Youth Ministry E-News Oct/Nov 09
Southeastern Synod Youth Ministry E-News Oct/Nov 2009
This e-news and other youth ministry resources and event forms are available online at www.elca-ses.org and on the website www.sesyouth.org.
Upcoming Events Around the Synod
An event for the whole community is being sponsored by Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 5390 McGinnis Ferry Road, Alpharetta.
Watermark Denmark, a Christian ministry team sponsored by Youth Encounter, will present an evening of interactive music on Saturday, October 24 at 6:30.
People of all ages are invited to an inspiring time of contemporary Christian music. Bring a friend and join us!
ALL TENNESSEE YOUTH GATHERING
Nov 21-22, 2009
“Clothe in Christ”
A new kind of fashion
“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Colossians 3:1
Clyde York 4-H Center
62 4-H Center Drive, Crossville, TN 3857
Registration Packets available online at www.elca-ses.org and www.sesyouth.org
November 21, 2009United Methodist Church, Beaver Ruin Road, Norcross, Georgia
For Ticket Information Call 770-448-4412
Enjoy a weekend of fellowship, faith-building, and SKIING!
Let us do all the work of coordinating ski rentals and lift tickets and enjoy our group rate discount! We will also supply group building games, an evening campfire, and youth-friendly worship. Come on Friday evening. Enjoy an early breakfast and all day Saturday on the slopes. End the day with supper, fun, and worship and have a good breakfast on Sunday before traveling home. Adults must accompany and supervise youth. Groups are responsible for transportation to and from ski slopes. Lutheridge guests ski at Wolf Ridge. Guests staying at Lutherock will ski at Sugar Mountain. For dates and costs go to www.llmi.org
February 7, 2010 Souper Bowl of Caring
www.souperbowl.com
SESLYO Assembly
The 2009-2010 SESLYO Board invites at least 2 youth voting delegates from each ELCA Southeastern Congregation to the 2010 SESLYO Assembly. Others can come as visitors.
(Southeastern Synod Lutheran Youth Organization)
I am Glorious! Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!
February 19-21, 2010
Cherokee Retreat Center, on Lake Allatoona, Cartersville, Georgia
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works. And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139: 14
All-GA
Lutheran Youth Gathering
March 12-14, 2010
6th-12th grade
FFA Retreat Center
Covington, GA
Look for Registration Packets
in the mail this November!
Join Southeastern Synod Staff at Faith Alive Campfirmation Retreat at Lutheridge
June 6-12, 2010 www.llmi.org
Mark Your Calendars for Affirm
June 20-25, 2010
New Location! Berry College, Rome, Georgia
For Youth who have finished 6th-12th grades
Staff Applications available online in November
at www.elca-ses.org and www.sesyouth.org
Bishops School June 20-26, 2010
Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC
ELCA YOUTH TRIP TO THE HOLY LAND (different from the Region 9 Walking Holy Trip)
Youth (ages 15 through 22) are invited to join in a leadership and peace-building trip to the Holy Land July 8-22 of 2010. See www.elca.org/peacenotwalls
Walking Holy
A Region 9 Youth Holy Land Pilgrimage
to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Galilee, and the Dead Sea
This is an Educational Trip that will bring the Bible to Life!
Thus says the Lord: Stand at the crossRoAds, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies: and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. Jeremiah 6:16
December 20, 2010-January 2, 2011 Approximately $3500
Application IS posted to the synod SITE At
www.sesyouth.org and www.elca-ses.org
DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED to August 30, 2010 or until Trip is Full
All Things New Ministry exists to assist churches through youth and adult programs to discover passion in serving by equipping and nurturing their members to grow spiritually through ministry to people affected by disaster.
Disaster Response TeenCorps
Disaster Response Teen Corp designed to teach youth ages 14-18 on how to respond after a disaster next training event is February 11-15, 2010 at Lutheranch. Cost is $400.
Check out their website at www.allthingsnewministry.org or contact Hal Shope and Marianne Zotti at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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Registration is OPEN! www.elcaymnet.com |
2010 Extravaganza |
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February 4-8 | Charlotte, NC |
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Westin Hotel — Intensive Care Courses Feb 4-5; Main event Feb 5-8 |
Renewal: The Extravaganza is church. It’s where the people gather to be fed by the Word and to receive the sacraments. Every day we will gather at the table and worship together. There is great music…powerful preaching… there is a prayer chapel… we experience the love and the grace of God. For many of us in ministry, who are tending the faith journeys of others, these experiences don’t come along often.
