Hosting a HYC or JYC Conference
On-site Church Activities
The average attendance For an HYC is 70-80 people and for a JYC, plan on 70-85. This total includes youth and the conference staff.
Conference activities are held at the church on Friday from 7:00pm - 10:00pm and Saturday from 9:00am - 10:00pm for HYC conferences. JYC conferences are Friday, 7:00pm - 9:30pm and Saturday 9:00am - 9:30pm.
There are approximately 20-25 volunteers that fill co-facilitators and support staff positions at each conference. The HYC/JYC Staff sleep on the church floor.
Facility needs
Small Group spaces
8-10 “break-out” spaces are needed for small group gatherings. Meeting spaces do not have to be classrooms--any space large enough for 8-12 people will usually work fine. The conference staff will clean the church and all other facilities on Saturday night in preparation for Sunday.
Large Group space
We are aware that churches have many other activities that take place that require the use of church space. Our office can provide the times that we will need the large and small group spaces if the conference conflicts with another group for that weekend.
Housing Coordinator
A housing coordinator is essential. A good candidate would be a person or persons who know the people in the church and are known by others. It is a good idea to publicize the event well in advance so that people will be thinking about it. Then when it comes time to recruit housing, people will be prepared. Phone calls and or e-mails will be necessary to secure host homes. We suggest you use this HYC/JYC Housing spreadsheet when collecting information from the host families.
Host Homes
Host homes are families who attend the host church that have agreed to house youth for Friday and Saturday nights. We recommend a minimum of 3 youth per home. This gives youth an opportunity to continue community building at the host home. We ask that the family provide floor space for sleeping bags, snacks in the evenings and breakfasts in the morning on Saturday and Sunday. The same gender of student is placed in each home (guys and gals do not stay in a house together). We ask that the host home provide transportation to/from the church during the weekend for the youth they are hosting.
Food Coordinator
The coordinator plans the meals, shops for the food and recruits and manages the kitchen team. We can provide additional assistance to work with the kitchen crew during the weekend if needed. For an HYC plan on feeding 75-90 people for a JYC, plan on 70-85. Money for purchasing food is provided.
We also provide a detailed guidebook to ensure your success!
Interested in hosting an HYC or JYC?
Contact Kathy Hamilton at khamilton@ecww.org or (206) 325-4200 x2032
