Early June Leader Email

We can't believe we're saying this, but UNITE is NEXT MONTH! Below you'll find some logistics related to individual student and leader registration as well as the first look at the curriculum for the week.

Small Group Materials Are Here!

We've made the small group content is available ahead of time to allow you to plan how your group will use it. You can print it now at your local church to be able to hand out once the event begins. We’d recommend buying some cheap binders and putting the material in there since they tend to be harder to lose. If you choose to have it printed at a local print shop, we recommend using the available pro printer file.

Depending on if you plan to have students accessing their cell phones during UNITE, it’s available to view digitally. Remember, cell phone service at CMU can be spotty, so make sure to download it as a pdf to have on you and your students’ phones.

Finally, we will print a small number of these ourselves and have available. These will be printed for those that maybe don’t allow phones and could not print them at their local church. Quantities are limited, so please communicate with us ahead of time.

View the Small Group Guide

Leader Materials

Packing List

I don't have to tell you that, as NextGen leaders, it's important to be ready for any situation. Please keep in mind that the closest Walmart and hospital are in Columbia, which is approximately half an hour's drive from the CMU campus. Boonville is a little closer, but options are limited there as well. Knowing all this, we'd advise leaders bring the following items, just to be prepared:

• Extra pens

• Sharpies

• Small first aid kit (nurse on site)

• Extra hygiene products (don’t forget bonus deodorant)

• Aloe gel

• Feminine hygiene products

• Extra hair ties

• Tiny set of tools

• Ear plugs

• Super glue

• Air freshener

• Extra snacks

• Trash bags for wet clothes, dirty things, etc.

Our official student packing list and rules are available at this link. There are a few other things to take note of:

• We purposely left phones off the "What to bring" and "What not to bring" list because we are leaving that decision up to you as their leader. You know your students and can better determine if this would be more of a problem than a benefit.

• Please note that if your students are gamers and will want to play esports, they will need a phone as a part of the login process. Students also can bring a controller if they plan on playing.

• Like last year, Starbucks and the CMU gift shop will be open during UNITE. Your students are free to bring money for these items, but even if they don’t bring money, we will still have shirts and wristbands for them as a gift.

• CMU also plans on doing a customized apparel day as an elective. Prices range from $15-$25 for shirts and hoodies.

Individual Registration Information

Two weeks before the start of your UNITE session, we will send you a dorm allotment spreadsheet. It is up to you to take that list and populate it with your students and adults, however you see fit. Surprisingly, this can be tricky because of student dynamics and friendships. You will have about 10 days to complete this task. For any issues concerning rooms, please respond to this email.

Additionally, all students and leaders attending UNITE will need to fill out an individual registration form, which includes waivers and media releases. This is available in two formats:

• Online registration (much improved from last year! and the preferred method)

• Paper registration form (Word doc download)

Leader Expectation Videos

Please watch the following videos and share them with your adult leaders. There is also a ton of information on the FAQ page on the website. 

• UNITE Adult Leader Welcome

• Tips for Main Adult UNITE Leader

Safe Gatherings Reminder

For every eight students of one gender brought to UNITE, your group will be required to have one Safe Gatherings-certified adult of the same gender at all times. As the event date draws near and we get a clearer picture of registrations, NextGen Ministries will work with smaller groups attending to partner them with other UMC groups to help accommodate the Safe Gatherings requirement.

Make sure that all of your adult leaders start the Safe Gatherings application process to be certified by July 1. This is to make sure that the background check can be completed in time and verified by your local church.

Media Kit

Make sure to visit www.unite.moumethodist.org to download our latest media files.

Questions? Contact our team at UNITE@moumethodist.org.