Education: We bring together the best of the best. Our learning is designed around two primary venues. The large group sessions bring forward a keynote speaker who challenges and enlightens. The large group sessions are less about the tactics of youth and family ministry, and are more about the heart of the person in ministry. The workshop session get down to the nuts and bolts. They are skill and tactic oriented and will include lots of “take-a-ways”, things you can make use of right away in your ministry. Connection: You are not alone. There is a dynamic, vibrant community of colleagues who share in the same struggles and joys that you do. Some of the most powerful moments at the Extravaganza happen not in the formal sessions, but in the lounge areas and restaurants of the hotel, as you sit across the from someone with the same job description and ask: “so what works for you?” “what brings you joy?”
The Network and the Extravaganza is stronger because you will be a part of it.
If you are going to the Extravaganza please contact Rachel at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Let her help you connect with others from the synod to share travel and lodging expenses!
National Youth Workers Convention
For nearly 40 years, hundreds of thousands youth workers have come to NYWC for training, encouragement, community, resources, and soul care.
2009 Dates
Cincinnati: October 30 – November 2
Atlanta: November 2-23
Simply Youth Ministry Conference 2010
Hyatt Regency (Chicago/O'Hare)
Feb. 26 - Mar. 1, 2010 http://conference.youthministry.com/
Registration $359 before Oct 31 plus travel, hotel, and food
The Premier East coast Youthworkers event and convention dedicated to training, renewal and networking.
www.gatheringintheeast.org
April 16-18, 2010
Holiday Inn, Harrisburg, PA
Youth in Mission Conference: A conference for Youth Ministry Workers
Sacred Stories: Youth Faith Formation in an Interfaith World
April 12-14, 2010
Location: The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
1100 E 55th St
Chicago, IL 60615
Keynote from the Interfaith Youth Core:
There are millions of young people with different religious and philosophical perspectives interacting with increasing frequency around the world. This interaction tends toward either conflict or cooperation. Come for amazing dialog on strengthening faith, creating partnerships that equip young people for action and nurturing leadership in a multifaith world.
http://yim.lstc.edu/conference
Young Adult Stuff
Follow ELCA Young Adults on Twitter! www.twitter.com/elcayoungadults
Check out the new ELCA Young Adult Web Presence at www.elca.org/imagineyourself
SESYALL NEWS!
Same Acronym but New Meaning! SESYALL – From Southeastern Synod Young Adult Lutheran Leaders to Southeastern Synod Young Adults LIVING LUTHERAN!
Nine Young adults (ages 18 to 30) from across our synod met Oct 9-11, 2009 at Lutheranch for a “Looking Ahead” Retreat with Kristen Glass, ELCA Director for Young Adult Ministries. Kristen gave models of other synod young adult ministries in the ELCA as well as retreat ideas, characteristics and statistics of young adults in the ELCA. Pastor Nathan Hilkert, a young adult from Epiphany Lutheran in Conyers, Georgia led the group in the weekend’s worship. Rachel Alley provided Synod Staff support. For three years Southeastern Synod young adults have gathered for mission trips to Daphne, AL (Katrina Relief), we helped with landscaping at St. Luke’s in Thunderbolt, GA, and a had weekend fellowship ski retreat. Atlanta area young adults meet occasionally for dinner, play kickball at Piedmont Park, and worship at Redeemer.
Young adults want to be engaged in the church and the synod. Many of us grew up attending synod youth events. Many serve today as camp counselors at our synod youth events like Affirm and All-State Events, or other Lutheran camps as well as advisors for our Synod Lutheran Youth Organization and are involved in ELCA Campus Ministries. We also serve in our own local congregations as leaders on church councils, on call committees, as church staff members, and we teach Sunday school and confirmation. But we active young adults see many of our peers forgotten in the church, not part of a Christian community, and not active in local congregations where they live and work so the reason for SESYALL, Southeastern Synod Young Adults Living Lutheran.
