Youth

Jesse Aaron Felicitas of Antagan United Methodist Church in Isabela, Philippines, sings during worship at the Global Young People’s Convocation, held July 7-11 in Dublin, Ireland. About 600 youth and young adults gathered at the quadrennial forum to deepen United Methodist connectionalism among new generations. Photo by the Rev. M. Scott Hughes, Discipleship Ministries.

Young people's gathering energizes connection

The United Methodist forum gives young delegates, youth leaders space to foster fellowship, focus on discipleship and imagine the future church.

General Church

The Leadership Gathering, organized by the Council of Bishops, is scheduled to be held Oct. 20-24 at Knox United Church Calgary in downtown Calgary, Canada. Both war in the Middle East and the Ebola outbreak in Congo have brought complications, but the gathering’s organizers are pushing forward with an event aimed at helping The United Methodist Church begin a new chapter. Photo courtesy of Knox United Church Calgary.

Leadership Gathering moves ahead amid challenges

Despite rising costs and visa troubles, organizers are pressing ahead with the gathering intended to help set a new course for The United Methodist Church.

Teens clap and sing during one of two UNITE youth retreats sponsored by the Missouri Conference in July 2025 at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. United Methodist conferences in the U.S. are seeing growth at annual youth retreats after years of slowdown following the COVID pandemic. File photo by Schaefer Photography.

Conference youth retreats make comeback

Promoting youth involvement in leadership and maintaining yearlong connections beyond the United Methodist events have been keys to success.

Global Health

Lab technician Arike Joel (right) conducts HIV testing during a soccer tournament hosted by The United Methodist Church at Imvepi Settlement in Arua, Uganda. The medical testing is part of the church’s Kick Out HIV campaign, which focuses on HIV prevention and self-care in refugee camps. While players battled for victory on the pitch, health workers offered confidential HIV testing and counseling on the sidelines. Photo by Juma Denis Daniel, UM News.

Church uses soccer to ‘kick out HIV’

As World Cup fever heats up, a United Methodist ministry is using soccer tournaments as a tool for voluntary HIV testing in Uganda.

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