Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) youth groups across the country are invited to participate in the second on-line Youth Video Challenge as part of  Youth Mission Initiative Live (ymiLIVE, pronounced why-em-eye LIVE). 

Sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation, youth groups will compete to win one of two $25,000 endowment funds established by the Foundation to benefit their church youth ministry programs.

For the contest, youth groups create a 2-4 minute video with their interpretation of John 7:38: Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living waters — which is the theme of the 219th General Assembly — then post their video to ymiLIVE.org.  Video submissions will be accepted March 15 - June 1. 

On-line voting by youth group members, leaders, parents, friends and families will continue through June 7.  During that time, on-line voters will narrow the field of video entries to a group of 10 finalists. 

Final selection of the two winning videos will made by a vote of the 15-member General Assembly Task Force on Youth and announced during the Assembly  in Minneapolis, July 3-10. 

Last Assembly’s inaugural ymiLIVE Youth Video Challenge in 2008 drew video submissions from more than 100 PC(USA) youth groups across the country.  

“When we originally planned this initiative, I would never have dreamed of the far-reaching impact it would have on so many different groups, said Colleen Hahn, the Foundation’s vice-president of marketing. “The youth group leaders told of how this project brought their group together and focused around their interpretation of scripture. Even if they were not chosen as finalists, it was still a great experience. People were talking about the videos — which ones made them laugh or cry, the ones that were their favorites. These videos connect people on whole new levels of spiritual life that words alone cannot.”

Added Presbyterian Foundation President Tom Taylor: “This YouTube generation has such unbelievable creativity when it comes to saying what they believe through videos. Some of these kids’ video-statements of faith are funny, others are heart-wrenching. All of them are profoundly meaningful when one reflects that they are being created by our teens who our culture is pulling in so many other directions, many of which are destructive. I thank God for the ymiLive Challengeas a ministry to our youth and for their ministry to us in return.”

Interested Presbyterian youth groups can register now at the ymiLIVE Web site.  

Information for this story furnished by Colleen Hahn, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation.