Youth Theology Network Annual Gathering
August 1 @ 00:01 am The Westin Indianapolis ~ 241 W Washington St, Indianapolis, IN 46204The annual Youth Theology Network (YTN) Gathering brings program leaders together to engage inspiring ideas that support their work with youth and students.
Registration Deadline: December 8
Youth Theology Network Annual Gathering
Inspire What’s Next
Join the 2024 YTN Annual Gathering and experience opportunities for networking with peers and imagining new ways to continue the work of YTN in the years ahead!
Through plenary presentations and workshop offerings, participants will build their capacity in skills such as recruitment, evaluation, sustainability and more. In addition to program leaders, the YTN gathering welcomes communications, marketing, and/or advancement officers from partner institutions to learn more about the YTN and strategize ways to support the programs. Teams will be invited to envision how they might implement the ideas encountered at the gathering by identifying next most faithful steps upon returning home.
Come learn about what is next for the YTN network, including new resourcing opportunities!
Featured Speakers
Workshop Leaders
Agenda At a Glance
Wednesday, January 31:
9:00 a.m. - Optional Pre-Gathering Workshops
3:00 p.m. - Orientation for First-Time Attendees
4:00 p.m. - Welcome and Opening Plenary
6:30 p.m. - Dinner
7:15 p.m. - Dessert Reception and Expo
Thursday, February 1:
8:30 a.m. - Worship
9:00 a.m. - Strategy Session
11:00 a.m. - Small Groups
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:30 p.m. - Workshops, Round 1
3:30 p.m. - Workshops, Round 2
6:30 p.m. - Dinner
Friday, February 2
8:30 a.m. - Worship
9:15 a.m. - Small Groups
10:30 a.m. - Strategy Session
11:45 a.m. - Closing
12:00 p.m. - Lunch and Departure
Pre-gathering workshops are an optional day-long opportunity to dive deeper into some of the workshop topics that will be presented during the gathering. Pre-gathering workshop participants are encouraged to arrive the evening of Tuesday, January 30.
Participants coming from the West Coast or attending a pre-gathering workshop are encouraged to arrive on Tuesday, January 30. All other participants may arrive on Wednesday, January 31. Check-in and registration will be available on Tuesday, January 30 and Wednesday, January 31 with check out for all participants on Friday, February 2. Please contact the Westin Indianapolis directly if you need to extend your stay.
Forum for Theological Exploration and Lilly Endowment, Inc. invite each Youth Theology Network program to send up to three representatives to the annual gathering. Representatives could be program directors or coordinators, or institutional representatives such as communications, marketing or advancement officers. Eligible programs are past recipients of a Lilly Youth Theology Network (LYTN) or High School Youth Theology Institutes (HSYTI) grant. Programs do not need to be active or on-grant to attend.
Forum for Theological Exploration
The Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) is a leadership incubator that inspires young people to make a difference in the world through Christian communities. FTE partners with the Lilly Endowment on its Youth Theology Network (YTN) initiative to offer spaces for young people to explore questions about their faith, purpose and call to ministry in the world. FTE’s role is to support, convene, and resource YTN programs and their leaders.
Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Lilly Endowment Inc.’s primary aim in religion is to deepen and enrich the religious lives of Christians in the United States. LEI values the broad diversity of Christian traditions and congregations today and endeavors to support them in a wide variety of contexts. Over the past 30 years LEI has launched two related initiatives, the Lilly Youth Theology Network (LYTN) and the High School Youth Theology Institutes (HSYTI), that combined to become the Youth Theology Network (YTN) in 2019.
Youth Theology Network
The Youth Theology Network (YTN) is a national network of colleges, universities, and theological schools funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. to identify, ignite and cultivate the gifts of a new generation of Christian leaders who will make an impact in the world. As a partner, the Forum for Theological Exploration (FTE) supports, resources and promotes this national network of theology programs for high school students.
Complete the registration form with your information and select your workshops. Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email and an additional email will follow, inviting you to book your flights through our travel partner Navan. Please see FTE’s travel and reimbursement policies for more information.
FTE will not require proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend this in-person event. Please be aware that registration will require agreement to FTE’s COVID-19 policy which can be found on this page.