ELCA Southeastern Synod Youth Ministry E-News May 2008

For flyers, updates, resources, and other synod youth ministry information

please go to www.elca-ses.org/youth_news.htm or contact Rachel Alley at

ralley@elca-ses.org

 

THE ELCA has a new Website format. Same site www.elca.org To Find Youth

Ministry Information Click on Growing in Faith and then Ministry.

It’s a little confusing, but they are working things out.

Affirm 2008! We are going to have an outstanding and awesome event this year! Our theme is Arise Shine! New to the Affirm Zone will be three different bands perform, Boy Wonder, NuPrayze, and Good Friday! They will share their gifts and talents of music and song with us. We still have plenty of room in all the units! All Registration forms are online! We understand times are tough, don’t forget we have scholarship monies available for Affirm. Those forms are online on the synod site too.

June 14-21, 2008 Bishop’s School for Juniors and Seniors in High School is at Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. There are a few spaces available. The purpose of Bishop’s School: To recognize, encourage, equip, enlighten, and inspire Lutheran senior high youth through a resident seminary educational experience focused on Christian faith, theology and doctrine, biblical understanding, church history and heritage, institutional structures, and a multicultural immersion experience. The cost is $425 which includes your housing, programming, and meals.  A $100 scholarship is given to each participant from the Southeastern Synod. Check with Sandra Holland at the Region 9 office. Her phone number is 803-461-3263 and her E-Mail: sandrah@LTSS.edu.

Trinity Seminary Summer Sampler for High School Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors June 8-28 and July 6-26 What are you planning to do after college? Where does God desire you to serve? Spend almost a month with youth from across the nation at Summer Sampler! For more information & forms go to http://www.trinitylutheranseminary.edu/HomePage/SummerSampler.asp

“Poverty Camp" for sophomores - seniors this summer at Huntingdon College, a United Methodist College in Montgomery. This camp will provide interested students the opportunity to learn more about the issues surrounding poverty as well as be equipped with the skills & knowledge to start changing the communities in which they live, as well as working towards a better community in the future. For more information www.alabamapoverty.org/events or contact Beverly Becky Blalock at the Alabama Poverty Project 205.939.1408 assistant@alabamapoverty.org

Join other Young Adults ages 18-25 at a Multiethnic/Multiracial Leadership Event in Chicago June 20-22, 2008. For more information go to www.elca.org/multicultura/multiethnic

September 19-21, 2008 Alasissippi Lutheran Youth Gathering, Gulf Shores, AL

Tentative date ** November 7-8, 2008 All-TN Youth Gathering, Carson Springs, Kingsport, TN Details coming soon from Bruce Keicher and your hosts, Conference #1

Lutheranch Need a spot for a Retreat in Georgia for about 20 people?? Maybe a senior high retreat or confirmation retreat or even a council retreat or maybe take your youth group out for a week of service and mission. We can now use the Holy Trinity House. And there is room to put your tent near the Holy Trinity House. There is a full kitchen,v 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms located on one of the two lakes at Lutheranch. For Reservations contact Suzanne Delap at sdelap@llmi.org or call 828-684-2361. Our Foundations for Faith Fundraiser has been kicked off in the synod. We need to raise $3.5 million dollars to pay for the Lutheranch Property first before we are able to put any other buildings on the property. It would be awesome if your youth group would do a fundraiser just for Lutheranch. If you raise enough you could even name a hilltop, fence, road, etc after your church or youth group. That’s how the Holy Trinity house and Stender lake was named. Don’t forget to ask Thrivent to match your funds if you do a fundraiser! Find out more at www.llmi.org under Giving Opportunities! So… what do you need at a Lutheran Camp in the Southeastern Synod? What kind of programs? What kind of buildings? What are your expectations or ideas or vision for our new camp? I am serving on the Lutheranch site team and would love your input. Please email me at ralley@elca-ses.org.

Other Opportunities

Young Adults Looking for a Job this summer?? Some of our ELCA Outdoor Ministry

Camps are still looking for summer camp staff! If you would like to work at a camp this

summer go to www.elca.org/camps/search.asp for employment opportunities! I know

that Florida Outdoor Ministries has openings

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is offering scholarships for seminarians, students and others ages 18-26 to attend the International AIDS Conference July 31-Aug. 9, 2008, in Mexico City. Around the world people ages 15 to 25 make up nearly half of all new HIV infections, said Emily Davila, assistant to the director, Lutheran Office for World Community, New York. Davila said the International AIDS Conference offers "a great learning and advocacy opportunity for young people." At former conferences, young people met with world leaders to advocate for policies that address the needs of youth, she said. Scholarship details and application information is available on the ELCA World Hunger Website -- are due May 23.

