Duke Youth Academy

The Duke Youth Academy for Christian Formation here at the Divinity School began on Sunday. I am the Ministry Coordinator for Community Practices at DYA this year, so I have the privilege of spending this week and next with about 60 very talented high school students who are here to participate in two weeks of intentional Christian living.

The DYA website describes the community in this way: "Duke Youth Academy ... is an intensive encounter with Christian life. Days are patterned by worship through word and sacrament, reflection on scripture, study, service, play; practices ancient and modern that nourish the life of faith." But such descriptions don't do justice to the richness of what goes on here. This is the best formational program I have seen in terms of helping teenagers grapple with serious theological questions while also showing them an almost monastic way of going about the Christian life.

A typical day begins with a communal breakfast, followed by morning prayer. Students then hear a plenary lecture by a member of the Duke Divinity School faculty, and they follow that up with a workshop on worship planning. Following lunch, students have a mandatory rest period where they spend sabbath-time in their rooms. Afternoons consist of different activities: On some days, students will go out into the community for service and work projects. Other afternoons, they attend art workshops and prayer practice workshops where they get to engage in hands-on learning and practice around art-as-theology and different prayer traditions. Following supper, the whole community worships together and then students split up into "Mentor Groups" where they get to engage in conversation with a theologically-trained mentor.

We are only halfway through the first week, and I am amazed by this program. The faculty director is Dr. Fred Edie, who also teaches at Duke. His theological vision for youth ministry (which you can read about in his new book, Book, Bath, Table, and Time) drives the structure and program of DYA. The rest of the staff, led by Assistant Director (and current Duke student) Katherine Smith, is a talented and committed group of Christians who pour everything they have into forming young disciples of Jesus Christ.

DYA will certainly be keeping me busy for the next few days. And by the way, if you know a kid who will be a rising junior or senior in high school next year and would benefit from DYA, point them our way! All the necessary information is available on the DYA website, where you can also read reflections on daily life at the Academy from this year and past years as well.

[Note: I'm reviewing Dr. Edie's book for the United Methodist Reporter. When that appears online, I'll provide a link to it.]