The International Conference of the IASYM comes to Manchester in 2024. From 3-6 January, we will gather again from across the globe to hear and dialogue about youth ministry in different contexts and registration is open. Below you can also see the call for papers.

Manchester might be most well known for its two football clubs and vibrant popular cultural scene, but it is also a city known globally for its industry, innovation and radical thinking. Fittingly, its youth ministry scene is equally vibrant, industrious, innovative and radical.

For our conference, we have secured a venue right at the heart of the city within walking distance of transport links, the university and the centre of the city.

In addition to the normal set of quality academic papers and engaging dialogue we will have the opportunity to explore a wonderful city together. We look forward to welcoming you.

Conference details

Conference venue:

We're excited to be holding our conference at Brunswick Parish Church a Church of England church close to the centre of Manchester (www.brunswickchurch.org.uk). This venue will provide us with an ecclesial setting for our conference rooting us into the local community.

Accommodation:

Accommodation will be at the Princess Street Premier Inn. We have reserved 55 single rooms and 15 twin rooms with bed and breakfast. The hotel is ideally placed between central Manchester, Manchester Piccadilly train station and the conference venue (each is only a 10 min walk away). If you need to extend your stay please get in touch with the hotel directly.

Costs and registration options:

• All inclusive single bed ticket (includes: bed and breakfast at hotel, conference fee and lunch and dinner) - 450 euro
• All inclusive twin bed ticket (includes: bed and breakfast at hotel, conference fee and lunch and dinner) - 340 euro 
• Wednesday conference day ticket (including conference proceedings and dinner) - 55 euro
• Thursday and Friday conference day tickets (including conference proceedings, lunch and dinner) - 55 euro
• Friday conference day ticket (including conference proceedings and lunch) - 55 euro
• Conference ticket without hotel (includes all conference proceedings, refreshments, lunch and dinner each day) - 160 euro
• Partial Online participation is available - 45 euro.
• There are also options to book your room with an extra person, who doesn't join the conference.

Hotel prices are fixed until 10 November 2023 after which time the cost will increase in line with new Hotel prices. If you have issues paying through the registration process which uses PayPal then send an email to payment@iasym.net and we can help you to pay in GBP through Stripe or bank transfer.

The online registration is now open for full IASYM members and Free Affiliates. There is also be an option for online participation in one conference track, if you're not able to join in Manchester.

Membership requirement:

Everyone is more than welcome to join this conference, but you need to register on the IASYM homepage for at least a "Free affiliation". All presenters are expected to be full members of IASYM (at time of presentation). If your membership is dormant because you didn't renew your full IASYM membership, you need to change it to Full or Free in your profile.

Visas:

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a visa for entering the UK.

For non-EU, EEA and Swiss citizens we are unable to write letters of invite for visa applications unless you have a proposal accepted and the request comes directly from your academic institution.

The paper presentationsKeynote papers are presented in a 90 minute plenary session of the conference. The presenter will speak to their paper for 30-40 minutes, and a formal response of 15-20 minutes will be given by another delegate to the conference. The remainder of the time is given to discussion in small groups and plenary.

Major research papers are presented in a 60 minute session as one of three elective options. Presenters will speak to their papers for 20-30 minutes. A chairperson will prompt conversation with some initial thoughts and conclude the session after the time of discussion.

Research papers are presented in a 45 minute session as one of three elective options. Presenters will speak to their papers for 20-30 minutes and a chairperson will host a time of question and answer.

Emerging research papers are presented in a 30 minute session as one of three elective options. Presenters will speak to their papers for up to 20 minutes and include specific prompts or question(s) to elicit feedback that is useful for developing the project. A chairperson will host a time of discussion and feedback.

Roundtable discussions are presented in a 45 minute session as one of three elective options. Presenters will seed a discussion with an academic paper and a set of questions to facilitate discussion. A chairperson will host a time of discussion.

Extended deadline for submission of proposal

The deadline for submitting your proposal for the Manchester conference has been extended to May 31st 2023. See below for submission form.

IASYM International Conference: Manchester, 3-6 January, 2024

Call for Papers

A Time and Place for Youth Ministry

The times and places in which we are located shape the lived experience of young people and the Christian ministries that intersect with that experience. Whether initiated by others for the sake of young people, or arising from the life of young people themselves, youth ministry is always connected with times and places. 

As an international association, the dialogue between our diverse individual contexts and our common home on this planet in this moment of history enriches our shared reflection on youth and youth ministry.

The conference theme invites contributions that engage with notions of time and place in relation to understandings of youth and youth ministry.

• What can we learn from the past?
• How shall we relate to the present?
• Where are we headed in the future?
• What times are we grappling with in our different places?
• How might local insights serve our global concerns?
• How are global issues shaping local youth ministry?

The academic program for Manchester 2024 seeks to further the academic study and research of youth and youth ministry, and the formal teaching and training of youth ministry. Alongside papers specifically connected with the conference theme, presentations are welcome from researchers and scholars in the broad field of children, youth, faith, church, and the intersection between theology, culture, psychology, and other academic fields. We welcome contributions from diverse research perspectives and methodologies in conversation with the Christian theological tradition. 

Proposals are invited for research papers, a dialogue, workshop, or roundtable discussion, or an emerging research paper:

1. Research Papers present new research that is ready to be presented and critically engaged by a formal respondent as well as group discussion. Research Papers will be chosen by the academic committee to be presented as a keynote address or in an elective session.
2. Dialogue, workshop, or roundtable discussions present a topic that will benefit from interaction from diverse perspectives. These sessions are most often presented by a team of scholars who have worked together to frame the dialogue. Dialogue, workshop, or roundtable discussions may be chosen by the academic committee to be presented as a keynote session or in an elective session.
3. Emerging Research sessions provide an opportunity to share ‘works-in-progress’ and developing thoughts as well as completed ideas not yet established in a formal paper. These sessions provide an opportunity for new or emerging researchers (whether engaged in formal study or as a thoughtful practitioner) to receive feedback in a constructive environment, or for seasoned researchers to road-test preliminary project ideas. Emerging research will be presented in elective sessions.  

Papers can either be presented in-person in Manchester, or online through a pre-recorded presentation followed by live question and answer time via video conference.

Abstracts for presentation proposals are due by Friday, 1 May  (EXTENDED to 31 May) using this submission form: https://forms.gle/1godMqLk2E1EbQr17

The academic committee will provide notification of paper acceptance in July 2023.

Full-text papers will need to be submitted by 3 November, 2023. Presenters are requested to ensure that your paper meets the author instructions for the Journal of Youth and Theology: https://brill.com/fileasset/downloads_products/Author_Instructions/JYT.pdf

For more information, please contact the chair of the Academic Committee, Rev Dr Graham D. Stanton, g.stanton@ridley.edu.au.

You can download the call for papers as pdf.