Establishing a YSA Gathering Place

What Is a YSA Gathering Place?

A gathering place for young single adults (YSAs) is a designated location (in an existing meetinghouse or institute building) for YSAs and their friends to gather and participate in wholesome activities and experiences that will bring them closer to one another and to God. The following sample schedules show the types of activities that could be part of the gathering place experience.

Sample Schedule 1

Tuesday

6:00–7:00 p.m.

• Dinner or snacks

7:00–8:00 p.m.

• Institute: Book of Mormon

• Institute: Gospel Topics

8:00–9:00 p.m.

• Self-reliance: Finances

• Sport or health activity

Sample Schedule 2

Tuesday

6:00–7:00 p.m.

• Dinner or snacks

7:00–8:30 p.m.

• Institute: Book of Mormon

• Institute: Marriage and Family

• Institute: Gospel Topics

• Institute: The Divine Gift of Forgiveness

Wednesday

7:00–9:00 p.m.

• Self-reliance: Finances

• Family history

• Language class (English)

• Sport or health activity

• Dance exercise

Thursday

7:00–9:00 p.m.

• Service activity

• BYU–Pathway Worldwide

Friday

8:00–11:00 p.m.

• Game night

• Dance activity

El Paso, Texas: People at church

Ideas for Getting Started

1. Identify facilities that will meet local needs.

   Identify buildings to use for the gathering place, including institute buildings and meetinghouses. The building should have a designated space large enough for YSAs to gather for classes and activities. All gathering place locations must be approved by the Area Presidency.

2. Organize leadership to manage resources effectively.

   A stake president uses his stake YSA committee (see General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 14.3.2, ChurchofJesusChrist.org) to administer a YSA gathering place. For gathering places that serve multiple stakes, this committee could include YSAs from multiple stakes.

   Test Support Materials

3. Determine the interests and needs this gathering place could help meet.

   A YSA gathering place could include one or more of the following, based on local needs and resources:

   • religious education and gospel learning (such as institute classes, Come, Follow Me study groups, gospel discussions, or devotionals)

   • engaging social activities (such as dances; sports; group service activities, including JustServe; events for sharing food, culture, or talents; and so on)

   • temple and family history activities (such as FamilySearch research, web indexing, temple preparation, or temple visits)

   • self-reliance and educational opportunities (such as self-reliance courses or BYU–Pathway Worldwide)

   • missionary and community outreach activities (such as fellowshipping, ministering, or mission preparation activities)

   Additionally, other Church resources could be available to meet the needs of YSAs. See “Resources for YSA Gathering Places” for ideas.

4. Organize the YSA committee to oversee the gathering place.

   The stake YSA committee evaluates the local needs of YSAs and uses the Establishing a YSA Gathering Place form to meet local needs. The YSA committee oversees the following assignments:

   • facilitating day-to-day access to gathering place facilities (this could be the responsibility of a senior missionary couple)

   • keeping a current calendar and schedule of classes, activities, and events associated with the gathering place and coordinating with the facility scheduler

   • administering finances associated with food, supplies, and so on for the gathering place, with approval of the stake president

   • coordinating with Church resource representatives (such as institute, mission, welfare and self-reliance, and temple and family history leaders) to ensure that classes and workshops are properly supported

   • coordinating with stake and mission presidents about full-time missionary opportunities

   • recording attendance at classes, service opportunities, and activities and asking for participant feedback to help stake YSA committees adjust and adapt to meet YSA needs

   • mentoring YSAs in their personal development along the covenant path

   Test Support Materials

5. Other considerations:

   • If the gathering place is in an institute building, the institute director (or coordinator) plays a key role in supporting the YSA gathering place. The director provides religious education, fulfills administrative duties, and works closely with the stake YSA committee to support the creation and coordination of YSA gathering places. If the director is the building agent, he or she works with the YSA committee members to make sure appropriate access is granted.

   • Operating funds and budgetary expenditures come from the stake YSA budget (see General Handbook, 14.3.7), supplemented by the area budget as needed. Seminaries and Institutes of Religion (S&I) funds are also available for campus institute programs. Personal funds from missionary couples should not be used. All expenses should be approved by the assigned stake president.

   • Equipment such as pool tables, ping-pong tables, a refrigerator, soft chairs, couches, and study spaces may be considered based on gathering place facilities and needs.

Self Reliance Classes, Mumbai India

Resources for YSA Gathering Places

Resource Title	Description
Resource Title Addiction recovery program	Description This is an ongoing 12-step program that helps individuals overcome addictions through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
Resource Title BYU–Pathway Worldwide	Description BYU–Pathway Worldwide is a low-cost online college education program for adults.
Resource Title EnglishConnect	Description This resource helps teach the English language in group settings, with activities to help individuals increase faith in Jesus Christ.
Resource Title Family history resources	Description The Church has vast family history offerings that can be made available, including FamilySearch.org and the Family Tree app.
Resource Title Institute classes	Description Institute classes teach young adults about the scriptures and other topics.
Resource Title Come, Follow Me study group	Description Come, Follow Me is a scripture study guide for individuals and families that could also be used in group settings.
Resource Title Self-reliance resources	Description Self-reliance is “the ability, commitment, and effort to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family” (General Handbook, 22.0). These courses can help members and others become self-reliant: My Path for Self-Reliance My Foundation for Self-Reliance Education for Better Work Find a Better Job Personal Finances Starting and Growing My Business Life Skills for Self-Reliance Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience
Resource Title Service activities	Description Service activities are a great way to engage Church members and others. Many types of service may be offered. JustServe.org provides local opportunities for organized service activities.
Resource Title YSA activities	Description Activities for YSAs may take many forms, such as conferences, sporting events, temple attendance, cultural events, dances, and so on.
Resource Title Local language learning	Description Classes that teach the local language could be offered.
Resource Title Self-improvement classes	Description Classes could include academic tutoring, cooking, home improvement, personal hygiene and grooming, temporal preparedness, and so on.