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Journal of Children, Youth & Family Ministry

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SUMMER 2013

PUBLICATION INFORMATION Published by: ELCA Youth Ministry Network www.elcaymnet.org

CONTENTS Welcome! Todd Buegler

Ethnography 101– Adapted from Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethic Christian Scharen, adapted by Clint Schnekloth

Paying Holy Attention Helen Blier

Making People Real Lyle Griner

D.I.Y. Ethnography: Kid Edition Dawn Rundman

Facebook Conversation: Network Members

Facebook Conversation: ELCA Clergy

A View from Somewhere Else 17 George Baum Subscription Information: call 866-ELCANET (352-2638) or visit: www.elcaymnet.org connect@elcaymnet.org

Calendar of Events 18

Contributing Writers: George Baum, Helen Blier, Lyle Griner, Dawn Rundman, Christian Scharen Design and Layout: Michael Sladek Impression Media Group www.impressionmediagroup.com

UPCOMING CONNECT ISSUE THEMES: Contributing Editor: Debbie Sladek

Connect Editorial Board: Rachel Alley, Chris Bruesehoff, Todd Buegler, Tim Coltvet, Nate Frambach, Sue Mendenhall, Jeremy Myers, Dawn Rundman, Clint Schnekloth, Michael Sladek

Science! (Fall ‘13) The Church in the Public Sphere (Winter ‘14) How Do We Teach Stewardship? (Spring ‘14) The Link Between Youth Ministry and College (Fall ‘14)

ELCA YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORK BOARD Julie Miller: Board Member

Erik Ullestad: Board Member

Rev. Ben Morris: Board Member

Rev. Mike Ward: Board Member

Yvonne Steindal, AIM: Board Member

Rev. Todd Buegler: Executive Director

The ELCA Youth Ministry Network exists to strengthen and empower adult youth ministry leaders in service to Christ as a part of God’s mission. 3

WELCOME!

NEWS BITS

I have often thought to myself, “If I were starting over in my congregation, knowing what I know now, for my first year, I would start no new programs. I would just get on my bike and ride around the community, getting to know everyone and everything, and listening to what’s going on.”

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While I’m not sure that I could convince my congregation that this would be the best use of my time, I am convinced that it would be incredibly valuable, and that the impact on my ministry would be tremendous. The Concise Encyclopedia defines Ethnography as a descriptive study of a particular human society. Contemporary ethnography is based almost entirely on fieldwork. The ethnographer lives among the people who are the subject of study for a year or more, learning the local language and participating in everyday life while striving to maintain a degree of objective detachment. He or she usually cultivates close relationships with “informants” who can provide specific information on aspects of cultural life.

Housing reservations are now being taken for Extravaganza 2014 at the Hyatt Regency in St. Louis. You can guarantee a room now at our steeply discounted rate by going to www.elcaymnet.org/housing. General event registration will open on July 1.

I like to think of ethnography as ‘deep listening.’ And I believe that to a certain level, doing faith formation with children, youth and their families begins with, and always entails, doing ethnographic research in and among the people where God has called us to do ministry. Too often, people in our roles come into a community with a pre-conceived sense of ‘vision.’ I did. When I came in to my congregation I had been involved in campus ministry, and I had five summers of camping ministry under my belt. I knew what I wanted to do. And this worked for a little while, until the bag of camp tricks I had was emptied out. I remember being surprised then, when my ideas and visions were met by our young people and their parents with a resounding “meh.” So I understand why the turnover rate for people involved in this ministry is so high. Once people hit this ‘wall’ they either decide that they don’t have what it takes, so they quit, or they decide that it’s the congregation’s fault for not latching on to their vision, so they quit in frustration or are fired. Those who I know who have been able to stay at this long term, are those who have learned that it is far better to listen than to talk; it is far better to observe and empower than to plan; and that the best vision is one that is created in community. They might not know it, but they are doing ethnography. They are practicing the art of deeplistening and of observation. God speaks in community. If we are quiet and attentive, we can hear what God is up to. So in this issue, we’re getting at ethnography. How do we, in our congregational contexts, step in to the role of researcher and listener. We listen to God’s people, and in the midst of that we hear the still small voice of God. Blessings!

