Unleashing the Creativity of Youth Groups with Videos that Express Their Faith

Jeffersonville, IN – February 9, 2010 – Presbyterian youth groups across the country are invited to participate in an on-line Youth Video Challenge as part of ymiLIVE (Youth Mission Initiate LIVE, pronounced why-em-eye LIVE).  Youth groups will compete to win one of two $25,000 endowment funds established by the Presbyterian Foundation to benefit church youth ministry programs.

The inaugural ymiLIVE Youth Video Challenge in 2008 provided members of PC (U.S.A.) across the country the opportunity to be amazed, entertained, and inspired after viewing the video submissions from over 100 youth groups.  “When we originally planned this initiative, I would never have dreamed of the far-reaching impact it would have on so many different groups.  The youth group leaders told of how this project brought their group together and focused around their interpretation of scripture. Even if they were not chosen as finalists, it was still a great experience,” said Colleen Hahn, Vice President of Marketing for the Presbyterian Foundation. “People were talking about the videos, which ones made them laugh or cry, the ones that were their favorites - these videos connect people on whole new levels of spiritual life that words alone cannot.”

“This YouTube-Generation has such unbelievable creativity when it comes to saying what they believe through videos,” said President of the Presbyterian Foundation, Tom Taylor. “Some of these kids’ video-statements of faith are funny, others are heart-wrenching. All of them are profoundly meaningful, when one reflects that they are being created by our teens who our culture is pulling in so many other directions, many of which are destructive. I thank God for the ymiLive Challenge as a ministry to our youth and for their ministry to us in return.”

Youth Groups create a 2-4 minute video with their interpretation of John 7:38, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living waters,” which is the theme of the 219^th General Assembly, then post their video to ymiLIVE.org.  Video submissions will be accepted March 15 – June 1.  On-line voting by youth group members, leaders, parents, friends and families will continue through June 7.  During that time, on-line voters will narrow the field of video entries to a group of 10 finalists.  Final selection of the two winning videos will made by a vote of the General Assembly Youth Task Force and announced during the 2010 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July. 

Interested Presbyterian youth groups can register now at ymiLIVE.org to participate in the Youth Video Challenge. 

 For more than two centuries, the Presbyterian Foundation has been serving the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and individual Presbyterians to bring people and mission together.  Its mission is to cultivate and manage gifts to further Christ’s mission, and through its subsidiary, New Covenant Trust Company, N.A., to provide investment management services that offer competitive performance while following the Presbyterian Church’s principles of social responsibility.