By Rick Wolcott*

“We are here to recharge, to be renewed,” said Bishop Tracy S. Malone to the 156 youth and adult leaders at the start of Youth Annual Conference 2023.

“Recharge Rally is about building relationships and connections with one another,” said Will Fenton-Jones, Connectional Ministries office Multicultural Ministries director, who has been resourcing the Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) this year.

This year’s YAC was a one-day recharge rally for students in grades six through 12. Participants traveled from their home churches across the East Ohio Conference on Saturday, June 17 to be at Camp Wanake in Beach City for a day of fellowship, fun, resourcing, and worship. The focus scripture was Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“What Jesus is saying to us today, as we come, just as we are, the promise is you can find rest in his love, you can find rest in his grace, you can find rest in community that he has formed,” shared Malone.

During the dinner period, CCYM hosted conversations about what the future of Youth Annual Conference could look like. Participating youth from across the Conference shared their thoughts and suggestions, which included a desire to see business sessions be reincorporated into the planning for future Youth Annual Conferences and to return to the conference being a weekend event.

Fenton-Jones added, “We are looking at hosting some conversations in the near future with our new incoming Connectional Ministries office Young People’s Ministries co-directors and other leaders to look at our Conference structures on youth and young adult ministries as we look at new and innovative ways to resource churches.”

*Rick Wolcott is executive director of Communications for the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church.