New Companion Guides for the resources coming out of the Practice Discipleship Initiative are now available. These will help you take the materials and apply them to your congregation. You can find the materials at www.practicediscipleship.org Interested in leading a workshop at the Extravaganza? We’d love to have you think about submitting a proposal! You can do so at www.elcaymnet.org/workshops. Get your questions answered there!

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ETHNOGRAPHY? Throughout this issue look for links to great online resources about ethnography recommended by the Connect Journal editorial team. http://bit.ly/s46zmH For a look at ethnography, faith and World of Warcraft http://bit.ly/120BsYX Ethnographic insights into campus ministry http://bit.ly/17tDcwb Mr. Rogers was onto something http://slidesha.re/dnJwIX Ethnography howto PowerPoint from Ryerson University

Todd Buegler Executive Director – ELCA Youth Ministry Network Pastor—Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Maple Grove, MN Todd@elcaymnet.org

http://bit.ly/XFO3Bn A Practical Matters issue on ethnography and theology http://bit.ly/pVe9Ip A web site on ecclesiology and ethnography

SUMMER 2013

ETHNOGRAPHY 101—adapted from Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics by Christian Scharen, adapted by Clint Schnekloth

WHY YOU, TOO, SHOULD TRY ETHNOGRAPHY Editor’s introduction: Last year Christian Scharen (Assistant Professor of Worship and Director of Contextual Education at Luther Seminary) and his colleague Aana Vigen published Ethnography as Christian Theology and Ethics. This volume represents a rise in cross-disciplinary work between ethnography and theology. Youth workers and pastors with seminary degrees from the 90s might think of this kind of cross-disciplinary work as “reading the audience.” The basic assumption is that human lives animate theological reflection. As a result, there is a sense in which ethnography is theology, and theology is ethnography. What follows is an adaptation of Christian Scharen’s essay excerpted from that volume for “those willing to give ethnography a try.” If indeed you are willing to give it a try, read through this essay with a possible study context in mind. Write some notes along the side as you read: where will you muck around? What data will you triangulate? What do you need to see for yourself? Who will you interview? Clint Schnekloth

Ethnographic studies go beyond reporting ‘what is.’ Instead, they paint a fuller picture of what these facts mean in community. In other words, they are best at getting at ‘how’ and ‘why’ kinds of questions that shape individual and social decisions, activities, and practices.

MUCKING AROUND While approaches vary widely, a common thread pulls together the various things we include under the term ethnography—that thread might honestly be named ‘mucking around’. Ethnography engages the difficult and often messy work of going out to join in the life of people where they live. While for traditional anthropology this might require learning the tribal language of a people and living in difficult circumstances overseas, for you it might just mean learning the neighborhood, its peoples and their lives. Vivid writing and close to the bone reflection about the theological and moral issues at stake can only arise from the messiness of fieldwork in the midst of people. Yet such ‘mucking around’ might also require long hours, in another context, of careful listening to people’s lives. Such listening cannot simply be structured by a narrow set of predetermined questions but instead, relies on openended interviews that let questions emerge in response to the salient points raised by the person interviewed. Often such interviews take narrative form, allowing the multilayered unfolding of life lived. Practical details matter in ethnography. One must, for example, choose a site for ethnography study that balances the need for access with the prospect of rich experiences related

to one’s research question. One must plan with some flexibility the duration and details of the research, and its potential and complex effects for those participating in the study. Specific plans for use of core techniques of research must be thought through: participating and observing what, how, for how long, with which methods of recording; interviewing which sorts of people with what general questions, and so on. Historical, sociological, and other kinds of contextual data are needed to supplement the ethnographic materials and so on.

