FAQs
The IYM strives to make the Forum as accessible and affordable as possible, but we are keenly aware that some participants may still need financial assistance to attend.
If you are a degreed graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary or if you are a CPE or Field Education Supervisor through PTS, you are eligible to receive a 15% discount on standard rate continuing education program fees. For the 2025 Forum, this applies to the standard conference rate of $399 only.
All other inquirers are invited to complete this scholarship request form. A limited amount of need-based funding is available on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to speak with an IYM representative about your funding options, please contact us at iym@ptsem.edu or 609-497-7914.
We understand that life is unpredictable, and sometimes participants must cancel their plans to attend an event. Therefore, our policy states that you can cancel your event registration up to one week (seven calendar days) prior to the Forum start date, and your fee will be refunded, minus a required $15 processing fee. Due to expenses already incurred after this date, we cannot offer any refunds for cancellations made within one week (six or fewer calendar days) of an event start date.
If you test positive for COVID-19 or develop a similarly contagious illness during the six days prior to the start of the Forum, please contact us at iym@ptsem.edu or 609-497-4914. We will do our best to determine a grace-filled response in order to protect the health and safety of our gathered and residential community, while also offering you the resourcing and care that is part of the Forum on Youth Ministry.
The Forum is a self-funded event, which means that the income from participant fees is allocated to cover all event expenses. Currently, 69% of the income from participant fees is allocated toward the speaking fees, travel, expenses, and lodging for our event leaders. Refreshments, meals, and participant materials are provided during the event with 23% of the income from participant fees. The final 8% of the income helps fund our promotional efforts. We aim for excellence in leadership and hospitality, while also striving toward our commitment to the accessibility and affordability of our offerings. Balancing these values, our ambitious financial goal for the Forum is to break even.
The IYM welcomes international participants to attend the Forum on Youth Ministry, but we regret that we cannot issue letters of invitation or make visa arrangements on your behalf. While this may be different from other offerings at Princeton Theological Seminary, the IYM does not currently have the capacity or permissions required to facilitate these requests, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
The IYM strives to create inclusive space that is hospitable to people of all health needs, dietary restrictions, neurotypes, and physical and mental abilities. Our registration form for the event contains places where you can provide details about any accommodation request or restriction so that we can best prepare to welcome you to campus. In addition, the event booklet you receive prior to and at the Forum will contain detailed accessibility information about every building and space we will use during the event.
As an organization deeply committed to the welcome and celebration of people with all different bodies and brains, we are also aware of limitations in our facilities and personnel that may present obstacles for certain accommodations. If you have any concerns or would like to speak with someone regarding accessibility or needs beyond what you provide in your registration form, please contact us at iym@ptsem.edu or 609-497-7914 so that we can discuss how to best welcome you to the Forum.
The Forum will provide three light breakfasts (pastry and fruit, with coffee or tea) each morning of the event. The Forum will also include three buffet-style lunches Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the event. This year, we are also providing Forum “happy hours” on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons with alcohol free drinks and light snacks. On Thursday evening, the IYM will hold a special 30th Anniversary Banquet from 5-7pm in the Seminary’s main dining hall. Full-event Forum registrants are welcome to attend the banquet, which is included in their registration fee, and Thursday’s One Day Pass holders are invited to attend the banquet for an additional entry fee.
For the remaining meals or other refreshment needs, we will provide a list of local restaurants and food options at check-in, along with an array of price points.
No part of the Forum follows any particular dress code. Please make yourself comfortable in whatever presentation or style you please. We welcome jeans and t-shirts, skirts and blazers, 3-piece suits and bowties, sweatpants and baseball caps, and any combination therein. Be yourself and be comfortable. If you plan to attend the outing at the Seminary’s Farminary [link], note that there will be opportunities for engaging in farm work and walking on trails. You might want to bring clothes for that day that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. For the IYM 30th Anniversary Banquet, the IYM team will wear business-formal attire, but there is no attire requirement for the event attendees.
Weather-wise, Central New Jersey plays tricks on us every year during the Forum. Some years, it is cold and rainy; other years, it is perfect springtime sunny days. Check the forecast before you pack, and know that we have contingency plans in the event of inclement weather.
With God’s help, we hope so. The IYM strives to create a safe and welcoming community for all people at the Forum, in addition to our other events and offerings. To facilitate this in a society where systems of oppression privilege those with dominant cultural identities (i.e. cisgender and straight), we prioritize the psychological and spiritual safety of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The IYM holds to “open and affirming” theologies, and we are compelled by our shared theological conviction of the expansiveness of God’s embrace of creation in and through Jesus Christ.
Grounded firmly in our convictions, the IYM has always welcomed people with a wide array of theological positions and perspectives to engage in our programs, events, and community. We have witnessed the miracle of friendship and connection across many lines of difference, and we believe that relationships can be sites of God’s transformative work in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.
All people who attend the Forum are expected to comply with the Seminary’s Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policy and can avail themselves of its reporting mechanism. The free exchange of ideas inherent to educational contexts does not include ad hominem attack, abuse, bullying, discrimination, or harassment, and any participation in these activities will result in dismissal from the event, without reimbursement, at the discretion of the Director of the IYM.
The IYM tries to plan our events well in advance, and we currently have completed our planning for the 2025 and 2026 Forums on Youth Ministry. We are so grateful for your desire to share ideas with us, however, and we welcome conversations about your projects and passions. While we are not currently accepting proposals for leadership at the Forum, we invite you to connect with us to schedule a conversation about what you’re thinking and doing. Contact us at iym@ptsem.edu or 609-497-7914.
Our small group leaders are drawn from a growing community of trusted Christian leaders who have been connected to the IYM through our programs and offerings, especially through our flagship Certificate in Youth and Theology program. By building this leadership pipeline, we hope to demonstrate our continued commitment to forming Christian leaders for ministry by creating and amplifying leadership platforms that empower them to practice their gifts. Based on our familiarity with these leaders, we use the information provided in each participant’s registration materials to prayerfully create the small groups. We do our best, but if we get it wrong, you are free to select another small group or simply opt out of participation in a small group.
