Central District Youth Engagement Solutions
This new initiative originated from the proposal by the Conference Board of Global Ministries with the endorsement from Black Methodist for Church Renewal to (re)engage young people in the community through the church.
The initiative developed in response to social upheaval such as the “Me Too Movement,” a call for women to share their experiences with sexual assault to call out the defense and protection of abusers, and the “Black Lives Matter Movement,” a response to the violent and unnecessary deaths within black communities at the hands of law enforcement.
The United Methodist Congregations and community nonprofits in the area are prioritizing the development of young people’s leadership with opportunities for social engagement and congregational innovation.
Trisha Manns
Church and Community Worker
Trisha Manns is a missionary (Church and Community Worker) with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, serving as a youth and young adult coordinator at the Central District Parish Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Little Rock, Arkansas. Trisha is from Atlanta, where she is a member of Impact Church, a multicultural gathering of people committed to sharing Christ’s love with the world.
As a church and community worker, Trisha works with churches and communities to build mutually beneficial partnerships and/or strengthen the relationships established between the local church and the community. Trisha added that they are also aiming to engage with Black youth and respond to the specific needs in Black communities. “Because the six partner churches are small in size, this is a new role in the Arkansas Conference to have one coordinator in service to each of the local Churches,” she said. Trisha will serve in this role for at least three years but is able to be in this role with the Conference for up to nine years.
A former Mission Advocate for young adult mission service and Global Mission Fellow, Trisha served at the National Council of Churches in Seoul, Korea, a major ecumenical organization with a range of social ministries.
Partner Churches
Theressa Hoover UMC
Theressa Hoover Memorial UMC is in the 12th Street Community in Little Rock.
Since 1991, Hoover Church and Better Community Development Inc. (BCD)has led efforts with the City of Little Rock to rebuild the 12th Street community. In 2009, the 12th Street Corridor Strategic Development started as a grassroots movement led by BCD with the City of Little Rock. It focused on creating a strategic plan for the community’s redevelopment.
Hoover’s goal in partnering with the Church and Community Worker is to develop leadership holistically emphasizing stewardship, discipleship, and social justice. We plan to achieve this goal by providing education towards financial literacy, tithing, and allowing opportunities for young adults to get closer to God and develop spiritual confidence; while also advocating for equal access to basic life necessities.
This project benefits the emerging leaders of Hoover UMC and the community we serve. The young adults will benefit from having a supportive community to grow their families in a faithful environment. This group is composed of volunteers that have committed to actively participate and become leaders within our communities.
Hunter UMC
Hunter United Methodist Church is a diverse group of people united Christ’s followers, who are dedicated to personal fulfillment and growth. Seeking, as a community, to glorify God through proclaiming the good news, worshiping and serving God’s creation.
Hunter UMC’s goal in working together with the Church and Community Worker is to provide Christians with a faith community in which they can discover and test out the demands of God for their daily lives. And to relate to the community around us as we live the demands of the gospel.
We hope to foster a Christian interpretation of the meaning of life and develop a caring and inclusive fellowship so that, after having been molded and united into such a loving, caring and sharing company of God’s people, we might sense and be motivated to reach out and serve the community.
Marks Chapel UMC
Marks Chapel Methodist Church was established in 1910, in the West Little Rock neighborhood called the Pankey community.
The Pankey community is 80 acres of property purchased by Josephine and Samuel Pankey in 1907. The community became a safe haven for Black families after the lynching of John Carter in 1927. By 1969, the community was home to about 400 residents. The Pankey community was annexed by the City of Little Rock in 1979.
Marks Chapel’s goal in collaborating with the Church and Community Worker is to accompany members on investing within the community and their families by giving them knowledge and skills to move forward.
We will address the challenges of gentrification and maintaining our community with commercial development. This will be accomplished by training with local organizations, giving leadership roles within the church while expanding within the community and developing outreach ministries.
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St. Paul UMC, Maumelle
St. Paul UMC, Maumelle, is located in the community of Pinnacle Valley in West Little Rock.
St. Paul’s goal in working with the Church and Community Worker is to connect youth and young adults to church, and encourage community engagement. This will enable students to identify their gifts/talents as valuable and facilitate spiritual growth. We will work to provide experiential opportunities for high school and college students with stakeholders, including:
- Business leaders.
- Entrepreneurs.
- Legislators.
- Financial managers.
- Church organizations.
We desire to return to the tradition of our lineage and outreach to our neighbors, with opportunities to develop personal relationships and address the obstacles of our youth and young adults.
White Memorial UMC
- Christmas toy giveaway and open closet.
- Thanksgiving family dinner giveaways.
- Mentoring.
- Tutoring.
We hope to increase our summer activities and continue outreach to the community on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.