TRIANGULATING: THE GOOD KIND The rule of triangulating data is important to consider. This means one has at least three overlapping but distinct angles of vision on a given project, each offered by virtue of a different method (interviews, observation, participation, document analysis). It also means that as a whole, a research endeavor often relates ethnographic data to relevant quantitative sources of information (e.g. US census data, health/healthcare statistics, poverty indexes, historical documents or narratives of a community, nation, or place, etc.) Resourcing relevant quantitative sources of information can help to contextualize what one hears and sees through the ethnographic study.

GOING TO SEE FOR ONESELF At the heart of every ethnographic research project, participant observation might be also described as ‘going to see for oneself.’ But it is more than this, for one can go and see for oneself as a curiosity-seeker, with no intention of doing more than fulfilling a desire at the moment to find out more. One can, as well, be a 5

journalist who goes to see and learn more with an aim to share what one has found. But participant observation as part of ethnographic research is ‘untimely.’ Not captive to personal whim or the latest news cycle, this sort of participation can take time to dwell, listen carefully, and wait, if necessary, for the insights and experiences that help make sense of people’s lives in a particular place. A key aspect of such participant observation is, not surprisingly, recording one’s thoughts, reactions, observations, and wonderings. This is often done through what many call ‘fieldnotes.’ While this is mostly a background reality in the research process, it is absolutely essential. It is, in a way, a memory aid. While of course one might use photography, video and audio recording, or other techniques, nothing really replaces the discipline of notes. It is helpful if one is able to jot some notes during the midst of any given event or experience, but regardless, within a few hours of finishing for the day, one ought to spend the time to recount the experiences as fully as possible. The key here is narrative detail, and if a reactive judgment arises it can be placed in a margin and set aside so that the narrative focuses on giving as disciplined a picture of what transpired as possible without the shortcut terms we use for passing judgement (e.g. “His shirt was ugly” versus “His shirt was a bright green and pink Madras plaid, a bit wrinkled and untucked at the waist”).

INTERVIEWING Interviewing also has a key role in ethnographic research. One might say that when one ‘goes to see for oneself’ part of that process is asking questions of those one goes to see.

While one-on-one interviews are most typical, group interview are also common. They are not synonymous with focus groups, however, which are more like an opinion survey done in person and at slightly more depth than the typical phone, Internet or mail-in survey questionnaire.

ANALYZING THE DATA YOU HAVE COLLECTED

Interviews are difficult, and not least because they require both careful listening and very effective modes of asking questions—both opening questions and various sorts of followups. Odd as it may sound here in a discussion of how to do ethnography, having a handle of one’s own issues, and being spiritually grounded oneself, is of great help in the process of research generally and interviewing particularly. One can easily slip into either judgment or attempts at fixing. Books and mentors do indeed help with interviewing strategy but the best teacher is reflective practice, interviewing over and over and over, with critical evaluation of one’s efforts via the transcript.

Typically, one does not wait until the research is over to begin analysis. In fact, when one enters into a research project with one’s question(s) in mind, the analysis begins right away. This happens informally as questions arise as to what this or that comment or observation shows about the situation. There are disciplined methods of identifying themes that allow looking at patterns across multiple interviews. Simply attending to the discipline of research often leads one to begin to see key issues, common patterns and important new insights. As noted above with the initial research question, there needs to be room for taking stock of how what one thought would be the central themes or conclusion turned out to be off base or in need of substantive revision. Learning deeply and authentically from the field is a central commitment of ethnographic study.

Editor’s conclusion: So are you ready to give it a try? Remember the framing questions with which we began: Where will you muck around? What data will you triangulate? What do you need to see for yourself? Who will you interview? Let me offer some examples of ways I’ve engaged these kinds of practices in my own context, not offered as prescription but rather example to spark the imagination.

information on their municipal web site. Evaluate where you are weak, then add data from there. In our recent strategic planning process, for example, we were heavy on statistical information from surveys of our own congregation, so we made sure to include a neighborhood survey, as well as gathering a small group of unchurched people to talk about their perceptions of our church and the church at large.

