Youth Forum Program Streams

Along with the rest of General Council, Youth Forum will be spent exploring issues around identity and connection in the United Church.

Some of this work will be done by engaging with Commissioners in the issues of the General Council. Another part of this exploration will be done through each participant engaging in one of three program streams, outlined below.

Seeking Justice

Participants in this stream will examine themes of identity and relationship with regard to sexuality. In a safe and open environment, we will engage in questions of personal identity, relationships with others, and broader societal issues. We would seek a vision of justice in a world of sexism, heterosexism, and sexual exploitation, and how we might be bearers of that hope. Participants will be visiting the Sex Exhibit at the Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. Those under the age of 16 should discuss this with their parents.

Loving Kindess

Loving Kindness means respecting, accepting, sharing, supporting and empathising. This stream will encourage you to make positive difference in the lives of others, while learning how simple Loving Kindness can be. As planning is still in progress, some possible adventures include serving at a shelter, sharing stories at a native Friendship Centre or learning about peacekeeping missions after a visit to the Canadian War Museum.

Walking Humbly

This stream explores how our 'humble' nature as Canadians shape the way we live out our faith as the United Church of Canada? By exploring Canadian culture in our nation's capital we will come to a greater understanding of our own identity as a uniquely Canadian church. Visits include the Gods Exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, a labyrinth as a tool for self-reflection, and other points of interest in Ottawa that might help us paint a picture of what 'walking humbly' means to the United Church today.