March 20, 2011

OAK CLIFF—Kessler Park United Methodist Church is engaging in new efforts to reach out to Generation X & Y (Millenials).

Last week, the church launched a new website (www.kpumc.org) and two new Facebook pages (Kessler Park United Methodist Church and Kessler Park UMC Youth).  The church has also hired a tech savvy Youth Pastor, Charles Harrison, who will come on board on April 1^st.  These efforts have been made to help Kessler Park UMC meet its goal of reaching out to the younger generations in Oak Cliff.

Additionally, on Sunday morning, April 3, 2011 from 10am-11am, Kessler Park UMC will host its first GenerationNEXT group in their Fellowship Hall (1215 Turner Avenue, 1^st Floor, main building).  This is a new group for Generation X, the generation born in the 1960s and 70s, ending in the early 80s.  This new group will have its own class as well as other social and community events.

For that first Sunday, as well as the following three Sundays in April, GenerationNEXT participants will meet and get to know each other over coffee and pastries from local restaurants such as Oddfellows and Southern Maid Donuts.  The group will discuss everyone’s interest and base their social, spiritual, and community activities based on participant interest.  This includes what day and time the group meets, which may end up on an evening rather than the traditional Sunday morning time.

Catherine Dodge, the GenerationNEXT organizer, has lived in Oak Cliff since 2005and has been a member of Kessler Park United Methodist Church since September 2008.  Originally planning to be a missionary, she spent two years in Bible school.  She later attended the University of North Texas and completed a degree in western philosophy and religion, where she grappled with her beliefs and eventually gravitated towards progressive Christianity.  A fan of historical Jesus studies and the Center for Progressive Christianity (www.tcpc.org), she enjoys reading Elaine Pagels and Marcus Borg.

Charles has been a leader in Youthwork in the North Texas Conference for over 20 years.  Much of that time has been spent leading Summer Camp and Mid-Winter Retreats, serving as Chair of Youth Division, working as a District Youth Coordinator in 2 different districts, serving as the Adult Coordinator for the Conference Council on Youth Ministry, alongside his work in local churches.  Among the many hats that Charles wears, he currently serves as the CEO and Executive Director of The Center for Youth Ministry Excellence and The Youthworker Movement, an organization of over 4,500 Youthworkers.  Additionally he works in the Oak Cliff area as the Executive Director of a small Junior High oriented mission project www.C2KDallas.org hosting several hundred youth each summer to serve people in Dallas through People Helping People and Project Transformation.

For more information contact Catherine Dodge (dodge.ce@gmail.com , 214.562.0440) or Charles Harrison (Charles@mcyouth.org, 972.333.9870). 

Kessler Park United Methodist Church is a 501 c 3 non-profit organization.