Bridging is a ritual of transformation for Unitarian Universalist youth who are transitioning to the first stage of adulthood. Reimagining Bridging: A Framework for Youth Ministry is not a specific curriculum, but instead is a non-linear framework with accompanying tools and resources.
First conceived by Eric Bliss and a group of professional religious educators as a “playlist,” this training will guide your leaders as you design your own program based on your relationships and context.
Sections include short conceptual videos, moving stories from the field (which offer inspiration and motivation), questions for discussion, helpful resources, and a fun review “quiz” with key concepts.
Eric Bliss (he/him), Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Specialist
Shannon Harper (she/her), Lifespan Faith Engagement Co-Director
Jennica Davis-Hockett (she/her), Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff
Ember Kelley (she/her), Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff
Nico Van Ostrand (they/them), Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff
Mylo Way (they/them), Youth and Emerging Adult Ministry Staff
A team of religious professionals and young adults met semi-monthly in 2016-17 to re-imagine this important milestone process and to create something new, intuitive, and practical that DRE’s and ministers could utilize to more effectively minister to bridging youth and bridged emerging adults, with the goal of retaining these individuals in our communities.
The team was comprised of folks across all four districts in the Pacific Western Region (PWR), including Rev. Sarah Gibb-Millspaugh, Marci Beaudoin, Larissa Hunt, Alison McLeod, Mr. Barb Greve, Eleanor Van Deusen, Mia Noren, and Eric Bliss.
Here’s what we did…
Gathering One: Our first meeting set the stage. Here, we examined the rationale and some history behind the re-imagining endeavor. The team discussed our hopes and got to know one another. A covenant, and a charge for the team was created:
“What can we help create that honors all that is wonderful and good about Bridging whilst also fashioning something relevant and worthy for our young folk (Youth and Emerging Adults) in the 21st century?”
Gathering Two: On this day, we held an Appreciative Inquiry process to ask the following questions: “What is already great about Bridging? What are the positives? What do we want to keep? What is working well for congregations?” We took a pulse check as to where we are at as a faith with this ceremony and milestone process.
Gathering Three: The team discussed the adaptive impediments that have restricted our faith movement’s success in retaining emerging adults. We assigned two working groups:
- One to examine senior year protocols and schedule, as well as the Bridging worship ceremony and other related processes, and
- A second to investigate congregational integration for emerging adults, including the support of campus ministries and / or “free range” emerging adults.
Gathering Four: Here, we put it all back together. The working groups presented their proposals for fine tuning by PWR Congregational Life Staff (Rev. Sarah Millspaugh and myself).
This final meeting concluded the first “Planning Phase (2016-17)” of the Re-Imagining Bridging enterprise. With next year offering us the “Implementation Phase (2017-18),” where 10+ congregations in PWR, across all four districts, will engage with this new process, using the playlist described hereafter. The “Reporting Phase (2018-19)” will conclude it all, where we plan to report the successes, failures, and learning from this venture, and indeed perhaps look to the future.
It should be mentioned, that this nearly year long undertaking built on previous work by Rev. Annie Gonzalez and Jennica Davis-Hockett from the UUA Youth and Young Adult Office where they led another team of volunteers and religious professionals who examined best practices in Bridging and provided their own recommendations for success.
-Eric Bliss
