Forum on Youth Ministry
Steadfast: Love, Mercy, & Faithfulness
April 28 - May 1, 2026
2026 Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry
Young people today are navigating a fast-changing world filled with big questions and even bigger possibilities. In this shifting landscape, youth ministries can become vibrant spaces of rest, play, curiosity, and joy. How do youth workers nurture the kinds of communities that are rooted in love, generous in mercy, and responsible with faithfulness? Join the IYM for the 2026 Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry, as we invite learning and reflection on the capacity to stand steadfast, come what may.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
What is the Forum on Youth Ministry?
The Princeton Forum on Youth Ministry is an annual gathering of people in the church, the academy, and the world who are committed to cultivating and caring for the Christian faith of young people. Designed around a theme that inspires the conversation and content each year, the Forum is a place where people of all demographic and denominational backgrounds come together to learn from and encourage one another. Less of a conference that teaches “how-to,” the Forum is a creative hub where people gather to ask “how come?”
Register for the 2026 IYM ForumEvent Leadership
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Dr. Keri L. Day
Dr. Keri Day (she/her) is the Elmer G. Homrighausen Chair & Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religion at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. In 2023, she was the first African American woman to be promoted to full professor in the 212-year history at Princeton Theological Seminary. She earned a B.S. in Political Science and Economics from Tennessee State University, an M.A. in Religion and Ethics from Yale University Divinity School, and her Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University. She has authored four academic books, Unfinished Business: Black Women, The Black Church, and the Struggle to Thrive in America (2012); Religious Resistance to Neoliberalism: Womanist and Black Feminist Perspectives (2015); Notes of a Native Daughter: Testifying in Theological Education (2021); and her most recent book, Azusa Reimagined: A Radical Vision of Religious and Democratic Belonging, (2022). She has been recognized by NBC News as one of six black women at the center of gravity in theological education in America.
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Rev. Dr. Ted Smith
Rev. Dr. Ted Smith
Rev. Dr. Ted A. Smith (he/him) is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Divinity and Associate Dean of Faculty at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. He also serves as director of Theological Education between the Times, a project that gathers diverse groups of people to think together about the meanings and purposes of theological education. With Dr. Joanne Solis-Walker, he is co-principal investigator of Candler’s innovative Pathways for Tomorrow initiatives. Smith is the author of three books: The End of Theological Education (Eerdmans, 2023), Weird John Brown (Stanford, 2015), and The New Measures (Cambridge, 2007). Together these books try to think theologically about core American Protestant institutions, practices, values, and rhetoric in a time when they are unraveling. Smith has also edited books on sexuality and ordination, contemporary issues in preaching, and economic inequality, along with a series of books on theological education.
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Khristi Adams
Khristi Adams
Khristi Lauren Adams (she/her) is a speaker, author, youth advocate and ordained minister. Khristi is the Executive Director of Community and Belonging for the St. Paul’s School’s, a family of independent schools in Baltimore County, MD. She previously worked as Dean of Spiritual Life & Equity and instructor of Religious Studies at the Hill School. Khristi is the author of Parable of the Brown Girl, Unbossed: How Black Girls Are Leading the Way and its middle grade version Black Girls Unbossed: Young World Changers Leading the Way. The books are published by Broadleaf and Beaming Books. Parable of the Brown Girl has received awards for Best Young Adult Book from The African American Literary Awards and the New York Black Librarians Caucus. Khristi’s next book will be a devotional for teen girls with Our Daily Bread set to be published in the Winter of 2027. Khristi is a graduate of Temple University and a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary where she obtained a Master of Divinity degree. Khristi is also a 2024 Alumni Service Awardee for Princeton Seminary which highlights the outstanding efforts of alumni who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing the seminary’s mission and values.
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Shyla Powell
Shyla Powell
Shyla Powell, MA, LMHC (she/her) earned her Master of Arts degree in Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care from Fordham University, and then went on to receive licensure as a mental health counselor in the state of New York. She has a combined 15+ years of experience in ministry and mental health counseling in various settings, from a jail, to college campuses, from non-profit programs to the local church. In every setting, Shyla has had the great honor of supporting individuals and groups on their journeys of spiritual formation and healing. She is the Founder of Love Wholly LLC where she offers services to individuals, groups, churches and other faith-based organizations that empower and equip them to live and lead more fully with love.
