For those interested to join the YOUTH 2027 planning team, there will be only one person named to each available position. The application form is an opportunity to showcase your personality and experience that would make you a great part of the team.

This opportunity is open to active United Methodist members in the United States, including those 16 years of age and older. Those selected will be contacted after August 31, 2025 and are subject to a background check and appropriate Safer Sanctuaries training.

If selected, you will be part of planning out and attending YOUTH 2027 in Dallas, Texas.

Click here to apply to join the YOUTH 2027 Planning Team!

FIRST DESIGN TEAM MEETING: TBD (ONLINE)
IN-PERSON JANUARY 2026

Worship:

Worship Support:

The main role of the Worship Support will be to interact with the production team and ensure quality worship from a United Methodist point of view and Wesleyan Theology, and care for those presenting on stage. Worship duties include Green Room/Back Stage hospitality planning. The Production Team hired by Discipleship Ministries will create the staging for the worship space that invites participants to get the most out of their worship experience, this includes plans for how to involve the alternative worship space for those who need a quieter worship experience. The Production Team will also serve as the primary point of contact for stage artists, presenters, etc. with the Worship Planner providing support. The worship planner will also work with YPM staff and Production Team to identify talent for YOUTH 2027.

Skills: Hospitality, theology, administration. Ability to work effectively within deadlines and under pressure. Ability to interact well with others in high-energy environments.

Emcee & Stage Leadership: (Up to 3 will be selected)

The Emcee will be the most consistent face of YOUTH 2027 on-site, on stage every time a large room is in session. The main duties of the Emcee are to have a charismatic stage presence, interact with the crowd, and keep the worship energy flowing throughout the event. The Emcee will also be asked to make some flexible on-site announcements and to be present outside of stage time to support the rest of the Design Team and interface with attendees. This includes creating videos and social media content throughout the event. Before the event, the Emcee will be responsible for planning and scripting their stage time, working closely with the Worship Planner, production team, and talent. 

Skills: The Emcee should be charismatic, outgoing, and a people person. They should also have the ability to represent the diversity of the United Methodist Church making all attendees feel included. A background in public speaking and performance is a plus.

Timeline: 

• Attend First In-Person Design Team Meeting January 2026
• Relationship building throughout connection, invitations to join YOUTH 2027, March 2026-event completion
• Main talent (bands, speakers, stage acts, house band, etc.) finalized, November 2026, including needs lists for onsite hospitality and welcome.
• Work with Volunteer Coordinator to identify needed worship volunteers, front stage, backstage, outside, communion, etc. – November 2026
• Initial Worship/Speaker/Artist script reviews for theological consistency, inclusive language, etc. January 2027
• Coordinate review of scripting by diverse group of volunteers. Cultural and inclusive feedback is important for language and music choices (January-May 2027)
• Final draft for worship script due – May 1, 2027 (includes detailed scripts from all on stage talent, playlists. Confirm onsite schedule and needs with Production Team and talent. Should be interfacing with Production Team prior to this to review stage plans and highlight/correct any potential language or issues including the Emcee)
• Final plan for worship & welcome due – June 1, 2027 (via Production Team and includes all media for talks/stage presence, backstage hospitality plans, artist interactions outside of worship, etc.
• Final communications & prep with Production Team and Emcee, etc. – Ongoing, up to and including event

Hospitality/Administration:

Attendee Experience Liaison: 

The Attendee Experience Liaison will be the onsite “customer relations” person during YOUTH 2027. The Liaison will be trained by the YPM staff on how to handle tough questions and situations that may arise during the event and serve as the “first point of contact” onsite, screening needs before contacting YPM staff.

Before YOUTH 2027 the Attendee Experience Liaison creates and revises Help Desk Manuals for Help Desk volunteers with the assistance of the YPM staff. The Help Desk volunteers will refer any questions they are unable to answer with the manual to the Attendee Experience Liaison. Only if the Attendee Experience Liaison is unable to answer a question should it be sent on to the YPM staff. The Attendee Experience Liaison will keep track of each incident that is referred to them by having the attendees fill out an incident report form, whether electronically or physically.

Skills: Active listening, organization, delegation, people skills, conflict management or resolution.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Meet with staff for “help desk training,” TBD
• Group arrival/check-in plan (with Office Manager), November 2026
• Work with Volunteer Coordinator to identify Help Desk Volunteers, November 2026
• First draft of Help Desk Manual due (to include incident reports, reporting procedures, contingency plan, and escalation policies) January 2027
• Final Draft of Help Desk Manual due, March 2027
• On site training volunteers, working help desk, July 2027

Design Team Gopher:

