Young Adults and Youth in Prairie to Pine
The Young Adult And Youth (YAAY) Committee encourages all youth to participate in activities in their home congregations, in events in the area and in regional gatherings. Youth are also given many opportunities for leadership at youth events and by filling positions on the YAAY Committee. (Click here to learn more about this important committee and who serves on it.)
What is YAAY?
This community and program provides opportunities for young adults and youth to connect with other people who share similar values as their own. This is done through semi-annual young adult-led youth retreats, area-based travelling youth groups, young adult gatherings, and other events. Read on for more details!
Connect with us!
Instagram: @prairie2pine_yaay and @yarg_hangouts
Facebook: Prairie to Pine United Church Young Adults and Youth
Have an event that you want to advertise on YAAY social media? Email a poster to p2pyaay@gmail.com
Young adults and youth news
ALF 2023 Youth Retreat – Lost in Translation
Oct 20th to 22nd, 36 participants grade 7 to 12, led by 20 young leaders, explored the theme "Lost in Translation: the History of the Bible, How it has Changed through the Ages, and Whose Voices Are Missing." The theme times were very inter-active...
Neechi Camp 2023 in partnership with Mamawe Ota Askihk at Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre
August 20th to 25th, four Indigenous and four non-Indigenous youth took part in Neechi Camp at Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre (SSSC). At the same time, SSSC was hosting an all ages family camp called "Mamawe Ota Askihk - Sharing Life Together...
Climate Motivators wrap up but the work continues
The summer of 2023 has flown by, and for many, it was marked by extensive wildfires whose intensity and frequency have been linked to climate change. We need some hope and renewed commitments as we see the impacts of climate change, and in this...
Youth Climate Motivators working in our midst this summer!
Three Prairie to Pine youth accepted jobs through a General Council and Government of Canada program where they will be working on, and learning about, climate issues and activism in an online setting with peers across Canada. They'll also get...
A Wonderful Celebration of a Beautiful Mural
Sunday, May 28th, Harrow United Church and the Walking Together Youth Grant Team hosted the community in a celebration of a mural that was 2 years in the imagining and the making, and well worth the wait in learning, collaborating, dreaming and...
What is a Youth Retreat?
A youth retreat is… well, it’s a lot of things! Mostly, it’s a great opportunity to meet lots of people and make new friends from all over our Prairie to Pine Region (Manitoba and North Western Ontario). It’s a time to laugh, learn, worship, dance, sing, talk, and more. It’s a chance to explore and deepen our faith in God in new and exciting ways. It’s a safe, warm, welcoming, and friendly environment where you can just be yourself! Everybody is accepted, and nobody is judged.
Our Two Retreats
Two region wide youth retreats are held each year for youth grade 7 to 12. The Zeebu Retreat is held on the February long weekend of Family Day (ON)/Louis Riel Day (MB). The Alf retreat is held in October, two weekends after Thanksgiving.
Why the names ALF and Zeebu?
The theme of the first ALF in 1987 was Adolescents Learning about Families (ALF). The second year was Adolescents Learning about Friends. Now the theme strays from the acronym, but the over-arching purpose of the retreat continues to be Adolescents Learning about Faith.
The Zeebu retreat was started by a group of youth in Russell, MB in 1994 and did not have a name the first year. Legend states that there was a stuffed animal named “Zeebu” present at that retreat and the retreat from then on took on the name “Zeebu.”
Letter: Inclusive dorm model
Health Form – alternate to one in online registration
Upcoming Retreat:
Zeebu 2025
Feb 15-17, 2025
Selkirk United Church, Selkirk MB
Home Groups
Worship
Music
Theme Time
Social Time
Events
The Prairie to Pine YAAY committee organizes and collaborates on events for youth and young adults of all interests to come together in community, whether locally or nationally or in between.
- Travelling Youth Group (TYG) is a still evolving opportunity for youth and leaders from different churches in and around Winnipeg to plan a youth group “evening” in their own church, to which they invite other youth. This allows small groups, even churches with one youth, to feel their planning effort is more worthwhile because they can plan for a larger group and know that other groups will reciprocate and plan something to which they can then take their youth. This significantly cuts down the work-load of one youth leader while introducing their youth to a wider circle of United Church peers. “Travelling Youth Group” events have typically been held on a Friday from 7 to 9 pm for grades 6 and up, but aren’t limited to this. For Planning, see: Resources and Ideas for Travelling Youth Group and Template for a 2 Hour Youth Group. The template is a tool, not a required format.
- YARG (Ages 18-30) or Young Adult Recreational Gatherings, are events put on by the Prairie to Pine YAAY committee. They aim to bring young adults together to grow friendships, and strengthen the young adult community in the United Church. Past events include potlucks, karaoke or games nights, and volunteering events. To see current events see Instagram, @yarg_hangouts
- Youth Forum (Ages 15 to 19) takes place in the year of a General Council (GC) meeting. GC44 is coming up in summer 2022. Each region is able to pick 4 youth to represent them as part of youth forum. Typically there is an opportunity for these four youth to gather with youth representatives from other regions in the winter before GC to learn about how decisions are made in the United Church of Canada and what some of the issues and topics will be at the upcoming meeting of General Council. This is to prepare them to participate in the GC meetings that summer, to ensure that youth voices are present in the work of the church.
