For more than 30 years, the Australia Mission Centre has helped young people take part in international Community of Christ youth experiences, creating opportunities for connection, faith formation and a broader sense of what it means to belong to a worldwide church. As we look ahead to IYF/SPEC 2027, we’ll be sharing reflections from past participants whose experiences continue to speak to the impact of these journeys.
How this event affected my relationship with Community of Christ:
My IYF/Spec experience firmly cemented to me the positive impact of the church in my life, and is one of the reasons the church community continues to be meaningful and important to me some 17 years later.
While I’ll be the first to admit that active participation in the church is not a part of my everyday life, I feel a deep sense of connection to Community of Christ nonetheless. I continue to feel supported and cared for by those in its community, and it’s a community I return to for spiritual nourishment, clarity, and introspection (and that I aim to reciprocally contribute back to in a small way). The relationships I formed and the experiences I had during
My IYF/Spec trip shaped the role the church plays in my life still to this day. The experience taught me that my church community is a place I can come to when seeking meaning, deep conversations, and deep connection, and where my values and strong sense of justice and fairness are rejuvenated. I continue to find this enrichment when I attend a reunion, or when I spend time with friends I have met through church connections. IYF was the catalyst of this ongoing meaningful relationship I have with the church community and its positive ongoing impact in my life.
Why the church should continue to support IYF and similar programs:
As someone who was a teenager in the not-so-distant-past, and continues to work with teenagers in my capacity as a performing arts educator, I can say with certainty that being a teenager is rough. It is a time that is absolutely fraught with an overwhelming need for social acceptance, hormone-driven angst and rebellion, and a deep sense of insecurity. In the face of these challenges, there are many places teenagers can turn to that can be destructive and harmful. It’s deeply necessary that a meaningful and exciting church experience exists as a healthy alternative.
A pivotal experience like IYF/Spec provides everything a teenager both wants and needs at this age: not only adventure, excitement, novelty, friendship, mentorship, and the chance to be pushed out of their comfort zone, but, most importantly, acceptance in a community that is grounded in love, kindness, and belonging. A grand adventure that is not only exciting to a teenager, but is also built upon important core values has the capacity to instil life-long values in a young person, and even alter the course of their life for the better.
Why would I recommend this event to young people?
1. You are going to meet so many incredible people. The sheer diversity of experience of the people congregated all in the one place is both eye-opening and exciting. I can guarantee you’ll meet and become close with people whose lives could not be more different from yours, not only broadening your world view and naturally making you more compassionate and attuned to the diversity of human experience, but also enriching your life with the friendships and perspectives of people you would never have met otherwise.
2. The meaning you’ll find, the deep conversations you’ll have, and the closeness of the relationships you’ll form will be unlike anything you’ve experienced elsewhere. Typically friendships and communities in our day-to-day lives are built on mutual interests (say a sports team or theatre class) or proximity (seeing each other every day at school). By contrast, the church community is built on and guided by shared principles, beliefs, and values, and a shared motivation to move through the world in a way that is compassionate and kind. Travelling across the world to immerse yourself in that community for two weeks is utterly enriching and inspiring. I’d hazard a guess it will be one of the most meaningful experiences of your life to date.
3. It’s just really, really fun. How often do you get to travel to the other side of the world with a group of your new best friends, sing campfire songs at the top of your lungs (usually bangers), meet people who think your Australian accent is cute and cool, skip 2 weeks of Australian winter for 2 weeks of glorious Midwest summer, play a bunch of fun sporting activities (the stakes are so low and it’s extra fun if you’re bad at them), all while missing 2 weeks of school?? You’d be silly not to x
Millicent Sarre
Your donation can help make the 2027 IYF/SPEC experience in the USA possible for youth in our church. Click the button below to give, and be sure to select “IYF/SPEC” from the To: drop-down menu.