In my context, my favorite way to muck around is to just walk around the neighborhood. Go into stores near the church you’ve never visited; try to tour factories; go down the driveways to farms. Plan an itinerary for this. Do four walks in a month. On the first week, walk north of the church. On the second week, south of your church. And so on. Spend the whole day walking. Take your time. Let what happens happens. There are of course many other and diverse and deeper ways to muck around, but this is a good start.

If you want to go see for yourself, I suggest places of work as a starting place. People love to talk about their work. You can get a tour, shadow parishioners for a day, and more. Pick a place of work, and spend part of a day there. If multiple of your congregation members work there, you can arrange a lunch or coffee.

There’s plenty of data to triangulate. Often cities provide all kinds of demographic and city

Interviewing is essential. It’s time-consuming, but bears much fruit. In our recent strategic planning process, I interviewed our fire chief, the local school principal, the head of parks & rec, neighboring pastors, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, and more. Prepare a simple set of questions you want to ask: What 6

Moreover, while this thematic analysis is certainly important to do in relation to one’s accumulating data, it is also a place for collaboration so that one is forced to present findings to others and hear their reaction. A collaborative research project in a local community or congregation could be designed and carried out. This is much more common in the natural and social sciences, and ought to become more standard in pastoral and youth ministry. The complexity of the world today—and the accessibility of so much information—make the limits of one researcher much more pronounced. What might it look like for church leaders to imagine a ‘co-laboratory’ or ‘studio’ model in which the whole process-from generating concepts and questions through publication— is shared?

Christian Scharen is the Director of Contextual Learning and Assistant Professor at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN., His main research and teaching interests center on worship and practical theology. A leading scholar working at the intersection of ethnography and theology, he lectures and writes in the areas of ministry, worship, ethics, ecclesiology, and popular culture.

needs in our community need to be addressed? What assets do we have in this community? How can we partner as church and your organization? What do you know about our church? Who else should I talk to? Assemble a team of people in your congregation who are also doing this kind of ethnographic research, then meet periodically to share notes. If one of you is more into analysis of survey data, and another is better at walking the neighborhood, this gives a chance to bring diverse experiences together into a cohesive whole. Most importantly, find a way to make it fun, and be an adventure. There’s a whole world out there waiting to be discovered. Oftentimes, there is far more to a neighborhood or community than first meets the eye. Engage in just these simple practices listed above, and you yourself, your congregation, and your neighbors will be enriched immeasurably.

SUMMER 2013

PAYING HOLY ATTENTION I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was early in the semester, and I had just walked out of one of my qualitative research classes. I was on fire. Never had I been more energized, more impassioned by an academic class. Mind you, this is coming from someone who had been in school for twenty-something of her thirty-odd years, so the sample size for comparison was considerable. A friend pointed a finger at my enthusiasm and asked me what “qualitative research” was. “It’s all about immersing yourself in a situation and using all the observation tools you’ve got, in order to learn about what’s going on: interviews and ethnography and looking at artifacts and observation and….” I gushed. My companion cocked a head. “Oh. So it’s academic justification of your basic nosiness in other people’s business.” How else could I respond, except with an affirmative shrug? Granted, the research methods taught in that class found a hospitable host in me. Looking back, I had been groomed for this moment from my earliest years. I grew up itinerant, the daughter of a career military father. Every two years, give or take, we pulled up stakes and moved to another corner of the globe. We had a ritual when we arrived; first, we’d pile into the Chevy Impala and spend a day driving. With a map spread between us on the bench seat, my mother and I would navigate as my father drove. We learned where the schools, the commissary, the playgrounds, and the office were. We saw the swanky officers’ housing and the modest enlisted barracks. We noted the trees, the manicured lawns, who was out and about, who was missing. Next, we’d stop by the base chapel and introduce ourselves to the chaplain to see how we could be of use. We’d learn the landscape, locate ourselves in it, and figure out what we needed to do. Without knowing what it was called, my family was teaching me how to be an ethnographer. “Ethnography” asks the question, “What is the culture of this group of people?”1 It’s one of the earliest and most basic forms of qualitative inquiry, and we engage it informally every

