wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Jam session

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This story available online:

www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09139<http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09139

>Jam session

First-ever event seeks creative young adult/collegiate
ministries

>Presbyterian News Service

AUSTIN, TX ― More than 100 Presbyterians involved in
collegiate ministries are gathering here in the "live music
capital of the world" May 27-30 for the first YAM-Jam.

Referring to young adult ministries, YAM-Jam is hosted by
the Presbyterian Association for Collegiate and Higher
Education Ministries [www.pachem.org] (PACHEM) and in
collaboration with the Office of Collegiate Ministries
[www.pcusa.org/collegiate] of the General Assembly Council.

The goal, says the Rev. Tommy Brown, Presbyterian/Episcopal
campus minister at Arizona State University, is to seek
creative ways to be in ministry with young adults and
college students in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Keynote speakers include Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the
218th General Assembly; Carol Howard-Merritt, author of
Tribal Church; and the Rev. Ted Wardlaw, president of
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

The classic problem facing young adult ministry in the
PC(USA), Brown says, is feeling isolated from the rest of
the denomination.

"As our church adjusts to issues of culture and structural
changes, YAM-Jam is a way to bring those who care about
young adults together to share, learn, worship and play,"
he said.

To make this happen, he adds, the gathering will follow the
flow of a jam session.

"In a musical jam session, friends gather to jam without
extensive preparation or set arrangements," he said. "Jam
sessions can be used to develop new material, create an
arrangement, or just to gather together and play. Jamming
can be based on existing songs or traditional chord
progressions ... or may be completely improvisational
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improvisation].";

YAM-Jam will begin like a traditional conference, said
Diana Malcom of the PACHEM board of directors, adding that
"we hope it will quickly become a true jam session of
ideas, creativity and connections for college and young
adult ministries in the PC(USA)."

"It is going to be exciting to see what emerges from
YAM-Jam ― driven by the Holy Spirit working in the passion,
energy, and creativity of everyone there," she said.

YAM-Jam is limited to 125 participants, with a goal of
50% leadership/participation by young adults.

Information for this story furnished by the Rev. Tommy
Brown.

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