Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2025 Journal-Yearbook
Legislative Item 113: Youth Membership on CCYM
Subject: Youth Membership on the CCYM Submitted by: Rev. Nathan Jeffries, CCYM Adult Chair
Implications: No financial implications, but would change the standing rules. WHEREAS, the United Methodist Church expects every annual conference to have a Conference Council on Youth Ministries (CCYM) to strengthen youth ministry in the local churches and districts of the annual conference (2020/2024 BOD ¶649.1), and WHEREAS, an active CCYM is required to have a membership of at least two-thirds youth with diverse representation from around the annual conference (2020/2024 BOD ¶649.2), and WHEREAS, youth is a defined age range in the United Methodist Church, being those who are between 12 and 18 years old (UMC.org Glossary), and WHEREAS, this age range limits the available time a person may serve as a youth, making it vital that their membership on CCYM begin as quickly as possible, and WHEREAS, it is vital that confusion between voting members and members-elect minimal, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that, to allow youth to serve as full members between Annual Conference and Connectional Table meetings, the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference amend the process for nominating youth members of the CCYM as follows: 1. All youth who wish to serve on CCYM shall fill out an application form. 2. Members must be a baptized or professing member of the United Methodist Church and have completed 5th Grade. 3. Members shall be chosen by the CCYM Adult Chair and Associate Coordinator of Camping and Youth Ministries (or equivalent conference staff member) in consultation with the Director of Connectional Ministries (or equivalent conference staff member), considering the need for diverse representation. 4. Once a member is chosen and notified, they shall be granted full membership on the CCYM with all the rights, privileges, and obligations that entails. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the CCYM shall not exceed five youth and two adults per district, the Adult Chair, and conference staff. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all youth members of the CCYM shall retain their membership until September 1st of the year they graduate high school or, should they leave school early, the year they turn 18.
Legislative Items 121
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