MEMORANDUM
FROM: Pastor Jose H. Cortes Jr.
Director of Adventist Youth Ministries
TO: Adventist Youth Society Leaders
Church Communication/Bulletin Secretary
Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
DATE: December 6, 2009
SUBJECTS: (1) Gratitude for the Work done in 2009; (2) Pass Information to new AY Leader if there has been a change in your church; (3) Adventist Youth Ministries Executive Committee in the local church; (4)
Calendar of Events; (5) IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress, January 22-24, 2010; (6) Ski Trip, January 10; (7) Monthly Report; (8) Information for anyone who would like to join the Master Guide Class, Adventist Youth Leadership Certification (AYLC), or Adventist Youth Emergency Services Corps (AYES Corps), PLA, PIA, ALA in 2010; (9) Adventist Youth Ministries Website in our Conference.
1. Gratitude for the Work done in 2009: On behalf of the Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I would like to thank you for your hard work, commitment, effort, and fruits in 2009. Thank you for taking time for God and for the youth and young adults of his church and the community. If you have fulfilled your duties with love for the Lord and your youth, I am sure that your church and your community are a better place today, due to your ministry. Our Conference is also a better place because of your active presence and ministry. Thank you.
2. Pass Information to new AY Leader if there has been a change in your church: If a new AY Leader has been elected by your church, I would like to request your cooperation in a smooth transition. Please, make sure that you take time to meet with the newly elected individual, pass on the records and information, as well as insightful tips that may be helpful to the new person in leadership. Keep in mind that AY Leadership is never about me or about you; it is about Jesus, His young people, and His Church, our Church. Please, when you are finished reading this Memorandum, make sure you make a copy and pass it on to your successor. We would also appreciate if we can get the E-mail address and regular mail address and phone # of the new AY Leader in your Church.
3. Adventist Youth Ministries Executive Committee in the local church: In order to promote and foster a spirit of cooperation and collaboration with the different branches of Adventist Youth Ministries in the local church we would like to recommend the formation of the Adventist Youth Ministries Executive Committee (Adventist Youth Ministries Council). This recommendation is based on the instructions and guidelines given in the Youth Ministries Handbook, Chapter 4, Page 19 & 20. The AY Leader of the Church is the Leader of the Executive Committee/Council, the Pathfinder Leader and the Adventurer Leader of the Church are members of this Executive Committee. The purpose is to make sure that individuals leading in Youth Ministries at the local church (AY Society, Young Adults, Teens, Small Groups, College & University Students, National Service Organization, AYES Corps, Pathfinders, & Adventurers) are on the same page and going in the same direction.
This does not mean that the AY Leader will control the planning and activities of the Adventurer Club and Pathfinder Club, but it means that they will meet together on the Executive Committee (Youth Ministries Council) to share reports, collaborate with each other, and make sure that rather than going in different directions, all of Youth Ministries in the local church are going in the same direction, involved in ministry within the church and with the community outside.
The local church pastor and a Youth Ministries Elder must be members of this Executive Committee/Council. I would like to recommend that this meeting take place once a month or every six weeks, preferably prior to the Church Board Meetings, this way, the AY, Pathfinder, and Adventurer Leaders are together in the, ideas, plans, and requests for the Church Board. I strongly recommend that you work together with your pastor, take time and sit with your Pastor and go over the plans, prior to presenting them. Make sure you bring your pastor and youth elder on board, this way they will work with you and look after the interests of the youth and young adults in your church. The time has come when Youth Leaders cannot afford to work isolated, you are a big part of this church and must work together with it. As you put this Recommendation into practice, use the Youth Ministries Handbook, remember it has been written in general terms to fit Youth Ministries worldwide, make sure you use the concept and adapt its implementation to your context, in your local church. You can find the Youth Ministries Handbook in our website, at the following link: http://gnycyouth.com/article/articleview/775/1/13/13/13/.
4. Calendar of Events for 2010: The calendar with the dates for 2010 has been included here in the package, it can also be found in our website, at the following link: http://gnycyouth.com/calendar. Please include these dates in your planning for 2010. The colorful official calendar for 2010 that you are waiting for will be distributed at the IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress in January. In the meantime follow the dates given here.
5. IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress @ the Stamford Hilton, January 22-24, 2010: This Congress will provide Inspiration, Training, and Resources to Youth, Young Adults, and Adults involved in Adventist Youth Ministries in our Conference and other surrounding Conferences. Each AY Leader, Pathfinder Leader, Adventurer Leader, Youth Elder, plus their staff must attend this relevant Congress. Pastors are also invited to attend. This is one of the premier and more affordable Adventist Youth Ministries Training Events in all of the United States, it takes place at a top quality location, and it’s right here, in our backyard.
The program will focus on training leaders and youth in the areas of Evangelism, Small Group Ministry, and Preaching. It will also include Leadership Training in the following ministries: Teens, Young Adults & Collegiate, Adventist Youth Society, Adventurers (Basic Staff Training), Pathfinders (Basic Staff Training), Master Guides, and Youth Emergency Services (AYES CORPS); the Adventist Education Track will also be provided by our Office of Education and the Atlantic Union College. This time we will also introduce the brand new Physical & Mental Health Track, presented by the Health Ministries Department of our Conference. The workshops and the general sessions will be very spiritual, dynamic, and life-changing.
Registration Fees for Weekend
WEEKEND Registration includes: T-shirt, Backpack/duffel Bag, 5 Meals, Leadership ID, pen, Conference colorful calendar, poster, state of the art Conference Rooms for Workshops, and state of the art Auditorium for General Sessions.
