Planning team member: ‘This is one, if not the, best things we do as a denomination’
by Beth Waltemath | Presbyterian News Service
Representatives of the Minahasan Tribe of Indonesia danced for Triennium attendees in 2019. (Photo by Rich Copley)
Applications for the 2025 Presbyterian Youth Triennium production team are now being accepted. This team consists of youth and adults who share a passion for youth ministry and work alongside staff to refine the many layers of Triennium and make this large-scale event happen.
According to past and present leaders of Presbyterian Youth Triennium, joining the production team is an incredible opportunity to serve the church, develop as a leader, form lifelong friendships, problem-solve creatively, laugh and work hard, and deepen one’s relationship with God.
“We start fresh every three years with a new theme, and we are always looking for new perspectives and voices,” said Gina Yeager-Buckley, mission coordinator in the Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium. “We strongly encourage individuals who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, and/or immigrants to apply for the 2025 Production Team.”
Beth Gunn
“Being a part of the core team that dreams and then puts into action those dreams for the event is like none other!” said Beth Gunn, recreation coordinator for the upcoming 2025 Triennium event. While the location of Triennium 2025 is yet to be formally announced, Gunn and the rest of the coordinating team will be convening in Louisville, Kentucky, in early November to begin dreaming up a new theme and to start preparing for the first full production team meeting in early 2024. “It is amazing to see how the production team works together, processing how the event’s many parts are really needed to be a part of the whole picture, and enjoying the process of getting to know and work with other Presbyterians that are on the team. Each time I have said ‘yes’ has been a time to widen my vision of what it means to serve the larger church and to be a part of the uniqueness that is Triennium.”
The Office of Presbyterian Youth and Triennium strives to assemble a production team that is reflective of the diversity of our church and of God’s kin-dom — members from big cities and rural areas, big churches and little churches, and different cultures and backgrounds who are excited to come together with other Presbyterians to create an event and experience bigger than themselves.
Amari Dryden
“Interacting with people from all over the world who are also Presbyterians puts in perspective that there are thousands of churches and we’re all worshiping together,” said Amari Dryden, a returning member of the planning team. “I love getting to meet people and Triennium offers a giant melting pot of people who all have different experiences, but our one obvious commonality is that we’re all Presbyterian.”
Jeremy Wilhelmi
Another returning team member, Jeremy Wilhelmi, cannot wait to begin planning for 2025. “I love the intentionality of the entire event. There are connections to the theme throughout which makes the event that much more meaningful,” said Wilhelmi. “I’ve always said this is one, if not the, best thing we do as a denomination. I can’t wait to have it again!”
For more information or to fill out an application, go here. Applications will be accepted through Sept. 30.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.