We met to “Look Ahead” at the Synod’s Young Adult Ministry. After Kristen left, we renamed themselves, from Southeastern Synod Young Adult Lutheran Leaders to Southeastern Synod Young Adults Living Lutheran! We wrote a vision and mission for ourselves as well as elected a leadership team that will meet regularly to plan and implement their vision and mission….. SESYALL’s vision is to Engage, Encourage, and Empower Young Adults in the ELCA Southeastern Synod. SESYALL’s mission is to strive to…. Engage in Spiritual Growth through Worship, Service, Study, and Christian Community. Encourage and Nurture Faith in and within the church and Empower God’s People to discern and use their diverse gifts. SESYALL plans to have two retreats a year, one being a spiritual and theological discussion and the second, a mission-service focused trip. We also hope to gather young adults for local events either by state or city. The Leadership team will meet to make plans for the future. Brian Ehrich, one of the founding members of SESYALL and member of All Saints Lutheran Church, will chair the group. Andrew Yeager of Shades Valley Lutheran in Birmingham will serve as Treasurer. Jamie Kramer, member of Redeemer Lutheran in Macon will serve as Secretary/Communications person as well as represent the young adults across Georgia. Mary Beth Smith of Trinity Lutheran, Tullahoma, TN will serve as Chaplain. Chris Smith of Advent, Murfreesboro, TN will serve as the Tennessee representative. Catalina Ontiveros of St. Mark’s Lutheran in Huntsville, Alabama will serve as the Retreat Planner as well as chair elect. Kate Logan, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Atlanta will work with the young adults in the Atlanta area. Emily Craig, Faith Lutheran, Clay, Alabama will serve as the Alabama/Mississippi representative. Robyn El-Torro, Immanuel Lutheran, Atlanta will represent our Multicultural Young Adults. The team will be asking some of our synod pastors along with Pastor Nathan Hilkert to serve as retreat leaders and spiritual advisors for SESYALL as well and they are looking for a college student to represent Campus Ministry Students.
Other important news about Youth and Young Adults! At the2009 Churchwide assembly (CA.09.06.35) changes were made to the ELCA constitution (6.02.A09), Synod constitutions (S6.04.B09 and S10.01), and Congregational Constitutions (C12.01) to specifically include a Youth and Young Adults at Churchwide Assemblies, the Churchwide Council, and Churchwide Committees, Synod Assemblies, Synod Councils, and Synod Committees, and Congregational Councils and Committees. Also a goal was added for both the next Churchwide Assembly and Synod Assemblies to have at least 10% of the voting members to be youth and young adults. The term youth means a voting member of a congregation who has not reached the age of 18 at the time of election or appointment for service. The term young adult means a voting member of a congregation between the ages of 18 and 30 at the time of election or appointment for service. You can find more information about the Churchwide Assembly decisions at http://www.elca.org/who-we-are/our-three-expressions/churchwide-organization/office-of-the-secretary/elca-governance/churchwide-assembly.aspx
Thinking about Staffing at a Lutheran Summer Camp! Check out this site for a list of camps http://www2.elca.org/camps/
In December, go to www.llmi.org if interested in serving at Lutheridge or Lutherock.
Check out the details of Project Connect Events at www.projectconnect.org
21st December, 2009 to 23rd December, 2009
Vocational Discernment Retreat at Camp Agape in North Carolina
3rd January, 2010 to 10th January, 2010
"Two-Way Street": A BIG January Service Ministry Discernment Retreat in Baltimore
3rd January, 2010 to 10th January, 2010
Two-Way Street
15th January, 2010 to 18th January, 2010
Vocational Discernment Retreat at Calumet Lutheran Camp & Conference Center, New Hampshire
1st February, 2010
First Deadline for Immersion and Competitive Mini-Grant Applications
5th March, 2010 to 7th March, 2010
Vocational Discernment Retreat (primary Language Spanish) in Buayamon, Puerto Rico
Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC) has come to Atlanta! LVC is a national volunteer service program that partners with full-time volunteers and over 100 social justice organizations and ministries in several cities in the United States. www.lutheranvolunteercorps.org
In addition to working for justice, LVC Volunteers live together in intentional household communities of 4-7 people, deepen their spirituality, and encourage simple, sustainable living.
In Atlanta, we are busy identifying social justice and peace organizations in need of a one-year, full-time volunteer. If your organization or agency is interested in exploring what LVC has to offer, or if you are interested in committing one year of spiritual service in the interest of social justice and peace, contact Pamela at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it