Early Bird (Register by December 17) - $119
Regular (December 18, 2009 - January 11, 2010) - $135
Late & On Site (Register after January 11, 2010) - $150
*Registration Deadline: January 11, 2010. After this date you will be charged the late fee - $150.00 per person
You can send your registration form by email to ay@gnycyouth.comor fax to 516-627-9272. For more info, please, call Veronica at 516-467-5212 (office).
Hotel reservations are NOT included in the Congress registration cost. Participants are responsible for making their own travel & lodging arrangements. Reservations can now be made with the Hilton. You will be able to call the Reservations Line and ask for the Seventh-day Adventist Rate. The phone# to call is: (203) 967-2222 or click on the link of the hotel to make a reservation online: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/BDRSTHF-ADV-20100122/index.jhtml.
The prices per room are as follows: Room per Night: $109.00 (up to four people per room/4 people in a room would pay about $30.00 per night, about $60.00 for lodging for the weekend in a state of the art hotel).
TRANSPORTATION: Very accessible by Car or Public transportation from anywhere in New York City, Upstate, or Long Island. Some of the Public Transportation Options are:
Metro-North-Stamford-New Haven Line (2 minutes from the hotel)
(800) 638-7646
101 S State St, Stamford, CT
Amtrak – Stamford (2 minutes from the hotel)
(800) 872-7245
499 Washington Blvd, Stamford, CT
Greyhound Bus Lines (2 minutes from the hotel)
(203) 327-7622
30 Station Pl, Stamford, CT
Flyer & Registration Form are here: http://gnycyouth.com/article/articleview/907/1/138.
6. Ski Trip @ Big Boulder, PA, January 10: Over 1,000 youth, young adults, children, and adults will be participating in this big day on the snow. Everyone is invited to attend. Please arrive early. Included is a copy of the equipment rental form, it can be downloaded to make copies for anyone who will be renting skis or snowboards on the day of the trip. This way the skiers can save time during registration. All minors require a parent or guardian signature on the form.
PRICES
"Sno" Pass & Lesson (ages 8+) - $33.00
"Sno" Pass & Ski or Snowboard Rental - $33.00
"Sno" Pass (Lift Ticket), lesson, & Ski or Snowboard Rental (ages 8+) - $33.00
Snow Tubing (3 hours) - $20.00
Snow Tubing (All Day) - $35.00
"Sno" Pass (Lift Ticket Only) - $33.00
Half Day Snow Monsters with Rental (ages 3-8) - $80.00
The Greater New York table will open at 9:00 AM, there you will be able to pay, get your tickets, and ski all day.
DIRECTIONS TO BIG BOULDER
I-295 becomes I-95 S
Take the I-80 Local W Exit – exit # 69 – toward Garden State Parkway/RT-17/Peterson
Merge onto I-80 W
Take the PA-115 exit – exit number 284 – toward Blakeslee
Take the PA-115 S ramp toward Brodheadsville/Lake Harmony
Turn Left onto PA-115 S
Turn Right onto PA-903 S
Follow signs to Big Boulder, Lake Harmony
Flyer & ski rental form will be posted on our website shortly.
7. Monthly Report: Several churches have turned in their AY MONTHLY Report; it is not too late to turn in some reports and let us know what your church is doing in the area of Adventist Youth Ministries. You will find a copy of the AY Monthly Report included in this packet. To get an original copy you can go to our website, www.gnycyouth.com. The exact link is: http://gnycyouth.com/article/view/26/1/13/14/13/#. The deadline to turn in the AY Monthly Reports and the Teen of the Year and Young Adult/Collegiate of the Year Nomination Forms is December 31, 2009. You still have a bit of time.
Greater New York Conference’s Teen, Young Adult, AY Ministry, and AY Leader of the Year Awards will be announced during the IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress in January.
To download the Teen of the Year and Young Adult of the Year/Collegiate Forms, please clikc here: http://gnycyouth.com/article/articleview/745/1/13/13/13/.
8. Information for anyone who would like to join the Master Guide Class, Adventist Youth Leadership Certification (AYLC), or Adventist Youth Emergency Services Corps (AYES Corps), PLA, PIA, ALA in 2010: This information is vital for anyone wishing to be a candidate in the MG, AYLC, AYES Corps, PLA, & PIA in 2010. Please announce it in your church.
All candidates must attend the IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress.
All Candidates must participate in the Dedication Ceremony at the IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress.
Master Guide Candidates must take the Pathfinder Basic Staff Training (PBST) during the III Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress.
Master Guide Candidates must take the Adventurer Basic Staff Training (ABST), which will be presented during February 6 & 7, 2010.
AYLC & AYES Corps Candidates must take their required classes during the IV Adventist Youth Evangelism & Leadership Congress.
All Candidates are required to complete the respective curriculum of their chosen program in order to be graduated or invested in November 20, 2010
9. Adventist Youth Ministries Website in our Conference: It is one of the leading websites in Adventist Youth Ministries; we’ve had over 300,000 unique hits from all over the world, this past year. Stay informed: www.gnycyouth.com.
Jose
Pastor Jose H. Cortes Jr., M. Div.
Director
Department of Adventist Youth Ministries
Greater New York Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
7 Shelter Rock Road
Manhasset New York, 11030
www.gnycyouth.com (website)
ay@gnycyouth.com(Secretary's E-mail address)
gnycyouth@aol.com(Pastor Jose's E-mail address)
www.youtube.com/user/gnycyouth (For videos on YouTube)
JoseJoanne (on Twitter)
Jose Cortes Joanne Cortes (on Facebook)
Pastor Jose & Joanne (on My Space)
(516) 627-9350 (Receptionist)
(516) 467-5212 (Direct Line to Department of Adventist Youth Ministries Office)
(516) 749-2080 (Joanne's Cell)
(516) 749-6057 (Pastor Jose's Cell)
(516) 627-9272 (Greater New York Conference Fax)
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