Presbyterian Foundation Group Announces the Final Three Videos in ymiLIVE.org’s Inaugural Youth Video Challenge

Three Youth Groups to Receive $25,000 Permanent

Endowment Funds

SAN JOSE, CA – June 26, 2008 – The top three videos in the Youth Video Challenge, sponsored by the Presbyterian Foundation Group’s social networking site, ymiLIVE.org, were announced today during the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s 218th General Assembly in San Jose, California, June 21 - 28.  Three Presbyterian churches represented by these youth groups will each receive a $25,000 endowment fund to be held by the Presbyterian Foundation to provide on-going, financial support for their youth ministry programs.

The three finalists were from the following churches, listed in alphabetical order: 

• Central Presbyterian Church, Lafayette, Indiana
• Elmwood Presbyterian Church, East Orange, New Jersey
• Emmanuel Presbyterian Church, Long Beach, California

 The videos were voted most popular among the 15 semi-finalists on display at the Presbyterian Foundation Group’s booth during the PC(U.S.A.)’s biennial General Assembly.   More than 100 youth groups from around the country participated in ymiLIVE’s first Youth Video Challenge.  The ymiLIVE challenge ran from March 1 to June 1 and encouraged Presbyterian youth groups to creatively express the theme based on Micah 6:8 “…to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God," also the theme of this year’s General Assembly.

From March 1 to June 1, more than 12,000 youth group members, leaders and supporters registered on the website to vote on-line for the 15 semi-finalists.  The initial round of voting by these individuals ended on June 1 with the 15 youth group videos with the most votes selected for presentation to the YADs for final voting. 

From the General Assembly’s exhibit hall where the final voting took place, Colleen Hahn, AVP, Marketing for the Presbyterian Foundation, was pleased with the results of ymiLIVE’s inaugural video challenge. “Since we launched www.ymiLIVE.org in January, we have been delighted with the enthusiasm and creativity of the youth groups participating from churches of all sizes from around the country. We found that the video challenge inspired these youth to express their own interpretation of Micah 6:8 and engaged them in a meaningful and fun activity together.”  She added: “We know, too, that many churches struggle to obtain the necessary financial support to fund their youth groups and now three of these groups will receive a $25,000 permanent endowment fund that will sustain their programs for years to come!”

The ymiLIVE.org site was launched in January 2008 with the goal to create an on-line community for young Presbyterians, their parents and all who share a commitment to the active support of Christ’s mission. ymiLIVE provides an opportunity for Presbyterians to express their passion for mission, connect and re-connect with other members and develop new friends – it’s fellowship without boundaries.

For more information about ymiLIVE, please contact Barbara Juckett at bwj@fdn.pcusa.org or visit www.ymiLIVE.org.

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