety of talks, a panel discussion, and keynote addresses from Gil Dueck who has expertise in the area of young adults and the church.
“CMU is e
xcited to provide resources to people in the church, no matter what their denomination is, who work with young adults,” says Peter Epp, Church Engagement Coordinator at CMU and one of the conference’s organizers. “I haven’t found a lot of conferences in Manitoba geared specifically toward working with young adults, so I’m looking forward to this event.”
Currently serving as program director at Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Gil Dueck previously spent 12 years at Bethany College in a variety of teaching, mentoring, and administrative roles.
He is currently in the final stages of doctoral work through the International Baptist Theological Study Centre and the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. His research focuses on a theological and transformational reading of faith development among young adults.
Dueck’s two keynote speeches will bookend the conference.
During the morning, conference participants will have the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions looking at a handful of topics including prayer, baptism, Jesus, and sex.
The afternoon will include a panel discussion revolving around stories about young adults and churches searching for and finding each other.
The panel will include Janessa Giesbrecht, Pastor of Youth and College and Career at Fort Garry MB Church; Jamie Howison, Anglican priest and founding pastor at saint benedict’s table; Hilde Marsch, Young Adult Ministry Director at the Meeting Place; and Katrina Woelk, a University of Manitoba student.
“From young adults, to academics, to pastors from different denominations, I’m thrilled to have a variety of people involved in this conference,” Epp says, adding that he hopes people who attend will walk away with an enriched understanding of young adult ministry.
“I’m excited for us all to come together and bounce ideas off of each other,” he says. “I think the networking and discussion that will happen at this conference will be extremely valuable.”
For more information and to register, visit cmu.ca/transformative.
About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.
For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.
For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2