Click here to learn more about the YOUTH 2023 Design Team.

Worship Planner:

The main role of the worship planner will be to create and design the worship scripts for YOUTH 2023, identify and manage on-stage talent, and manage the volunteer worship team. A timeline for script submission and review will be created once this team member is named. The worship planner will work alongside the production team at Discipleship Ministries to create a detailed worship plan that invites participants to get the most out of their worship experience. This includes plans for how to involve the alternative worship space for those who need a quieter worship experience. The worship planner will also work with the Young People’s Ministry (YPM) staff to identify talent for YOUTH 2023. The worship planner recruits the emcee (and others if needed) to lead on-stage.

Skills: The worship planner should have a background in creating large-scale events; a focus on worship events is a plus. The worship planner should be organized, have strong leadership skills, and have excellent writing and editing skills. The worship planner should have knowledge and experience creating worship experiences with a Methodist/Wesleyan theological foundation.

Emcee:

The emcee will be the most consistent face of YOUTH 2023 on-site, with at least ten to fifteen minutes of stage time every evening, and some mornings. The main duties of the emcee are to have a charismatic stage presence and introduce the talent each evening. The emcee will also be asked to make some flexible on-site announcements and to be present outside of stage time to support the rest of the Design Team and interface with attendees. This includes working with Discipleship Ministries staff to create social media and behind-the-scenes footage to drive engagement during the event. Before the event, the emcee will be responsible for planning and scripting his/her stage time by working closely with the worship planner, production team, and talent. The emcee builds relationships across the Methodist family of faith (ecumenically) and interfaces with inter-denominational connections to increase knowledge of YOUTH 2023. Given the timing of the YOUTH 2023 event, the emcee, along with the worship planner and Discipleship Ministries staff will build relationships ecumenically and help to invite as many participants as possible to join the event in person.

Skills: The emcee should be charismatic, outgoing, and a people person. This person should also have the ability to represent the diversity of The United Methodist Church, making all attendees feel included. A background in public speaking and performance is a plus.

Hospitality/Administration

Office Manager:

The office manager oversees the on-site staff office, including organization and file systems for important event forms (like incident report forms, check-in/out procedures, identification systems, etc.). Before the event begins, the office manager will work with the YPM staff to identify what is needed in the staff office (i.e., forms, procedures and policies, copiers, computers, snacks, etc.), order those things, and have them shipped to the event venue. During the event, the office manager will keep the staff office running smoothly by making sure all systems are in working order, that all staff in the office have the supplies and snacks they need, and that all event policies and procedures are being followed. The office manager supports administrative functions involving attendance, volunteers, and more. The office manager recruits and works closely with the attendee experience liaison.

Skills: The office manager should be organized, able to manage time well, and have experience in office work or office management.

Attendee Experience Liaison:

The attendee experience liaison will be the on-site customer relations person during YOUTH 2023. The liaison will be trained by the YPM staff on how to handle questions and situations that may arise during the event and serve as the first point of contact, screening needs before contacting YPM staff. Before YOUTH 2023, the attendee experience liaison will create and revise help desk manuals for the help desk volunteers with the assistance of the YPM staff. The help desk volunteers will refer any questions they are unable to answer with the manual to the attendee experience liaison. Only if the attendee experience liaison is unable to answer a question should it be sent on to the YPM staff. The attendee experience liaison will keep track of each incident that is referred by having the attendees fill out an incident report form, whether electronically or physically. The liaison recruits the Design Team caregiver.

Skills: The attendee experience liaison should have familiarity with customer relations and be able to treat each attendee with respect, dignity, and importance. This person should also be organized, outgoing, and able to work well under pressure.

Design Team Caregiver:

The Design Team caregiver is responsible for supporting the Design Team and the help desk during YOUTH 2023. The caregiver will check in daily with Design Team members to find out where and how he/she can help, sometimes going as far as taking over a role for a few minutes; other times, running short errands such as grabbing lunch for someone who does not have time, offering a listening ear or kind shoulder, finding the perfect coffee or snack, and providing morning and evening prayers for the Design Team. The Design Team caregiver’s job is one of pure support and is incredibly important during high-stress moments of large-scale events.

Skills: The Design Team caregiver should enjoy taking care of others and have the ability to manage many projects at once. Management experience is a plus.

