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Annual Meeting half price for young adults
March, 2002
In the hope of encouraging young adults to attend Annual Meeting in June, the Massachusetts Conference is offering to cover one-half of the cost of registration and accommodations for people between the ages of 21 and 35.
“We are trying to think of whatever ways we can to make the Annual Meeting a more attractive option for younger folks. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do to open ourselves up to that age group,” said Vice Moderator Daniel Smith, associate pastor of Hancock United Church of Christ in Lexington and one of only 22 Conference clergy members under age 35. “I see this as an ambitious and creative attempt to reach out to younger folks.”
The stipends are being funded out of the Sarah Moore Field Fund. Ms. Field, a lifelong member of the Trinitarian Congregational Church of North Andover, left $145,000 to the Conference upon her death in 2000. The Board of Directors has designated that $45,000 of those funds will be used for youth and young adult ministries.
The stipends will be available both to local congregations that pay the cost of sending young adults as delegates or visitors, and to individuals who decide to attend the Meeting as visitors at their own cost.
Every effort will be made to house young adults together and to offer social opportunities for them. The hope is that, once there, young adults will find much that interests them, from the worship services to the workshops, which will be related to evangelism, mission and justice work.
“Historically, that population has been a tough one for our churches to address. But doing so is now being seen as more important then ever because there is a sense that people that age are searching and seeking for some spiritual and community connections they might not find elsewhere,” Smith said. “It is important for us to keep putting ourselves out there as a church that can fulfill their needs.”
Smith acknowledged that finding young adults interested in attending will be difficult for local churches, and said the members of the Board of Directors and the Annual Meeting Planning Committee have agreed to personally seek out young adults.
Information and registration forms for Annual Meeting will be sent to churches and will be posted on the Conference Web site shortly.