Feeling Alive. Mission and Young People in Central and Eastern Europe, is the theme for the upcoming Annual Conference of The Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies for theologians, missiologists, reflective practitioners and other professionals, to be held between 18-21 February 2020 at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek, Croatia.
Labels such as Generation Y, the NetGeneration, Generation Next, Generation We, the Lost Generation, the Digital Generation are but some used for people who were born in a time slot between the early eighties and the late nineties. There is remarkable research going on this generation even in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).
The next label used for the cohort of people born from the mid-nineties on is Generation Z. A generation about which not much has been researched and written in CEE, yet this is the generation targeted by ideologies of different governmental and non-governmental organizations. It is also the generation most exposed to the consequences of changes in education and world politics. The Generation Z plays an important role when it comes to Christian missionary activities, missionary self-awareness, mission organizations and programs as well as theological education in Central and Eastern Europe. Generation Z is both agent and target of missionary enterprises. Nevertheless, the knowledge about who Generation Z is and what their role, vision, way of thinking and feeling, and way of practicing Christianity are remains an undiscovered area of missiological-theological research and reflection.
The annual CEEAMS conference calls for paper and/or panel proposals which seek to contribute to research, reflection and discourses on the simple question: “How do Christian communities relate to young people in their midst and in society and how do young people relate to CEE societies and (their) Christian communities?”
The conference seeks to set the relationship of young people and Christian beliefs and practices on the agenda of missiological reflection in CEE.
The title of the conference “Feeling alive” points to the vitality, the potential, and the braveness in facing up to life´s challenges with regard to young people and their relationship with Christian communities/churches. “Feeling alive” is also about intensity and unpredictability which again are catch words of the Generation Z. “Feeling alive” is also an invitation to scrutinize the generational dynamics within Christian communities/churches in the region.
We stimulate the developments of ideas, research and inquiry in the following areas:
- What are the aspects of the context in different parts of Central and Eastern Europe which set the stage for talking about young people?
- In numerous countries in CEE there is a large number of young people whose parents have been working and/or are working as labour migrants in other countries: what issues can be identified when researching, reflecting on or working with this phenomenon?
- To what extent do other migration processes affect young people´s faith practices in CEE (second generation, young people living and working abroad)?
- How do poverty, neo-liberal aspirations for wealth and other ideologies shape self-understanding of young people?
- What are the characteristics of inter-generational relationships?
- What is known about young people´s church attendance in the region?
- What is the role of social media and other digital communications in the life of young people and the capacity of building up interpersonal relationships and communities?
- What kind of God-image do young people in CEE have?
- What is the relationship between new forms of being church, new forms of practicing Christianity and young people in CEE?
- What kind of youth ministries are there (college, university ministry, ethnic ministry)? How do they relate to Gospel and culture?
- What kind of ethical questions arise from ministering among young people?
- What is the relationship between state-ideologies and Christian communities when it comes to targeting young people in CEE?
- What is the relationship between characteristics of young people in CEE and in other parts of the world?
- What kind of missiological-theological questions arise from best-practices or failed practices with youth involvement?
We encourage:
- reflective practitioners involved in youth ministry to present case-studies,
- theologians and mission studies scholars to present their research
- PhD and master students researching youth to submit proposals
- teams and projects to present their programs and activities in the form of a semi-academic workshop
To submit a paper or panel proposal, please send an abstract of no more than 300 words to ceeams@gmail.com by 30th of November 2019. Abstracts should provide a brief description of the work, clearly outlining the theoretical perspectives and methodology to be applied in the paper.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 8th of December, 2019.
Selected papers may be elected for publication in ACTA MISSIOLOGIAE, the journal of the Central and Eastern European Association for Mission Studies.
Conference papers should be restricted to 20 minutes of presentation time.
Dates of the conference:
Arrivals: Tuesday 18th February 2020, conference starts with supper. Departures: Friday 21rd February 2020, conference ends with breakfast.
Practical information:
Conference Venue:
| Evangelical Theological Seminary |
| Cvjetkova 32, PO Box 370, Osijek, Croatia, HR-31103 |
| Tel: 385-31-494-200 // Fax: 385-31-494-201 // Email: info@evtos.hr |
Please, bring warmer clothes since the weather in Osijek is cold and wintery, with temperatures forecast for February between -6 to -10 C.
Language of the conference: English.
Registration
Registration deadline: Febr 1, 2020
Please register as soon as possible using the following form:
Registration and conference fees:
(Non-refundable) Registration fee: EUR 35
Payment: through CEEAMS bank account or PayPal:
Do not forget to add the name of the participant for whom you are paying.
The CEEAMS bank account number
IBAN: HU16 1030 0002 1065 5192 4882 0016 (Euro account)
BIC: MKKBHUHB Bank: MKB Bank Zrt.
Váci utca 38. 1056 Budapest Hungary
Conference fees:
- Accommodation in single room, meals, and coffee break drinks and snacks: EUR 200
- Accommodation in shared bedroom, meals, and coffee break drinks and snacks: EUR 135.
- The costs for day guests is 25 euro per day without accommodation.
Scholarships:
- For Conference Costs
Participants, especially those whose abstract will be accepted, and who register for the whole conference, may apply for partial coverage of the conference costs (in shared rooms), upon the condition that they do not get a reimbursement through their institution. We request all scholarship participants an EUR 40 own contribution for food and accommodation. Only in exceptional cases full scholarships for conference costs are available. This amount has to be paid in cash, upon registration on site in Osijek, in EUR. - For Travel
Travel expenses cannot be reimbursed, but exceptions to the rule will be considered. In case you request a scholarship for travel, you need to fill out an “Itinerary Approval Form” at conference registration, with an explanation (Download here: Itinerary Approval Form) . Only travel costs that are approved beforehand, will be reimbursed.
Visa matters:
The deadline for requesting an official invitation letter is 5 January 2020.
Travel information:
There are few direct flights to Osijek – please check: Osijek Airport travel agency, e-mail: agencija@osijek-airport.hr
If you travel by bus, train or plain to Budapest airport, there is a regular once-a-day bus line to Osijek. Flixbus leaves at 17:25 and arrivel in Osijek at 21:30. For online reservations, go to: https://global.flixbus.com.
Car-pooling can be organized through the CEEAMS Annual Conference 2020 facebook page.
If you travel by bus, train or plain to Zagreb, please check Arriva web page: there are regular busses to Osijek, several times a day. You can book your ticket online at: https://www.arriva.com.hr/en-us/our-services/arriva-travel
For those arriving at Zagreb airport, there is a shuttle to Zagreb bus station: http://www.plesoprijevoz.hr/en/page/timetable
Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have: info@ceeams.org.
We are looking forward meeting you!