time we step into an unfamiliar context and try to sort out what is going on. My friend had it mostly right; it is a disciplined way of being nosy, and then some. Riding around with my family, I learned that being human in this world requires keenly developed skills of looking, listening, adapting, and responding. New surroundings on a frequent and regular basis meant being able to read situations quickly and carefully, paying attention and figuring out the best way to be present. Moving into adulthood, I carried this practice into the work I did as a high school teacher, a student of religion and education, a professor, a faith formation director, an administrator, and even as a parent. That qualitative research class helped me take what had been an intuitive way of leaning into situations and develop it intentionally. In fact, I would argue that anyone who practices ministry or education, especially with youth and young adults, would do well to learn how to “be” an ethnographer in the world. Why?

1. IT IS THE FIRST STEP IN DOING THEOLOGY. Learning theology (or learning about theology) requires basic literacy skills; doing theology means reflecting critically on revelation and practice and then articulating the fruits of that reflection. Ethnography presumes that knowledge can be discerned from close, informed observation of the world around us. This is as much a theological statement as it is a sociological or epistemological one. How? Practicing ethnography is a disciplined way of paying holy attention, of becoming attuned to the revelation in our midst. And claiming the Incarnation has practical implications. We are called to pay attention to who we are, and all that we bring to our interpretation of the world; we pay attention to the other, on their own terms; and we listen and look for the presence of the Holy as revealed in the ordinariness of life. And let’s face it – the Christian tradition is rich with narratives that remind us over and over again that the obvious isn’t always the divine. Rather, God seems to have a tendency to 7

by Helen Blier choose methods of self-revelation that would be easily overlooked by those not paying attention. Consider Elijah, hearing the whisper at the mouth of the cave; David the shepherd, identified as the leader of his people; the birth of a baby who turned out to be the Messiah. We are called to learn how to exegete life just as we learn how to exegete scripture. In doing so, we participate in the great and ongoing act of sacred storytelling. Furthermore, ministry is not just about doing activities or implementing programs; it is about nurturing a quality of presence – an empathetic way of being that Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster call a “Godbearing life.” They point out that working with youth is, in a way, “inhabiting an alien culture” for a time2. By paying close attention to the stories and lives of the young people in our midst and exegeting them, we teach them something absolutely crucial: their lives are a place where God’s revelation takes place and they have the capacity to mediate, discern, and participate in the holy. As a minister, you’re not bringing God to them; you help them pay attention to the God who is already there and who got there long before you (and they) did. And, hopefully, they come to know that they are indeed in the imago dei. Which brings us to another point….

2. IT’S A NECESSARY STEP TO BEING CHRISTIAN, TOO. Being Christian isn’t just about listening and observing – it is about acting, as well. Paying holy attention and exegeting context has consequences; it quickly leads to the realization that things are not necessarily the way they could – or should – be. God isn’t the only reality revealed; the brokenness of the world intrudes in our line of vision, too. More than just attuning ourselves to the presence of the Holy, the Christian life calls us to be responsive to the places in the world where God’s reign is unfolding or the imago dei begs for restoration. As ministers among youth, we are charged with inviting them to participate in that work

– to see what is, to imagine what could be, and to step responsively into the distance between the two. But it can be heartbreaking, even paralyzing, to recognize the enormity of the distance. The practice of ethnography provides a way to lean into the task, to frame the first steps for discerning how to live faithfully. It’s a means for engaging the kind of reflective practice that undergirds the oldest Christian disciplines of discernment, seeking to know God’s will and live in partnership with it. The end of this discernment is always action, and the first step is paying attention. So, if ethnography is a practice that facilitates Christian living, shouldn’t we teach young people how to do it and not just do it ourselves?

