On Saturday, April 22, 2023, David Jamieson, Upper Columbia Conference president, and Jeff Wines, UCC youth and young adult director, hosted Start a Conversation, an event empowering collegiate age young adults to be involved in conversation about the church.
The event was held at Lake City Academy in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with the goal of bringing the young adults in the area together to fellowship, connect and discuss tough conversations.
“This was a wonderful experience that provided an opportunity for young adults in this part of our conference to come together to begin the conversation about what they are challenged with in their churches,” shared Wines. “David and I listened, discussed and answered their questions, working to include each person so they felt heard.”
Starting with a meal, the young adults mingled and met others their age. As the evening continued, the group transitioned into a vespers service led by Jamieson. Then the conversation began. Jamieson and Wines invited the group of 20 young adults to gather in a circle to make the conversation more personable. Jamieson began by sharing about himself and his role in the conference.
“After David finished sharing, I was ready to begin with the list of questions I had prepared. However, when the floor was open to discussion, the group jumped right in,” explained Wines.
The conversation lasted more than an hour with Wines facilitating the conversation while Jamieson engaged the questions. One reoccurring theme that was shared by the young adults was their desire to be heard and included in church. They expressed their desire for mentorship from church members. Many shared they want to be involved in a non-judgemental church that they would be proud to bring their friends to. Others want to be involved in a church, but find it hard to navigate fitting in.
As the evening came to an end, the young adults expressed how grateful they were for the event. They felt their voices had been heard and they are confident that Jamieson is here to help and listen. Before the event ended, Jamieson prayed for the group and, in return, the group surrounded Jamieson with their hands on him to pray for the work he is doing in UCC.
With the positive feedback, there will be another young adult event held in the future. If you know a young adult or wish to be included in the next event, email Jeff Wines at jeffw@uccsda.org to be added to the group text.