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Kat Armas
Kat Armas
Kat Armas is a Cuban-American author, speaker, and theologian. She holds a ThM from Vanderbilt Divinity School and a dual MDiv and MAT from Fuller Theological Seminary, where she received the Frederick Buechner Award for Excellence in Writing. Her work has appeared in the National Catholic Reporter-including an article later shared by the Pope-as well as The Christian Century, Plough Magazine, and numerous other publications. Kat speaks and leads workshops at universities and organizations across the country, engaging the intersections of empire, decolonization, and the Bible. She is the author of Abuelita Faith, Sacred Belonging, and her most recent book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire.
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Elan Babchuck
Elan Babchuck
Rabbi Elan Babchuck is the Executive Vice President of Clal and Founding Director of Glean Network, where he advances compassionate, connected leadership for a changing world. Ordained in 2012 and holding an MBA from the same year, he is a sought-after speaker—delivering keynotes from TEDx to the U.S. Army—and a widely published thought leader with work in The Atlantic, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. A founding board member of Springtide Research Institute and partner of Starts With Us, he lives in Providence with his family and enjoys rock climbing and gardening in his free time.
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Kris Jordan
Kris Jordan
Kris Jordan (they/them) is the Youth and Community Pastor at House Church Tulsa and the founder of the Center for Youth and Contemplation. A Project Manager turned pastor, Kris walks with youth at the intersections of faith, identity, and mental health, especially those on the fringes. They’ve studied at the Institute for Youth Ministry out of Princeton Theological Seminary and Phillips Theological Seminary, receiving their Master of Arts in Social Justice and speaking nationally on queer and contemplative youth ministry with the Progressive Youth Ministry Conference. Kris also co-leads Kindred Table, an interfaith farm-to-table community, and is currently writing a book on sanctuary, resilience, and belonging.
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Jason Miller-Villegas
Jason Miller-Villegas
The Rev. Dr. Jason Miller-Villegas (He/El) has worshiped and been formed by many Christian traditions, and has settled as an ordained pastor in the NCCUMC. He is passionate about finding ways that God connects different people and groups, especially seeing God work in unexpected places. Jason has been a pastor for about 15 years and has enjoyed spending most of that working for Christian community in rural places. He currently serves with TENx10, a national, ecumenical organization, dedicated to making faith matter more to the next generation by empowering adults working with youth.
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Deontè Moses
Deontè Moses
Deontè Moses (he/him) serves as the Pastor of Youth and Engagement at Peace Church, where he is committed to walking alongside the next generation in their faith journey and fostering a vibrant, welcoming community. In his role, he leads weekly youth gatherings, mentors students, and equips volunteers with vision and training. His ministry emphasizes both “roots”—building a strong foundation in Scripture and Christ—and “fruits”—helping students live out their faith with love, peace, and resilience in everyday life. Deontè’s preparation for ministry has been shaped by both academic and spiritual formation experiences. He earned his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School, completed a Certificate in Youth Ministry, and participated in a care retreat with Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for Youth Ministry, where he deepened his passion for connecting theology with practice and nurturing holistic growth in young people. Beyond youth ministry, Deontè plays a key role in fostering engagement across the wider church community. He helps design meaningful worship experiences, encourages intergenerational connection, and seeks to empower others to use their gifts in service to God’s Kingdom. With a heart for peace, growth, and authentic relationships, he is dedicated to helping people encounter the hope and transformation of Jesus Christ.
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Chris Scrivens
Chris Scrivens
Chris Scrivens (he/him) is a second-career pastor with 26 years of retail experience, including 20 years managing Jay’s Cycles in Princeton, and a second-career Presbyterian who grew up Roman Catholic. He has served a small, dedicated congregation in Chester, New Jersey, for 18 years since graduating from New Brunswick Theological Seminary. A practical theologian and pastor, Chris is deeply engaged in preaching, Bible study, and youth ministry. He has long been involved in a regional “Big Youth Group,” which partners with Appalachia Service Project for annual work camps—experiences that have profoundly shaped participants’ faith and life paths. Chris is also passionate about fostering connection and collegiality among pastors and ministry leaders.