3. YOUNG PEOPLE ARE PRIMED TO BE ETHNOGRAPHERS THEMSELVES. The developmental perspectives of researchers like James Fowler, Robert Kegan, and Carol Gilligan articulate what we already know intuitively from being with them - they are at that funny, wonderful, frustrating cusp between self-consciousness and self-awareness, with all the attending capacities for social observation and criticism. The task of discerning meaning in the world, achieving identity, and finding that to which they will commit themselves faithfully is the most crucial work of the adolescent years. Just as they are at that work, they also stand increasingly alienated from meaningful participation in a world that, as David White

points out, defines their primary vocation as consumption and entertainment3. If the call to Christian life is at heart the transformative participation in God’s reign, then the jarring disconnect between the Christian vocation and the cultural narrative calls the Christian to action. Put differently, one hundred percent of us have been called to do God’s work in the world, and one hundred percent of us are gifted to do that work. Regardless of their age and “not-yetness,” youth have a vocation as youth, and their newly awakened capacities for observation are one of those gifts. Coaching them in basic ethnographic skills helps to broker that gift in thoughtful ways, teaching them how to pay attention to themselves, to each other, and to the world around them. Learning how to pay holy attention helps them temper reaction into response and practice empathy, hearing the sacred stories of their lives and others’. It brings to mind writer Barry Lopez’s wonderful line: “Everyone is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together; stories and compassion.” This compassion is key; it guides the connection between their stories and the tradition, giving purpose and focus to their ability to act and a meaningful place in the world. Youth ministry is a volatile field. Activities and programs are context-specific, and they come and go. The landscape in which we all do our work is constantly changing. Paying holy attention is a practice that has staying power in a professional world filled with new techniques

and shiny objects. Among all the best practices and skills a competent minister needs, “cultivating an ethnographic presence” should hold a prominent place in the toolbox. At its best, youth ministry seeks to animate young people’s gifts for observation, compassion, and action. Paying holy attention to them and teaching them how to do the same moves in two directions: it models their glorious status as a means by which God can be made known in the world and it shows them that they can be participants in the healing of the world. Poet Mary Oliver has perhaps said it best:

Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. 4

Helen Blier has worked as a high school teacher, a member of the Youth Theological Initiative team, and a professor of youth ministry at Candler School of Theology and Boston College. She currently works at the Association of Theological Schools and serves on the executive board of the International Association for the Study of Youth Ministry and the editorial board of the Journal of Youth Ministry.

BIBLIOGRAPHY If you are interested in reading works by youth ministry writers who have used theologicallyinformed ethnographic approaches in their writing, I recommend taking a look at the following. Many of them are published by Pilgrim Press as part of their Youth Ministry Alternatives series. Baker, Dori Grinenko, and Joyce Mercer. Lives to Offer: Accompanying Youth on Their Vocational Quests. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2007.

Parker, Evelyn. The Sacred Selves of Adolescent Girls: Hard Stories of Race, Class, and Gender. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010.

Turpin, Katherine. Branded: Adolescents Converting from Consumer Faith. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2006.

Parks, Sharon Daloz. Big Questions, Worthy Dreams. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Van Meter, Tim. Created in Delight. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013. White, David F. Practicing Discernment with Youth: A Transformative Youth Ministry Approach. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2005.

Rogers, Frank. Finding God in the Graffiti. Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2011.

