Meet the DLTs: Genesee Valley District

October 7, 2019 / By Rev. Vonda Fossitt / 1 Comment

The Genesee Valley District Leadership Team meets monthly to pray together, discern together, and strategize ways to assist the local church in ministry to the world. Several years of risk taking and faithful attempts at initiating new ideas and action plans, has resulted in a prosperous annual schedule of programming for the District. Our DLT hosts several main events, the Inform To Transform, a Fall Training event, and the Summer Fun Retreat. Our years are filled with activity within and around the district.

One of my favorite ministry projects was developed from a Mission Action Plan - the Summer Fun Retreat. Our DLT surveyed churches in our District and discovered some trends. Some churches have camp funding for summer camp but do not have any youth in the church or the congregation. While some churches have youth, there are no funds for camping. Thus, the DLT attempted a Mission Action Plan – The Summer Fun Retreat to create opportunities for churches to engage in ministry with youth and camping.

The Summer Fun Retreat encourages local churches, especially in our urban areas, to use camping as an evangelist tool. Youth of all backgrounds ages 7-12 are invited into relationship with God and the church through the retreat. It is geared towards youth of underprivileged homes and communities where summer camp is not an option. While keeping the costs low and utilizing our UM camp/retreat facilities, we are in partnership with Asbury Retreat Center.

In its second year the GV DLT invited local churches to engage in youth ministry, including spiritual development and growth through the Summer Fun retreat. From this spiritual retreat experience, we can see how the youth truly enjoyed being in the sun and learning more about Jesus Christ.