Volunteer Coordinator:

The volunteer coordinator is responsible for recruiting, training, and scheduling all volunteers for YOUTH 2023 with support from the YPM staff. Volunteer training can take place pre-event and on-site. The volunteer coordinator will work closely with all other members of the Design Team and YPM Staff to identify volunteer needs. The volunteer coordinator will oversee the adult leader orientation during YOUTH 2023 and support the recruitment of adult leaders for volunteer work. If determined as helpful, adult leader orientation could also be pre-recorded and offered before arrival at the event. The volunteer coordinator will also spend time before the event identifying and building relationships with local volunteer groups (churches, retirement homes, colleges) to make volunteering at YOUTH 2023 run as smoothly as possible. The volunteer coordinator recruits and works closely with the service coordinator.

Skills: The volunteer coordinator should have previous experience in volunteer management and should be comfortable managing more than one hundred volunteers. The volunteer coordinator should also be organized, a good leader, and have the ability to manage multiple tasks at once. Knowledge of community and volunteer groups in the surrounding area of the event location is a plus.

Store Manager:

The store manager will be in charge of all aspects of the YOUTH 2023 Store along with support from YPM staff. This will include developing a store layout, input on merchandise types and designs, managing inventory, and training store volunteers. This position will also help coordinate pre-orders for merchandise that will be picked up on-site. The store manager will work closely with Discipleship Ministries staff to determine point-of-sale set up.

Skills: The store manager should be organized, able to work in a fast-paced environment, and comfortable being a team leader in charge of ten or more volunteers. Retail management experience is a plus.

Accessibility Ambassador:

As an event for all youth, this person will work with the entire Design Team, Daytona Beach event and hotel staff, and various groups (like the Committee on Disabilities) within The United Methodist Church to create, coordinate, and execute plans to make YOUTH 2023 accessible to those with a variety of developmental and physical needs. The role would also include contact and work with specific support groups (like deaf ministries) to encourage the attendance of all youth and providing input/connections to other Design Team members to resource local churches to improve their own accessibility. The work includes but is not limited to: deaf considerations (ASL in worship, workshop, small groups, etc.), autism spectrum (alternative worship areas, identifying recommended workshops, etc.), physical considerations (accessibility of spaces, seating in big room worship, getting to/from lodging) and more.

Skills: Organized, experience in adaptation and inclusivity in fellowship, education, or sports settings. Familiarity with needs related to a wide variety of accessibility issues.

Education

Workshops:

Workshop Coordinator 1 & 2: The workshop coordinators are equal partners in charge of every aspect of the YOUTH 2023 workshops. The workshop coordinators will recruit workshop leaders, create a workshop schedule, identify presenters’ needs, and work to meet those needs with support from YPM staff. The workshop coordinators will also be responsible for running workshop leader check in/check out during the event (including honorarium payments), determining if pre-registration for workshops is necessary and how to facilitate that process, managing workshop volunteers, and getting the workshop schedule to the YPM staff in a timely manner for accurate publication. The workshop coordinators will also work closely with the volunteer coordinator to identify and train workshop volunteers. Workshop coordinator 1 recruits workshop coordinator 2.

Skills: The workshop coordinators should be organized, able to manage time efficiently, and work well in a team.

Service Coordinator:

The service coordinator coordinates every aspect of the service opportunities during the programmed time of YOUTH 2023. The service coordinator’s main responsibilities will be to work with the host city to identify mission/service opportunities suitable for YOUTH 2023 participants. Once those opportunities are identified, the coordinator will work with YPM staff to finalize agreements, schedules, sign-ups, and any other aspects needed to ensure quality experiences for event attendees, volunteers, and beneficiaries of the services. The service coordinator will also work closely with the volunteer coordinator to ensure enough volunteers for every mission opportunity.

Skills: The service coordinator should be detail oriented, able to work well in a team setting, and organized. Mission coordinators should be comfortable leading a team of ten or more volunteers. Service outreach experience is a plus.

Curricula Creators:

Curricula creators 1 & 2 interface with all Design Team members, YPM staff, and on-site talent and presenters in preparation, during, and after YOUTH 2023 in order to create curriculum pieces based on the theme and experiences at YOUTH 2023. The curricula creators will work with YPM staff to develop and execute a plan to create and publish resources through Discipleship Ministries for use by local churches to further discipleship by broadening the impact of YOUTH 2023 to churches that could not physically attend.

Skills: Creative writing, skilled in content creation. Theological background in Methodist/Wesleyan tradition. Ability to meet deadlines, receive feedback, revise, and edit work.