Applications sought for ELCA Accessibility Award Disability Ministries of the ELCA is taking applications through May 31, 2008, for its Annual Accessibility Awards. Each winner receives a grant of $1,000 from the ELCA Mission Investment Fund and the National Organization on Disability. www.elca.org/disability/award/apply.html 

Luther Seminary is offering a Fellowship in Arts and Innovation for the 2008 Fall Semester.  Up to 20, $5000 scholarships will be awarded. To apply, individuals must demonstrate a talent in the visual, literary, media or creative arts or have applied innovative thinking in a ministry setting. Submissions may include Web sites, CDs, DVDs or other creative or innovative approaches to ministry. Submissions, including an application form, must arrive by June 1.  Applications and questions should be directed to Rev. Dr. Ron Olson, Director of Admissions via mail, rdolson@luthersem.edu or 651-641-3422. A downloadable application may be found at www.luthersem.edu/admissions/fellowships

 

Jesus          Justice          Jazz

July 22-26, 2009 in New Orleans, LA. 36,000 Lutheran Youth and Adults will be involved in some sort of service project every day!! This is going to be a very different event than Gatherings in years past. The focus of this Gathering will be Compassionate Justice. Registration Materials will be mailed soon and Registration opens on September 15, 2008. Note, there is only one week and only 36,000 persons will be able to participate. So…. you will need to have your registration paperwork ready to be mailed on September 15, 2008. Sign up for the latest updates at http://archive.elca.org/youth/gathering_registration.html

Gathering scholarships Form is also online at http://archive.elca.org/youth/printer/YG-ScholarshipApp-040708--PDF.pdf . Scholarships are due into the Gathering office by July 31.

I have put my notes from the Synod Coordinators meeting in New Orleans in January on the synod site as well as all the forms and information as soon as I know about them. So check back if you are haven’t found what you are looking for about the Gathering. If you have any questions, please email me at ralley@elca-ses.org and if I don’t know the answer I will do my best to get it for you. The staff at the Gathering office has been reduced and so they’ve asked for questions to be funneled through the synod coordinator. That’s me for our synod rather than calling the Gathering office. A registration packet is also available now on the ELCA Gathering Website.

NEW INFORMATION from the Gathering. “The Gathering will be providing transportation to your service projects!”

Here’s an opportunity for Young Adults to serve at the Gathering: 

We need 800 young adults ages 20 to 25, to be Servant Companions at the ELCA Youth Gathering July 20-26, 2009 in New Orleans. You will help lead 36,000 high school youth and adult leaders through a variety of experiences around the theme of Jesus, Justice, and Jazz.  

Each Servant Companion will help welcome, lead, facilitate and care for groups of 45 youth and adult leaders through the Youth Gathering experiences while in New Orleans. This will include service projects, theological reflections and interactions with an area of justice.

If you are a person who...

?????Senses a calling for youth ministry

?????Is growing in your theology and practices of faith

?????Is excited by being with high school youth

?????Engaging and confident voice that commands and energizes a group of 45

?????Has a confident, welcoming, life affirming personality

?????Listens carefully to concerns and can help problem solve

?????Can “think on your feet”

?????Learn names quickly

?????Has experience with small group facilitating skills

?????Has an interest in justice issues

?????Be okay with not having all the answers.

?????Is able to listen and wonder with youth about ambiguous ideas of theology and sociological

issues

?????Is humble, dependable and above all flexible. –The Gumby Pledge!

Then we need you!

Apply today to join us as a Servant Companion by going to www.elca.org/gathering<http://www.elca.org/gathering> click on the link that reads “Volunteering at the Gathering” to apply on line. Training and orientation begins at 3 PM on Monday, July 20, 2009. Your housing and meals will be provided. You will apply through the ELCA web site, need to have background checks completed and secure your own transportation to New Orleans. Servant Companions will be led by a team of 27 Coaches and coordinated by Lyle Griner, National Peer Ministry Director with The Youth & Family Institute in Bloomington, MN.  

The Gathering is also looking for adults and young adults to serve in many other aspects of the Gathering including security, the interaction center, at service project sites, etc. If you are interested or know someone who is, information can be found at http://www.elca.org/youth/gathering_volunteers.html . And finally do you have a Charlie Gibson or Barbara Walters in your congregation? The information about how to be a emcee at the Gathering is on the synod site as well.

Resources and Training

Did you know that you can receive up to a $250 Synod Scholarship for Youth Ministry training?  Here’s the link on the synod site for more information. Apply today! http://www.elcases.  org/Docs%20and%20forms/Great%20Commission%20Fund/ReVision-Education%2009-22-05.pdf

Augsburg Fortress is offering webinar training online. Topics include Akaloo, Book of Faith, and other resources. Go to www.augsburgfortress.org/webinars to see dates and options.

October 17-18, 2008 GROW IN GRACE is Synod Sponsored Youth and Family Ministry Training Event held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lilburn - similar to Catch the Spirit this will be a Friday/Saturday event. Special Thanks to Catch the Spirit for providing start up funds for this event. Pastor and Professor Rollie Martinson of Luther Seminary will be our guest speaker. He will lead us in the Exemplary Youth Ministry Study and a discussion on the Faith Factors and how to implement them in our congregations. Pastors, Parents, Youthworkers, Sunday School Teachers, Christian Education folks, Council Members, and layfolk interested in growing our congregations and keeping our youth in our churches are encouraged to come! We have at least a dozen hands on workshops like Planning a Mission Trip, Confirmation, Sunday School, Children’s Choirs, Liturgical Dance, Mentoring, Planning a Youth Service, Working with a Youth Band, Games, Games, and Games, Planning a Family Retreat, Milestones, and much more!  And music will be provided from Children and Youth Choirs, and Youth Bands from our synod!  Cost is $25 per per person. Look for more details coming soon!

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