Today's YLI Link!
Hear about Catalyst @ WSU

Another Fall season of ministry with Detroit's young leaders has begun! Below you'll find some descriptions of how our various YLI ministries have taken shape over the last few months. As we come into 2010, please consider joining in this great work by becoming a YLI donor! Donate Here

MYE Ingathering

On Sunday our new class of Metro Youth Encounter youth gathered at Metropolitan UMC for their initial gathering. Together with the Metro youth group we explored what it means to become an "entrepreneurial missional Christian leader for the Church and the World." We looked at identifying each student's "Big Idea," connecting with their personal gifts and talents, and creating a new project that connects with the resources of surrounding churches and agencies. We're excited for this year of designing and implementing youth-led missional projects at each MYE student's church!

Catalyst Begins

Josh McKamie has created a great experience for a group of WSU students dedicated to community service. Called Catalyst, this year-long experience will engage these college students in a weekly Monday night "class" filled with conversations and guest speakers knowledgeable about Detroit. In January, each of these students will go out to engage their own social network in a "Kingdom Assignment" project intent on transforming the world toward the vision of God's justice, love, and mercy. If you know of any WSU students connected with your church, please forward their name to us so we can connect them with this great group!

Detroit Villages' Gathering, New & Improved!

Jeremy Kenward is working to expand our Detroit Villages "new church start experiment" network of intentional communities. This past Saturday we held our first revamped version of our monthly Community Gatherings at St. Peter's in Corktown. These evenings are filled with food, fellowship, worship, conversation, and prayer - all exploring what it means to live out our Christian faith missionally and locally in Detroit. All those interested in new monasticism, intentional living, and the work of Shane Claiborne, The Simple Way, and the Community of Communities are invited to attend!

We are thankful and proud of our supporting United Methodist Church in encouraging the Young Leaders Initiative in this work. We are eager to continue engaging young people in order to explore the future of how Christ's followers will continue to transform the world.

In God's Peace and Creative Spirit,
Carl
info(at)youngleadersinitiative.org