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Youth in Ministry: Encouraging our youth

  The quest for meaning and direction in one's life is one of the most urgent of questions for today's teenagers. And yet there are few programs or ministries helping teens address the question of their future.
  So in 2002, Milligan College partnered with Emmanuel School of Religion to launch "Youth in Ministry." Through youth rallies, workshops, summer conferences and an interactive Web site, YiM helps teens answer the challenging questions and determine "Why I am." The program is funded through a grant from the Lilly Endowment of Indiana.
  "We help teens discover their unique gifts and discern God's desire for their lives," said Phyllis Fox, YiM director. "We encourage them to explore their vocational choices from the perspective of a calling to ministry."
  Area youth ministers, seminary students, and college professors help write and present the YiM curriculum.
  "My students have attended several YiM events and developed a greater understanding of God's call in their lives," said Curtis Booher, a minister at Crossroads Christian Church in Gray, and author of YiM's 2004 booklet, "Why I Am."
  "Several of them have made critical decisions about their future vocations because of YiM," said Booher.
  Thousands of teens from the Tri-Cities region and around the U.S. attend YiM programs each year. YiM workshops are featured at the North American Christian Convention Teen Program, Christ in Youth (CIY) conferences on the Milligan campus, churches, and state teen conventions throughout the U.S.
  The pinnacle of YiM programming is the annual BIG PICTURE Teen Leadership Conference, a week-long experience held on the Milligan College campus, where high school students are challenged to explore God's specific call for their lives. Specific career areas addressed at the conference include teaching, counseling, worship, preaching, missions, creative arts, leadership and technical arts. Students develop a personal action plan to help guide their future decisions and vocational choices.
  Fox explained that the focus of YiM is central to the missions of both Milligan and Emmanuel.
  "Both institutions were founded with the idea that Christian faith can and should be applied in every facet of our lives -- whether a pastor, physician, business leader, teacher, counselor or musician," said Fox. "YiM is designed to help teens see their career choice as an opportunity to use their talents for ministry and service in God's kingdom -- a major element of a purposeful and fulfilling life."
  For more information about Youth in Ministry programs, visit www.youthinministry.org or call (423) 975-8021.