RELOAD 1.2.3: Innovating Youth Ministry Training in Metro NY/NJ
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Originally published in Tri-State Voice, June 2010
On June 12, Greater New York and New Jersey will innovate
Reload 1.2.3, the first ever, multi-state, multi-site youth worker training event in the region.
Area youth workers are already familiar with Reload, the best-of-class, one-day training experience offered by Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI) in 20+ cities each year. Metro New York has hosted Reload for 4 of the last 5 years, in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
In UYWI’s ongoing effort to make quality training accessible to grassroots youth workers close to where they minister and at a price they can afford, Reload 1.2.3 will offer one conference experience in two states simultaneously at three locations: Crossroads Tabernacle in the Bronx, Nyack College’s Manhattan Campus, and Fountain of Salvation Church in Jersey City.
Each site will enjoy live worship and workshops from an
all-star lineup of local trainers including Joseph Henry Cortese, Jack Redmond, Dimas Salaberios, Chris Durso, Enid Almanzar, Din Tolbert, Jacob Burgei, Michael and Maria Westbrook, Jose and Mayra Humphreys, Daniel Sanabria, Mitchell Torres, C-lite, Louis Carlo, David Ham, Nicole Baker, and more than 25 others.
Interactive general sessions and two featured workshops will originate in the Bronx and be simulcast to the other locations via the internet. More talk show than sermon, the simulcast sessions feature topics such as “Homegrown: The Leader,†“Handoff: The Legacy,†and “Student-Led Student Ministry: Pipe Dream or Possible?†The simulcast will invite participants to catch the “Aha Moments†as youth ministry veterans and their proteges explore themes like indigenous leadership development, inter-generational leadership, and impartation. Regardless of venue, Reload 1.2.3 participants will join the conversation via Twitter, text message, surveys, and camera phone-ography.
Also new at Reload 1.2.3 are what the host committee is calling “
Plus-1’s.†Plus 1’s are student leader proteges of the adults involved in the program (trainers, speakers, and worship leaders) who will be integrated into the program and training experience. For years, youth ministry veterans have advocated the idea that youth ministry is not about ministering to youth, but empowering youth to minister. Plus 1’s are Reload 1.2.3’s attempt to model what this looks like by intentionally creating space for younger leaders to actually lead.
Reload 1.2.3 has been designed for youth ministry teams — adult staff, volunteers, and student leaders — to share an intergenerational training experience together. Pre-register online at
http://uywi.org/Reload123 by June 8, or on-site at the Bronx or New Jersey venues. Due to space constraints, the Nyack College venue is accepting pre-registered attendees only.
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