DYMN was partially sponsored by a grant from Disciples Home Missions. Here’s a brief vision of the possibilities we see and why DHM agreed to help fund us:
Among Disciples youth leaders, we have some of the greatest minds in youth ministry, and yet we are spread out across the continent. Either we don’t have the chance to know each other or, when we do know each other, we don’t have an easy way to share our experience so we might learn from each other. Imagine, just for a moment, what can happen when we simply provide a platform for connections to be made and shared. We believe it will result not only in an extreme expansion of resources and educational opportunities for the youth ministers in this project, but it will also have wide spread implications for the larger church. This project helps breakdown the barriers created by geography, culture, and finances.
Through the grant from Disciples Home Missions, DYMN continued to connect those serving in youth ministry and develop resources for congregations by:
• Continuing Development of DiscipleShare A FREE online library of resources created by Disciples for Disciples. Discover free curriculum at: http://www.discipleshare.net/
• Virtual Youth Ministry University, utilizing an online service called ‘ooVoo’ to create learning and idea-sharing opportunities for affordable, continuing education in Youth Ministry for youth group volunteers and paid staff alike.
DYMN also began with the help of these partners that provided the funding to launch the first DYMN gathering:
Emerging Designs in Youth Ministry
http://www.emergingdesigns.org
Great River Region
http://grrcc.webs.com
Kansas Region
http://www.kansasdisciples.org
Christian Church in Kentucky
http://www.ccinky.net
Southwest Region
http://www.ccsw.org
Upper Midwest Region
http://www.uppermidwestcc.org
