This year the annual Conference Youth Basketball Tournament will be held in the Greenwood District with games scheduled in North Augusta. Tournament games will be played in approximately 10 area Gyms. The Championship games on Sunday afternoon will be at Riverview Park Recreational Facility in North Augusta. Grace UMC, North Augusta will be hosting this year’s event.
Churches wishing to enter a team (Sr. Girls, Sr. Boys Jr. Girls, Jr. Boys) should visit the Tournament web-site at www.scmethodistbasketball.org for more information. New entry forms will be up-dated on the tournament web-site as well as the Conference web-site in late October. Registration is done on-line through the Conference office. Any Church that does not have enough Youth to fill a team may join other United Methodist Churches in combining Youth to enter.
This tournament was founded in 1977 to serve youth who are members of and active participants in United Methodist Churches in South Carolina. It also provides for those United Methodists who cannot play with their schools a chance to participate in basketball. In 2002, Worship Services was added with all teams playing at a central location. The greatest purpose of this tournament is to provide the United Methodist Youth of the South Carolina Conference an opportunity to worship, meet and compete together in fellowship brought about by the love of Jesus Christ.
Goals of the SC UMC Youth Basketball Tournament
Bring United Methodist Youth together who enjoy playing sports in a Christian environment. Teams, churches and coaches can learn how competing in a sportsmanship way can grow Christian behavior. Often a competitive sport brings out our worse self.
By having youth involved in the play of Basketball, teach or display to each Youth, Coach, Parent and their Church who we are as United Methodist.
Gather our Conference Youth who enjoy playing basketball in a way that gives them two meaningful Worship Services. Expresses what we as United Methodist do when we gather for any reason. A chance to grow in Worship.
Bring together an intergenerational group to support our youth as they play.
Bring church members together from all over our Conference, sharing faculties and playing sites.
Offer one more of the many doors to our Youth in the United Methodist system.
Help local churches and Ministers grow in their Youth program using a Leisure Ministry.
Build group dynamics of a church youth program. Help develop friendships by going away to other cities while being a group with other groups.
The annual Tournament is not just about play.
It is much about Youth gathering in play experiencing two exciting Worship opportunities. Our Conference Clergy plans very meaningful experiences. This year the tournament program is honored with a great group of Clergy that will lead the Tournament in two Worship Services. These Worship Services will be at Grace UMC for the Saturday morning Communion and the Sunday morning Worship Service. Bishop Jonathan Holston will be our Sunday Morning Worship speaker.
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The Worship Team is as following:
Resident Bishop Jonathon Holston, Rev. Jim Dennis of Grace UMC, Rev. Alice Deal of Belvedere UMC, Rev. James Friday-Greenwood District Superintendent and Rev. Tyler Strange of Grace UMC.
For more information about the Conference Youth Basketball Tournament call Doris Seals in the Conference office at (803) 786-9486.
