Warmth in Winter is an annual youth event organized by the Tennessee Conference Young People’s Ministries of the United Methodist Church for the Middle Tennessee area churches. This year’s three-day event was themed “Something Beautiful” and was held in Murfreesboro in January. CYMT was well represented at Warmth in Winter with 16 graduate residents and alumni participating with their churches. For the CYMT churches who attended, it was a great weekend to get away from the routine schedules and come together as a youth group. The weekend created space for great discussion within the youth groups and time to connect with youth from other churches.
Taylor Young, CYMT graduate resident at Madison Street UMC in Clarksville, attended the event with his youth. He enjoyed spending time with his youth in their church devotion time set aside by the event organizers. Taylor said, “I got to witness a youth accept Christ and really feel like she was a part of the group for the first time. Due to a lot of social anxieties that she has, this was a big deal for her.”
Jenn Parrish at Smithville UMC shared, “By far my highlights were the theological conversations that I had with some of my girls throughout the weekend. I was able to witness a greater community developing within the boys in my group. The junior high boys bonded with the high school boys and that was a blessing to watch and be a part of.”
Cory Martin, CYMT alumni from Blakemore UMC, said, “It was the trip itself that was good—the getting away from the norm and experiencing God together.”
To learn more about Warmth in Winter 2013 or the Young People’s Ministries of the Tennessee Conference, visit warmthinwinter.com or tnumcyouth.org.