YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS

National Youth Sunday on May 4 will be an opportunity for congregations to empower senior high youth to plan and lead worship. The theme is “Embodying Our Gifts.” Resources are posted at www.brethren.org/yya/national-youth-sunday. The National Youth Cabinet met in March in Elgin to develop these materials and begin planning for National Youth Conference 2026.

Young Adult Conference is planned for May 23-25, at Brethren Woods near Keezletown, Va. The annual event offers people ages 18-35 a chance to enjoy fellowship, worship, recreation, Bible study, service projects, and more. See www.brethren.org/yya/yac. 

National Junior High Conference takes place June 20-22 at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., with the theme “Let Your Gentleness Be Known.” Join other junior high youth and adult advisors for a weekend packed with powerful worship, fun workshops, music, recreation, and more. Registration and details are at www.brethren.org/yya/njhc.

National Youth Conference 2026 will take place July 18-23, 2026, with a return to the site that the conference used in 1990 and prior years: the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo. More information will come in the months ahead at National Youth Conference. 

MennoMedia has announced a “Living Forward: Anabaptism at 500 Essay Contest” offering eligible students the opportunity to earn a scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year. This contest invites students to reflect on the enduring values of the Anabaptist tradition—which includes the Church of the Brethren—and their relevance in today’s world. The overall winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, and the first runner-up will be awarded a $500 scholarship. Scholarships may be used toward tuition, book costs, and related course fees. Participants should write a 750 to 1,000-word essay responding to the prompt: “Timeless Values in a Changing World.” Writers will identify the distinctive values of the Anabaptist tradition and discuss how these values are shaping the future of the church and influencing broader society in the decades to come. Applicants must be current high school seniors, current college students, or students returning to college after a break from academics and enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours per semester) during the 2025-2026 academic year at an accredited two-year or four-year undergraduate or trade school program in the United States or Canada. Submit application and all required documentation postmarked or emailed by April 19. Find out more at www.mennomedia.org/living-forward-essay-contest.