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Victoria Sumner
Victoria Sumner
Vicki (she/her) serves in youth ministry at Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, Virginia, where she has spent the past three years accompanying middle and high school students in faith and spiritual formation. Previously, she served for eleven years in children’s and youth ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Gainesville, Florida, cultivating a relational and theologically grounded approach to ministry. Vicki has been connected to Princeton Theological Seminary’s Institute for Youth Ministry since 2017 through the Princeton Forum and was a member of Cohort K(raken) in the Certificate in Youth and Theology program. She is currently in her first year of the Master of Divinity program at Fuller Theological Seminary and holds a BA in Music Ministry from Warner University. She is passionate about creating spaces where young people feel seen, heard, and invited into faithful questioning.
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Jon Carl Lewis
Jon Carl Lewis
Jon Carl Lewis (he/him) is a spiritual guide helping individuals and communities of faith (especially spiritual leaders and guides) contemplatively discern healthy sexual/relational practices and attitudes for themselves, those they love, and the communities in which they live out their gospel-shaped life. A candidate for the Master of Arts in Public Ministry at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, he brings theological and spiritual curiosity—and a deep respect for listening for the Holy Spirit in silence and in community—to explore healthy, justice-oriented, Jesus-centered and joyful ethical stances around sexuality, relating, and the body.
Offerings
Small Groups
The Forum is designed to cultivate relationships among all people who attend—leaders, participants, students, and staff. Before the conference even begins, the IYM works behind the scenes to cultivate connection among event leaders and to discern how to build bridges between communities and ideas. Small groups at the Forum are one of the ways the IYM has successfully fostered friendships and strengthened networks in the past, and we are excited to offer this opportunity once again in 2026.
“Steadfast Joy”: Activities and Fellowship
We believe that part of standing steadfast is leaning into joy and community. Our programming Wednesday afternoon is designed to offer a variety of lifegiving and sustaining practices that are collaborative, embodied, and creative.
Workshops
Full event participants will be assigned a workshop group (communicated at check-in) that will remain consistent throughout the Forum. Each workshop group will stay together in their assigned classroom as each of the three workshop leaders teaches their workshop in rotation. One-Day and Two-Day Passholders will not be pre-assigned to a workshop and are free to join whichever group they’d like on their participation day.
Workshop Offerings
What if steadfast love in youth ministry begins not with programs, but with the courageous work of learning to love ourselves? Drawing on the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community and bell hooks’s wisdom in All About Love, this workshop invites youth ministers to reclaim love as a disciplined, transformative practice. Integrating trauma-informed principles and practical skills from mental health counseling, we will explore how Love (of God, self, and neighbor) forms the foundation for ministries rooted in justice, dignity, and deep care. Together, we will imagine how leaders who are grounded in love can cultivate communities where young people experience belonging, healing, and spiritual growth.
How do we center the mercy and justice of God in a time of great trial? This workshop explores what it means to live into God’s mercy with integrity in a world bent toward domination—and how real change begins by confronting that formation within ourselves. Together, we’ll explore the ways empire seeps into our daily lives—the myths it tells, the loyalties it demands—and imagine what resistance might look like in our bodies, our communities, and our prayers. Drawing from Kat Armas’ recently released Liturgies for Resisting Empire, participants will learn how to cultivate practices of mercy toward themselves, their communities, and their young people.
“I am all too aware that reading about prophets does not automatically lead to action. As the old dictum says, ‘Those who can’t do, teach.’ But teaching and reading may lead to doing…” – Alber Raboteau
Steadfast Faithfulness: Guiding Youth Toward Sacred Activism explores the powerful intersection of spirituality and social justice. In a world marked by cruelty, division, and moral fatigue, many young people feel called to “do something” but aren’t sure what faith in action actually looks like. There is a hunger for young people of faith who feel morally awake but are practically unsure. The workshop will explore strategies for engaging youth in reflection, conversation, and action that resist manipulation and dominance, while fostering critical thinking, empathy, and moral imagination. Participants will leave with a framework for integrating sacred activism into youth ministry, cultivating young leaders who are not only spiritually grounded but socially conscious.
How has God formed you to lead in this moment — and how can your gifts meet the real challenges youth leaders face today? In this hands-on design sprint, participants will work in strengths-aligned teams to develop innovative, testable ministry responses. The session blends theological reflection, design thinking, and sustainable leadership practices — including sabbath rhythms — to help leaders build ministries that last.
Tickets
- Super Early Bird Registration: Valid through October 1, 2025
$299 - Early Bird Registration: Valid through February 5, 2026
$349 - Standard Registration: Valid February 6 – April 25, 2026
$399
- Two-Day Pass: Includes two full days of attendance either Tuesday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Thursday.
