The Joy of Diocesan Youth Ministry

On Sunday, September 18, 2022, 52 young people from 7 congregations gathered for an afternoon of fun and games celebrating the kick-off of the youth ministry program year. The article below was written by Nicholas Alcorn, a member of the EDSD Youth Leadership Council and of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church.

The Youth Group Games was a fun-filled event that brought in youth from various places across the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego to help us kick off this school year’s youth-centered programming! As we began the journey of putting together this event, we were looking forward to the possibility of having an entire school year of activities where we could all enjoy each other’s company, as we have not always been able to do in recent times.

From the start of the event, all participants were put into teams, in which they got to play everything from life-size “Hungry, Hungry Hippos” with bowls and scooter boards to an obstacle course with pool noodles, inner tubes, and a giant inflatable hot dog. A huge beach ball also made an appearance (yes, it was awesome). The competitive games were all in good fun, as there were very few moments when you didn’t hear cheering, laughing, or a combination of the two. Later, we had a refreshing ice cream break to cope with the heat, as we talked about our four main exciting events for this year: Youth at Convention, The Good News Festival, the Epiphany Retreat at Camp Stevens, and Nightwatch at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Then, we finished our afternoon together by throwing colored powder in the air and all over each other, in true Color Run fashion, as we all laughed and basked in the freedom of that moment. We left with more than a trace of the colorful fun that we had, as well as the friendships and connections that we had made or rekindled in those few hours.

This event has been a reminder to me and multiple others of the important place that Diocesan Youth Events hold in our lives, especially in connecting us with people who live in different places, which would keep us from getting to know them otherwise. With most of the people I meet here, I mainly get to see them at these events due to our busy schedules, so I always look forward to reconnecting and getting to know some new cool people (which also happens at every event). This event and the others that are planned by the youth on the Youth Leadership Council are always a great time to see fellow middle- and high-schoolers who come from a lot of different places. Every time we get together, I experience something new.

To be connected to diocesan youth ministry offerings, please email Charlette Preslar, diocesan youth ministry missioner, cpreslar@edsd.org.

2022-2023 Youth Ministry Offerings
November 12, 2022 – Youth at Convention
December 10, 2022 – The Good News Festival
February 3-5, 2023 – Epiphany Retreat at Camp Stevens
March 4-5, 2023 – Nightwatch at St. Paul’s Cathedral
May 28, 2023 – Pentecost Coastal Celebration