The Design Team Gophers are responsible for supporting the Design Team and the Help Desk during YOUTH 2027. There is always something unknown that comes up during an event, and the Gopher makes themselves available to fill gaps and meet needs as they emerge during the event. The Gopher makes a home base in the event office and remains on call for where and how they can help, sometimes going as far as taking over a role for a few minutes, other times running short errands such as grabbing lunch for someone who does not have time, finding the perfect coffee or snack for a teammate, or taking on a lead volunteer role.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Ongoing communication, devotions, support for DT during planning, March 2026-July 2027 (Learn favorite foods, snacks, devos, etc. to build plan for onsite support of DT)
• Needs identification, procedures, processes - Ongoing

Volunteer Coordinator:

The Volunteer Coordinator is responsible for recruiting, training, and scheduling all volunteers for YOUTH 2027 with support from the YPM staff and partners from the host conference. The Volunteer Coordinator will work with every other member of the Design Team to identify needs. The Volunteer Coordinator will also be in charge of the Adult Leader Orientation during YOUTH 2027 and support the recruitment of adult leaders for volunteer work. The Volunteer Coordinator will also spend time before the event building relationships with local volunteer groups (churches, district, conference) in order to make volunteering at YOUTH 2027 run as smoothly as possible. Volunteer trainings can be hosted virtually ahead of time in coordination with Discipleship Ministries staff.

Skills: Organization, training, engagement, presentation.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Identify basic volunteer needs and quantities. Rough draft schedule. March 2026
• Work with DM staff to create online volunteer registration, May 2026
• Open volunteer registrations. Must include options for proof of background check and shirt sizes. July 2026
• Create Comprehensive volunteer program outline, September 2026
• Host 4-5 virtual volunteer trainings, January-May 2027
• Create Adult Orientation materials, January-May 2027
• Volunteer database management, January-July 2027
• Create pre-event adult orientation materials. Record or make virtually available, January-March 2027.
• Volunteer Check-in/out procedures, March 2027
• Onsite volunteer coordination, July 2027
• Onsite adult orientation sessions, July 2027

Store Manager: 

The Store Manager will be in charge of all aspects of the YOUTH 2027 Store along with support from staff. This will include input on merchandise types and designs, managing inventory, training store volunteers, daily sales, and setup/clean-up of the store. This position will also help coordinate pre-orders for merchandise that will be picked up on site. Store Manager will also work closely with the finance department to determine point of sale set up.

Skills: Organization, business or sales, creativity, delegation, retail, people skills.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Merchandise Development, March-June 2026
• Determine pre-sale items, make available during registration, July 2026
• Store layout finalized (with staff team) including fixtures, graphics, etc., October 2026
• Confirm merch items and POS systems with finance, January 2027
• Develop store policies and point of sale instructions, March 2027
• Training for store volunteers, virtual pre-event or onsite, March-July 2027
• Accept delivery of merchandise, initial inventory, store set up, packing and organizing pre-order merch, staffing store, tear down, July 2027

Education:

Learning & Experience Coordinator: 

The Learning & Experience Coordinator is in charge of every aspect of learning experiences at YOUTH 2027, in the past, called workshops. Learning experiences may take the shape of workshops but also might be more immersive and creative based upon the guidance of this leader. Schedule creation, leadership recruitment, and meeting all onsite needs with support from YPM staff are included in this role. This coordinator will also be responsible for running leadership check in/check out during the event (including honorarium payments as needed) if learning leaders are not staying for the entirety of the event, managing some volunteers, and ensuring accurate signage for learning experiences during the event.

Skills: Organization, creativity, connectionalism, planning, administration.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Determine number of available workshop spaces, January 2026
• Brainstorm learning experience topics, March-May 2026
• Start reaching out to potential leaders, May 2026
• Contracting with Leaders and W-9 Collection, May-December 2026
• Rough draft of schedule, August 2026
• Draft learning/experience list available online with registration with 100% certain opportunities, July 2026
• Final Workshop schedule, volunteer needs, January 2027
• Check-In/Out and payment procedures for learning leaders, March 2027
• Virtual training/orientation for learning leaders, March-June 2027
• Work onsite arrival, check-in, check-out, and leader support onsite. July 2027

Service Coordinator: 

The Service Coordinator coordinates every aspect of the service opportunities during the programmed time of YOUTH 2027. The Service Coordinator’s main responsibilities will be to work with the host city and conference to identify mission/service opportunities suitable for YOUTH 2027 participants. Once those opportunities are identified, work with YPM staff to finalize agreements, schedules, signups, etc. and any other aspects needed to ensure quality experiences. The Service Coordinator will also work closely with the Volunteer Coordinator to ensure enough volunteers for every mission opportunity.

Skills: Organization, administration, communication, missions.

Timeline: 

• Attend First Design Team Meeting, January 2026
• Identify possible service partners, onsite and off with Dallas and host conference, January 2026
• Contact and contract negotiations with service partners, February 2026-June 2027
• Draft list of service partners, published on website, July 2026
• Space and schedule identification for service, August 2026-January 2027
• Communication and necessary signups for participants, January-May 2027
• Onsite service coordination, July 2027

Click here to apply to join the YOUTH 2027 Planning Team!