Oasis: Young Adult and Campus Ministries Leadership Conference 2020
June 23-26, 2020 in Tucson, AZ
The Young Adult and Campus Ministry Annual Leadership Conference will be held June 23-26, 2020 in Tucson, Arizona. This annual conference is an opportunity for Episcopal leaders in ministry with young adults (ages 18-30) on and off college campuses to meet and connect with one another and to be nourished and nurtured in their ministry. The conference will be held in two adjacent locations, at First United Methodist Church and the Episcopal Campus Ministry of Tucson.
NOTE: Due to COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently evaluating if we will hold this conference in person or online. We have suspended registrations and a notice will be going out the week of March 23.
Conference Program
Conference participants - both leaders who are new to this work as well as those who have longstanding roots in this ministry - will hear from speakers, focus on intentional conversations, build relationships, and learn from one another.
Speakers and learning opportunities will be added to the website as they are confirmed.
We are grateful that Becky Zartman and James Franklin will join us to discuss their new book Belovedness: Finding God (and Self) on Campus. This book asks a single question that gets refracted through different topics: How would you [fill in the blank] if you knew you were loved beyond all measure? How are you going to choose to live into your belovedness? While this is a book written by a group of people doing campus ministry, its central message is something to sit with and embrace in any ministry setting.
Our hope is that the participants will:
- connect and reconnect with others involved in this ministry
- be better equipped to engage young adults where they live, work and study
- learn from one another and share resources
- build upon their skills and networks to assist them in ministry
- leave feeling that they have refreshed at the oasis and are ready to do the work God has called them to do
PreConference
There will be preconference options on June 23, starting at 9am until 4pm that will give you the opportunity to dive deeper into subjects and talk more in depth about challenges and joys in ministry. An optional gathering for new ministers or people new to the conference will happen from 1-4pm as well. The Conference will start with dinner on June 23. PreConference has no additional registration cost.
Registration and Cost
The conference fee is $65. It includes programming, space rental and some meals. Housing is not included in the registration fee. Participants may choose to stay at one of the hotels that have been reserved at a reduced group rate or find alternative housing in the area such as an AirBnB, hostel or staying with folks in the area.
This year, we are trying something new! Rather than provide housing, we are giving you the opportunity to choose your adventure. We have blocks of rooms being held and the hotels listed in the pdf document below. If you choose to stay in a hotel, you need to call the hotel directly and make the reservations. You can also choose to stay at one of the many other hotels in Tucson, at a vacation rental, stay with friends, couch surf, etc. Your housing choice is up to you! Registration for the conference is $65 and covers space, programming, materials, and some meals. Registration deadline is: June 8, 2020.
Pre-Conference: There will be pre-conference options on June 23, starting at 9am until 4pm that will give you the opportunity to dive deeper into subjects and talk more in depth about challenges and joys in ministry. An optional gathering for new ministers or people new to the conference will happen from 1-4pm as well. We will add more information about the pre-conference in late March.
Register now!
Registration has been suspended at this time as we evaluate whether to hold the conference in person or online. Registration deadline is: June 8, 2020. Your registration can be refunded or substituted until June 8. Payment must be received by June 15.
Arrival and Departure
You should plan to arrive on June 22 if you are attending the pre-conference and June 23 if you are not. Pre-conference registration will be June 22 from 4-6pm and June 23 at 8am. Conference registration will open June 23 at 4pm, with Social Hour and Dinner that evening. You can plan on departing June 26.
Automobile: The majority of Tucson is laid out on a grid structure and is relatively easy to navigate. There is a parking garage across the street from the conference location for commuters.
Please note that there are four major peculiarities to driving in Tucson:
- Trailing Left Turns: The majority of Traffic Lights will give a green arrow to turn left at the end of a green light sequence not at the start. Rarer Leading Left Turn lights are marked as such.
- U-Turns: It is expected that one will regularly make U-Turns and at points there is no left turn option but a lane that will navigate you to a U-Turn and then guide you into a right turn.
- Roundabouts with Stop Signs: Many of our older neighborhoods have manicured Roundabouts with gardens and art that predate modern traffic needs. Many of these now also have two way or four way stops installed.
- Pedestrian Crossings with Traffic Lights: There are pedestrian crosswalks with red lights that will turn to flashing red lights for oncoming traffic.
Train: Amtrak’s Sunset Limited provides ready access to Tucson. Connections can be made to the Sunset Limited from across the United States. The Amtrak Station is a historic part of Downtown Tucson and is a space of local nightlife as well as a hub for commuter traffic. It is located one mile from the Conference Location, is a block from the downtown street car line, and is within walking distance of many downtown hotels.
Plane: Tucson International Airport (TUS) and Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) are both regularly used to access the Greater Tucson Area. Which one will provide the more economical option to and from another part of the country depends on a variety of factors and changes throughout the year. There are affordable means of transportation from both airports to the University-Downtown area of Tucson. Tucson International Airport (TUS) is nine miles from the conference venue and the University-Downtown district. There are clear signs in the airport to both a taxi queue as well as a ride share pick up location. Lyft and Uber are both readily available in Tucson. A Lyft or Uber to the University-Downtown district will run between $15-$20 and a taxi will run around $25-$30. Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) is 120 miles from the conference venue and the University-Downtown district. Groome Transportation runs a shuttle service that will take you from PHX to a block from the conference venue, the University stop at 501 N Park Avenue. The cost for each shuttle, one way, is $43.
Housing Options
As stated above, housing is NOT included in the registration fee. Participants may choose to stay at one of the hotels that have been reserved at a reduced group rate or find alternative housing in the area such as an AirBnB, hostel or staying with folks in the area.
Reserved Rooms Blocks for Oasis 2020
We have 108 rooms and two houses total held at four different hotels. We have room blocks at the hotels listed below. Please download the pdf and read carefully the instructions for each hotel on how to reserve a room and when the deadline is because each hotel has different instructions and dates. I would also advise checking into each hotel to see what amenities they have and where they are located. All are on the tram so they will be easily accessible to our meeting spaces. Please click here for the housing options.
- Hotel Congress
- Tucson Marriott University Park
- AC Hotel by Marriott Tucson Downtown
- El Amador Downtown Luxury Inn
Questions?
Contact The Rev. Shannon Kelly, Director for the Department of Faith Formation and Officer for Young Adult and Campus Ministries at skelly@episcopalchurch.org for more information.
