Spread Holiday Cheer

With the holiday season now in full swing, stay connected and spread holiday cheer—not the coronavirus—with a virtual winter workshop happening in a Unificationist community near you!

From across America, there is a range of Youth and Young Adult Ministry (YAYAM) workshops available in December for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults ages 18 and over. 

And the best part?

All workshops are open to participants anywhere in the U.S. and Canada, though age restrictions apply.

Midwest

The Midwest workshop, for middle and high school students, will be staffed by eight young adults who have organized various fun and educational activities online, including team discussions and Q&A sessions. The workshop—from Dec. 27 to Dec. 31—goes for a few hours each day, and registration ends December 13.

“We are excited to announce that this year’s winter workshop will be a combined online camp with our Canadian family called ‘Winter Kogape,’” said Kai Moyongo, a YAYAM coordinator for the Midwest region. “This year’s theme is ‘To Love or Not to Love,’ where we will focus on how we can attain the crown of glory within society. In a world where it can be hard to love, it is important that we choose to love.”

East Coast 

On the East Coast, the “My Legacy” workshop is available for high school students throughout the North and South region. “Our hope is that through this workshop youth will be able to have a lot of fun; connect with each other; and inherit, understand, and take ownership of the Unificationist movement’s values and beliefs,” said Melissa Manor, a YAYAM coordinator for the Southeast region.

The workshop runs from Dec. 27 to Dec. 31, with a Dec. 24 registration deadline. Staff applications are also available.

Southwest

In the Southwest, high schoolers can connect through the “Who Am I?” workshop happening Dec. 27 to Dec. 30. The deadline to register is Dec. 20.

“We have an amazing group of young adults from different communities planning this workshop together,” said workshop director Satomi Kikuchi. “Everyone can look forward to a dynamic, unique workshop like we’ve never seen before. This year’s theme ‘Who Am I?’ will go into understanding our identity as young Unificationists and how we can inherit the traditions left by the founders of the Unification movement to create stronger communities in our region.”

Nationwide

For young adults across the country, a free ‘Nordic Winter Workshop’ called “My Life of Faith” will be held from Dec. 27 to Jan. 2. Organizers said the workshop is a yearly tradition meant to bring together Unificationists who are 18 and older.

“Though we are living in a very uncertain time, we did not want to give up on this tradition,” said workshop coordinator Peter Nylén. “Now more than ever, we are challenged on an everyday basis to find our own motivation and strength within us. We are challenged to go inside rather than outside.”

Workshop participants can also connect through a special Facebook group that now boasts more than 170 members. 

“We may not be able to connect in person, but we are still able to connect in our hearts,” said Nylén. “This winter workshop has topics such as our personal life of faith and sharing our gift; and the role of our parents, God, and the spiritual world. There will also be space to get in touch with our yearly goals and reflect on our life mission statement.”

Winter workshop fees range from free participation to $30 to register. For more information about all workshops and to sign up as a participant or staff member, click here.

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