Nazarene Youth International
Calling our generation to a dynamic life in Christ.
Nazarene Youth International calls this generation to a life in Christ.
NYI believes that young people are an integral part of the Church. NYI exists to lead young people into a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ and to facilitate their growth as disciples for loving and faithful service and cultural impact.
Students Ministry (NYI)
In NYI, we focus on the three core strategies of evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development. More commonly, we refer to these as “BE, DO, and GO.” These three strategies are at the very core of who we are. They are our message and mission. These three core strategies create the fabric of Nazarene Youth International. Everything we do in NYI is colored by Be, Do, and Go. Everything we do should flow out of our focus on evangelism, discipleship, and leadership development.
In Evangelism, we are called to BE God’s light in the dark and ignored places of our world. We are to BE a faithful example of God’s unconditional love. In BEING in Christ and BEING with others, we allow the Holy Spirit to work through our lives and we trust God with the results.
Through Discipleship, we journey together with other believers as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. As we DO life together, we learn what it means to talk together, serve together, sacrifice together, fall and get back up together. We DO the hard work of becoming more like our Savior, living surrendered lives in community.
In Leadership Development, we challenge and empower youth and their leaders to GO out into their communities as models of Christ’s servant leadership. We cannot afford to wait until we think we know enough; we must GO now, learning along the way.
Teen Quizzing
Please find below our Teen Quizzing information.
Quizzing is not just another program to allow our students to socialize, be competitive or earn scholarships. Our main purpose and goal is to help our students build their knowledge of scripture and deepen their relationship with Christ. Quizzing allows for the development of life long friendships but, more importantly it encourages a new depth to their eternal relationship.
If you know of any teens (grades 7-12) or church that would be interested in trying quizzing this year, please let myself or Teresa Sherman know. If there is an individual teen that is interested, but their local church does not currently have a program, please let us know. We can get them connected with another team.
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Studying the Books of Galatians - Philemon
2023-2024 Teen Quiz Schedule
August 4-5, 2023 Summer Quiz Kick-Off - Cross Community
September 9, 2023 - JaxNaz (Gal 1-4)
October 14, 2023 - Perry (Gal 1 - Eph 1)
Quiz Fest - October 20-21, 2023
Kentucky Tournament - October 20-21, 2023
November 11, 2023 - Cross Community (Gal 1 - Eph 5)
St. Louis Tournament - November 30 - December 2, 2023
January 13, 2024 - Mason First (Gal 1 - Phillip 2)
Lela Close Tournament - January 20, 2024
February 10, 2024 - SouthNaz (Gal 1 - Col 2)
South Bend Tournament - February 17, 2024
March 23, 2023 - Owosso First (Gal 1 - Philemon)
RCL Tournament - May 16-18, 2024 at Celebrate Life
If you have any questions, please contact Jillian Rennaker at jillian.rennaker@gmail.com
or Teresa Sherman at tjsher505@gmail.com.
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Thank you,
Jillian Rennaker
Michigan District Youth Quizzing Co-Director
Celebrate Life 2024
Greetings!
Celebrate Life is one of my favorite youth events of the year! Summer camps are fun, and they may be longer, but there is something truly special about Celebrate Life. The opportunity to gather with teenage students from four states, to worship together, to compete with one another, to introduce them to the beautiful campus of Olivet Nazarene University (while I leisurely stroll down memory lane)—it’s wonderful, and I look forward to it every year! When I transitioned out of youth ministry in 2017, Celebrate Life was one of the events I knew I would miss the most. I did not even consider the possibility that a few short years later I would be directing the event for the Michigan District. It has been a privilege to serve in this capacity, and I am not convinced that I do not enjoy it as much as, if not more than, our wildly talented students!
A very special “Thank You” for your cooperation and for all your hard work in promoting the event, overseeing the registration process, transporting them to and from the event, etc. Celebrate Life could not happen with you!
Attached you will find the newly revised and condensed Informational Packet for Celebrate Life 2024. Please look it over and let me know if you have any questions. Also, please distribute the Informational Packet to your students and sponsors as quickly as possible and promote Celebrate Life early and often! Excitement is contagious. If they see and hear you talking about Celebrate Life with great anticipation, their anticipation will build, and they may even begin inviting their peers to attend. On the other hand, if your excitement is lacking, and they see and hear you talking about Celebrate Life as if it were unimportant, they will conclude that the event is not worth their time. Of course, I believe that it is, and I hope you do as well, so promote Celebrate Life at every opportunity! Registration will not open for another month and will not close for close to three and a half months, so you have plenty of time!
One last note: We will not be distributing Michigan District Celebrate Life t-shirts at the District event but will give them to students and sponsors during registration at the Field event in May.
I am looking forward to another great year of Celebrate Life!
Pastor Jimmy Guffey