$199
- One-Day Pass: Includes one full day of the event attendance for Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
$99
Event Schedule
- 3:00 – 5:00 P.M. – Early Check-in | Erdman Center
- 8:00-10:00 A.M. – Event Check-in | Mackay Campus Center
- 10:00-10:45 A.M. – Opening Gathering | Mackay Campus Center
- Introducing Small Groups & Leaders
- 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Lecture | Wright Library
- Presented by Rev. Dr. Keri Day
- 12:00 – 12:45 P.M. – Small Groups | Various Locations
- 1:00 – 2:30 P.M. – Lunch & Leisure | Mackay Campus Center
- 2:30 – 4:00 P.M. – Workshops | Stuart Hall
- Presented by Khristi Adams, Kat Armas, and Shyla Powell
- 4:00 – 5:30 P.M. – Free Time
- 5:30 – 7:30 P.M. – Backyard BBQ Dinner | Erdman Center Back Lawn
- 9:00-9:30 A.M. – Morning Prayer | Seminary Chapel
- 9:30-10:00 A.M. – Coffee Break | Wright Library
- 10:00 – 11:00 A.M. – Lecture | Wright Library
- Presented by Rev. Dr. Ted Smith
- 11:00 – 11:45 A.M. – Small Groups | Various Locations
- 12:00 – 1:30 P.M. – Lunch & Leisure | Mackay Campus Center
- 1:00 – 3:00 P.M. – Workshops | Stuart Hall
- Presented by Khristi Adams, Kat Armas, and Shyla Powell
- 3:00 – 5:00 P.M. – “Steadfast Joy” Activities and Fellowship Time
- 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. – Dinner Break (On Your Own)
- 7:00 – 7:30 P.M. – Evening Prayer | Seminary Chapel
- 9:00-9:30 A.M. – Morning Prayer | Seminary Chapel
- 9:30-10:00 A.M. – Coffee Break | Stuart Hall Lawn
- 10:00 – 11:30 A.M. – Workshops | Stuart Hall
- Presented by Khristi Adams, Kat Armas, and Shyla Powell
- 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. – Lunch & Leisure | Mackay Campus Center
- 1:00 – 5:00 P.M. – Leadership Design Sprint Workshop
- Presented by Rabbi Elan Babchuck
- 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. – Dinner Break (On Your Own)
- 7:00 – 7:30 P.M. – Evening Prayer | Seminary Chapel
- 9:00 – 10:30 A.M. – Closing Session | Wright Library
- 10:30-11:00 A.M. – Coffee Break | Wright Library
- 11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Closing Worship | Seminary Chapel
Event Location
The Forum on Youth Ministry is held on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary in the beautiful and historic town of Princeton, New Jersey. Roughly equidistant from New York City and Philadelphia (and their associated airports), the town is home to cultural institutions like Princeton University, the Albert Einstein House, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the Princeton Battlefield. Participants at the Forum enjoy the leafy dining and retail spots along Nassau Street and Palmer Square, as well as scenic walks through the Seminary and University campuses.
Princeton Theological Seminary is located at 64 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540. Parking is available for Forum participants behind the Theodore Sedgwick Wright Library at 25 Library Place. Accessible parking spaces are situated along the northeast exterior wall of the library. Alternatively, participants who need accessible parking may park in the lot adjacent to the Mackay Campus Center off the College Road entrance to the Seminary campus. Parking passes will be emailed to participants who indicate their need for one in their event registration and will also be available at Forum check-in.
Located on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary at 20 Library Place, the Erdman Center has 55 simple guest rooms, priced from $80-$140/night, including six ADA-complaint rooms with various accessibility features. (Note: If booking an accessible room, please call to confirm your room requirements to ensure the best room assignment to suit your needs.) A locked room to store your luggage is available at your convenience. Please call 609-497-7990 to reserve your room, and mention the Forum on Youth Ministry to be included in our reserved participant block.
Please note that lodging is not included in your Forum registration fee. Please plan to make your own lodging arrangements. Feel free to contact the IYM if we can offer any assistance: 609-497-7914, iym@ptsem.edu.
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We Honor the Land
Princeton Theological Seminary sits on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Lenape people on territory called Lenapehoking. The Lenni-Lenape were the people indigenous to this land, and we honor them as caretakers of these lands and waters.
The IYM acknowledges our responsibility to work toward meaningful relationship with the Lenape people past, present, and future.