Michael Quinn Patton. Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2002), 81. The entry on ethnography provides a helpful and accessible definition of ethnography. Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster, The Godbearing Life. (Nashville, TN: Upper Room, 1998), 32. Dean and Foster write of youth ministry as “missionary” work; “Youth ministry compels us to inhabit an alien culture rather than just visit and pose for snapshots. This habitation does not mean that we adopt youth culture as our own. One sign of healthy adult leadership is the ability to be one with youth without becoming one of them.” 3 David F. White, Practicing Discernment with Youth. (Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim, 2005), 37. 4 http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/62038-instructions-for-living-a-life-pay-attention-be-astonished-tell?auto_login_attempted=true. Accessed April 14, 2013. 1 2

SUMMER 2013

MAKING PEOPLE REAL LISTENING MAKES PEOPLE REAL. Good listeners are aficionados, connoisseurs of fine stories! People come to life as we sit and hear their stories of great joys and great sorrows. Here is what really good listeners do: • Listeners help people tell their stories. • Listening does not “should” on people by outdoing, fixing, changing, manipulat ing, debating or even preaching to. • When someone “should” on another, they use words like, “You should . . . ” “If I were you . . . ” “ When I was your age . . . ” “Why don’t you just . . . ” • Listeners help people find their own words and thoughts. • Listeners help pull the words out, rather than stuff their own words in. • Listeners are mirrors reflecting what is inside, including feelings, meaning, be liefs, values, even understanding the workings of the Spirit. • We make people real by helping others know and understand their own stories. Listening is ministry leadership. Listening leadership often gets overlooked, when people expect leaders to be those at the microphones—people speaking, singing, lecturing, or serving on committees— the planners, organizers and those who wrestle with issues. Please, don’t misunderstand; microphone and committee leadership is important. These roles exist to equip and inspire all of us to care, welcome and affirm others every day, everywhere and in every relationship. Microphone and committee leadership should be what equips and inspires us to be lovers of others, loving because Christ first loved us, empowering us with skills and the heart to care enough to make people real. Listening is the front lines of ministry. Jesus sits beside the well with the Samaritan woman in John 4 and offers to give her “living water.” The beauty of the story is that Jesus never defines “living water.” For her that day,

by Lyle Griner

“living water” was the experience of someone knowing her story. Jesus makes her real, while sitting at the well, face-to-face, heart-to-heart and person-to-person, sharing the realities of her life. Listening ministry is about making people real, offering them “living water.”

a little more real. Everyone has experienced a bit of God being reflected by their group. The evening ends after the groups gather and the candles are placed in the center of the darkened youth room. Candle Time Prayers are shared.

KIDS LISTENING TO KIDS IN CANDLE GROUPS

Melissa and Emma are Peer Ministry Leaders, part of a core group of about 15 youth at Mount Calvary in Excelsior, Minn. All are trained as caring, welcoming and affirming listeners. The ministry grows in numbers because of the ability of a team of leaders to keep up more ongoing relationships than a single leader could sustain. Listening is magnetic. Kids discover an unusual group of kids who care. The ministry grows in spiritual depth because “real people,” not just “paid prayers,” model spiritual practices.

Emma and Melissa are high school juniors. They lead their Candle Group. The evening started with a game funneling everyone together. A song added focus. A creatively shared Bible story gave the background for their topic. Groups split up and chose darkened spaces around the building. Emma and Melissa chose a back corner in the church basement for their group. Emma lit a candle. Melissa shared a short prayer. Emma asked an opening deep question. The group talked. They shared life, they shared faith. They got silly, they got deep. When asked, kids say things about their groups such as “This group is what gets me through the week;” “We just leave our masks and all the pretend stuff at the doors before we come in;” “I love it that people actually listen to me;” and “I like it that our friends are allowed to lead. Adults, tend to talk too much.” Opportunities to sit beside wells seldom happen. Campfires might be a more likely experience. As the flames rise, so does the willingness to trust. Everyone’s shadows, vexations, apprehensions and inhibitions seem to flicker away. People sit staring into the flames, sharing anything and everything, sometimes all night long. Candle time creates that vibe. Emma and Melissa are culture keepers of this campfire atmosphere, building trust, honoring each other’s stories. Kids lead kids. The group grows because of them. Emma and Melissa’s job is to help kids tell their faith and life stories. God is part of that group. Kids leave, feeling they have been heard. There is grace in the world, there is love, everyone senses they are 9

