Youth News from the Conference

2008 Peace with Justice Contest for UM Youth
The Board of Christian Ministries is offering this opportunity to all youth, grades 9-12. There are two contests: a speech contest and an “alternative” contest. Contestants will compete at the District level with the winners going on to judging at the Conference level. The first and second place winners
present at Annual Conference in Lincoln in June and receive scholarship monies for higher education.

Each youth can choose from one of the following three topics:
Topic One: The significance of the 1908 Methodist Social Creed
2008 marks the 100th anniversary of this creed. Contestants can address various aspects of the creed, such as the social circumstances which prompted the creed; evolution of the creed and the Social Principles over the
years; comparison of the first creed with the one we have today and why the changes were made; comparison of the 1908 creed with the proposed new creed to be voted on at General Conference, 2008.

Topics Two & Three: How people of faith can help cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 by working on goal one or two of the Millennium Development Goals. Background: At General Conference, 2004, our denomination voted to support the Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. Our Nebraska Conference has voted to include these goals in our
three year emphasis on Children and the Poor, 2008-2010. For the 2008 contest, youth can address either goal number one or goal number two.

Topic Two: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
* Reduce by half the proportion of people who live on less than one dollar a day.
* Reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger. (This is the first goal of the MDGs)

Topic Three: Achieve universal primary education *Ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling. (This is the second goal of the MDGs)

More details will be provided by February 1st at www.umcneb.org, click on the Board of Christian Social Witness in the “groups” box, upper left. Please get this information to your youth ASAP.


Youth Group Opportunity
Your Youth Group is invited to become a “Steppin’ Out Youth Group!"

Walking with Jesus means we walk on two feet of Christian service. One foot represents doing acts of charity and the other represents working for justice to change structural causes of suffering. Peace with Justice Ministries is offering a model to involve youth groups in steppin’ out in faith with both feet of Christian service; doing acts of charity and acts of justice. After completing the model, which involves selecting four issues to learn about, pray about, and act upon within a year. The youth group will be recognized as an official steppin’ out youth group and will receive the Golden shoes of Charity and Justice.

For more information, go to www.umcneb.org & click on Youth Ministries Council under the “groups” box.