Mission Yearbook: Behind the scenes, young adults help keep Triennium running smoothly

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During the Presbyterian Youth Triennium, Luke Nancoo and Jade Fuentes wrote on bags that were to be used to make snack bags for underserved people in Louisville for a group called Hope Buss. A mission project during the event also included hygiene kits for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and packages for Room in the Inn. (Photo by Rich Copley)

Putting on a massive event for thousands of youths requires extra hands working behind the scenes to make it all look seamless.

That’s why the members of the young adult service track were so essential at the 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium.

They’re “the Marthas behind the scenes, helping to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible so those folks in leadership places can do what they are best at,” said Kris “Bubba” Brammer, young adult ministry co-coordinator.

Thirty-five young adults from the U.S. and abroad signed up for the service track, making themselves available for whatever was needed during Triennium, which took place at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville.

“Servitude is a kind of great thing, you know?” said Luke Nancoo, 20, of Susamachar Presbyterian Church in the Caribbean. “You really get the kinds of kindness that you put out into the world.”

Brammer said the service track participants were a fantastic group to work with. They had to be good-natured and flexible in a setting where needs were “always changing” and the group was “constantly on the go,” he said.

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Among other things, service track members helped to set up rooms for different activities during Presbyterian Youth Triennium. Above, Kris “Bubba” Brammer took part. (Photo by Rich Copley)

The young adults’ contributions ranged from setting up rooms for different activities to writing various things, including inspirational quotes like “You are loved,” on paper sacks for a mission project that took place during the event. They also helped with games during the recreation section.

For Felishity Blubaugh, 25, it was reminiscent of assisting with a recent day camp at Trinity Presbyterian in Topeka, Kansas.

“Tonight, we’re helping with recreational events,” she explained earlier in the week of the Triennium. That included helping to run games and making sure they’re done correctly.

The service track also included multiple students from Hastings College in the Presbytery of Central Nebraska.

“Volunteering just kind of felt like the best way to use my time here, especially because I don't get to go out and do things like this a ton,” said Maxwell Blankenship, 20, a theater major with minors in religion, philosophy and music.

Back home, it can be difficult to find the time, but “I like to help, so being able to come here when all I have to worry about is helping is really nice,” Blankenship said.

Fellow Hastings student Hailey Gifford, 20, was similarly motivated.

“I chose the service track because it felt like the way to be more involved and be more active ... and have more of a meaningful impact on the event,” said Gifford, who’s studying math and education with a minor in religion.

Ethan Milne, 19, of Sheridan, Wyoming, said, “I chose to sign up for the service track because serving is something I've done for a while" in general, he said. “It sounded like more fun to be out there and doing some service than doing the leadership path,” another option for young adults.

Jade Fuentes, 19, of Susamachar Presbyterian Church knew right away that she wanted to be part of the service track.

“I was interested in it because I'm a very hands on-person,” said Fuentes, who was sitting at a station with Nancoo, filling out bags. “Helping out and being active is like second nature to me.”

Service track participants also got a chance to come together in the mornings to have discussions and go over things like the previous night’s worship and topics related to the day's theme, Gifford said.

“It’s nice to be in a room with other young adults who are at a similar point in their lives as we are to be able to talk about these things,” Gifford said. At church, “I'm really the only person my age.”

Darla Carter, Communications Strategist, Interim Unified Agency (Click here to read original PNS Story)

Let us join in prayer for:

Sunkyoo Park, Associate, Adult Curriculum, Korean Language, Growing Faith Resources, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
Stephanie M. Patterson, Communications Manager, Presbyterian Women   

Let us pray:

Gracious God, continue to encourage and equip your people. We ask that you continue to raise up leaders to serve you and their community. Give them vision, wisdom and ability to lead the way, according to your purposes. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today in the Mission Yearbook - Presbyterian Youth Triennium shares resources and talks up formation of its 2025 production team

PYT will soon make a formal announcement on dates and locations for its upcoming gatherings

October 20, 2023

Every three years the Presbyterian Mission Agency 

hosts Triennium, a gathering of up to 5,000 youth 

and young adults. A production team is currently being 

formed for the 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium. 

(File photo by Rich Copley)

Together with Triennium registrar Analise Brown, Gina Yeager-Buckley, who’s the mission coordinator for Presbyterian Youth and Triennium, said Triennium staff is gearing up to launch “an exciting and busy season” which will include a formal announcement this fall about the location and other details of the 2025 and 2028 events, among the most transformational gatherings the PC(USA) offers.

Brown and Yeager-Buckley were the guests recently on the Office of Christian Formation’s Faith Formation Leader Connection webinar, which is held twice each month via Zoom.

“It’s fun to see the faces and dogs I know, our furry Christian education friends,” Yeager-Buckley said with a smile. “We love to talk about youth ministry and think about what’s happening and what you’re seeing and the resources you are finding helpful, relevant and fiery.”

Brown and Yeager-Buckley discussed the formation of the 2025 PYT Production Team, youth and adults who share a passion for youth ministry. “There’s nothing like being behind the scenes to see an event that size [up to 5,000 youth and young adults] come together,” Brown said.

When Covid forced cancellation of the 2022 Presbyterian Youth Triennium, Yeager-Buckley and a team of educators and curriculum developers worked to create four free downloadable resources around the Matthew 25 theme of “When did we see you?” The four guides, which have seen wide use in both large and small settings around the country and are available in English and Spanish, are the Three-Lesson Bible Study, Recreation Guide, Worship & Prayer Guide and Event Planning Guide.

“We wanted to throw open the doors of the [Presbyterian Youth Triennium] event and connect with more people,” Yeager-Buckley said. “There’s no reason these can’t be done in churches.”

Gina Yeager-Buckley

She said the Recreation Resource “is a critical piece. We don’t see recreation as something you do to entertain on the side. Playing and laughing are critical” and are important in helping youth “dig into a theme.” The Recreation Resource includes a how-to on throwing a fully planned party for the youth.

The Worship & Prayer Guide has videos from the preachers who were scheduled to preach during the 2022 event. “They are pieces you would have seen but can use even if you don’t step into Triennium,” Yeager-Buckley said.

During 2022, 41 groups each applied for $1,000 grants to host Triennium-related events carrying the “When did we see you?” theme. Some of their events are chronicled here. “Sometimes it helps to see how other churches and youth groups are doing things,” Yeager-Buckley said, adding PYT hopes to implement a smaller grant program for 2023.

“I hope you’ll try it out. I think it might always be timely,” Yeager-Buckley said of the downloadable resources. Additional resources are being considered, including a prayer guide complete with interactive prayer stations and possibly a music guide.

“It’s youth and adults who make Triennium happen from the beginning, by helping to plan and carry out the event,” Brown said.

“It’s a volunteer position, but they’re workhorses,” Yeager-Buckley said of the production team. “You won’t likely be on stage. You might be at another venue, and so we talk about service through leadership” and “extending hospitality to others and the joy that can bring.”

For additional resources offered by the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Christian Formation, go here or here.

 Mike Ferguson, Editor, Presbyterian News Service

Today’s Focus: 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Matthew Nurkin, Vice President, & Managing Director, Investments, Board of Pensions
Emily Odom, Associate Director Mission Communications, Communications Ministry, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Let us pray

Merciful God, we love you, worship you, glorify you. In you we abide that we may live fruitfully; in the wisdom of fearing and knowing you, we dwell peaceably. Amen.