The Center for Youth Ministry Training will host its second Theology Together immersion experience, “Collide,” this summer in the greater Nashville area. Attendees, both youth and adults, will serve others and listen to speakers as a part of the experience, but will participate in a way that will provoke discussions, questions, and reflection concerning faith, God, and science.
Sometimes it appears our deeply held beliefs collide with what we know of the world. We’ll consider together what happens when faith meets science. What is the responsibility of people of faith in a world where creation is in crisis? What is the role of doubt and questioning in discipleship and growth in faith? Is science in conflict with the Christian faith? How do science and faith fit together—or can they? What does our calling to be the “light of the world” mean in a society blessed (and cursed) with the powerful abilities of technology? What are the responsibilities of being created in the image of God?
We believe Theology Together is unique because it’s designed to generate the disorienting dilemmas and big questions that often surface in the context of camps or mission trips, but there is significant space and resourcing given to engage youth and adults at working through these dilemmas via discussion, theological exploration and worship—together.
Two additional features make Theology Together distinct from a summer camp or mission trip: First, it’s not a “youth event” but a together event; youth and adults participate equally and lead one another. Second, it’s designed to be a jumpstart for imagining and enacting new forms of youth ministry in your congregation. Emphasis and encouragement will be given for youth groups to imagine what taking the experiences and discussions of Theology Together back to their congregations and youth ministries might look like. Rather than just a week, Theology Together is designed to instill a new way of life for each participating ministry.
The Theology Together project is funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation. CYMT is faithfully seeking ways to train youth and adults to experience and know God’s presence in the world. Learn more at theologytogether.com.