Peer Ministry Leadership is taught to be lived everyday, everywhere and in every relationship. It is an education of the heart. Getting beyond teaching only head knowledge takes a lot of intentional work. Listening ministry requires that leaders learn skills. Teaching skills gives leaders the confidence to listen to others. Teaching skills that help others tell their stories requires practice. Beyond that, it is dependent on role models and mentors who live the skills.

EVERY DAY, EVERYWHERE, EVERY RELATIONSHIP MINISTRY The enemy of youth ministry is not hockey, football, band, play practice or even the chess team. As kids learn caring, welcoming and affirming skills, they also learn to listen outside the walls of a congregation. Youth ministry celebrates and affirms kids who are not in the church building! Kids are asked, “How is basketball going? How are the relationships on your team? How are you using your ministry skills? How can we be praying for you? We are so glad you are there! Our church needs you there! Keep on caring, welcoming and affirming your teammates.” “You are doing ministry!”

Note a couple things that are happening! One, kids are learning that the church is more than a long series of events. “The church needs you there!” is not the usual words heard from church leaders, who more often communicate, “You should be here!” Listening ministry allows kids to be Christ on the front lines of life, understanding that ministry is lived every day, everywhere and in every relationship.

YOUTH MINISTRY?

Two, sharing faith is being taught as a ministry that believes that God’s love and grace is truly unconditional and for everyone. This is very different than the experience of some Christians who need to change and convert others, who approach others assuming that some form of belief, or lack of, will put people in categories of “in” or “out,” with God. Kids are learning that listening and caring for your neighbor is sharing faith.

Therefore, we design programs as opportunities for intentional relational connections. Programs include a core of caring youth and adults who know this to be their role. Opportunities are provided in the midst of programs for face to face, heart to heart, person to person connections.

The big “ah-ha” for many youth is the discovery that they are already doing ministry. We just forgot to tell them that what they do counts. Listening, caring, welcoming and affirming friends is ministry. Help kids think of it this way. It is the mission trip that lasts beyond the week and now is lived every day, everywhere and in every relationship.

SPIRIT NUDGES Listening requires seeing people. Teach kids to be attentive to the Spirit’s nudges. Spirit nudges come with sensing or seeing situations that need care. Teach youth to observe others as a way to begin to get outside of themselves, caring for their neighbor. All ministry begins with seeing. Seeing and sensing that someone is being left out, maybe even pushed out, that someone is quieter than normal, missing someone who usually shows up, or someone sitting alone - all of these may be a signal that it is time to put those listening skills to work. Real friends step in when everyone else is stepping out. Real friends are attentive to Spirit nudges.

We are relational architects. We make relational connections. We help people grow relational faith skills. The congregation embodies, equips, engages, empowers and allows people. Our outcome is people who understand everyday relationships as ministry and have the skills and heart to listen so that God’s grace and love is reflected to others.

We embody the results we want, surrounding youth with people who model and mentor relational faith. Leaders first live it! We equip youth with very specific skills for living a relational faith. Teach relational faith skills to develop an atmosphere of care. It is the DNA training that underlies the culture of everything we do. It is that for which our ministry becomes known. We engage relational service opportunities. Help youth discover that Christian leadership is relational leadership. Constantly give youth relational opportunities. Leading candle groups, going with you to visit another youth in the hospital, pairing up with a new member family who has kids, leading camps, retreats, and every outing. We lead kids into conversations with people in our communities and people beyond our communities. We learn from cross cultural and cross generational conversations. We learn that you cannot hate a person whose story you know. No matter where we go or who we talk to, God is already there.

We empower youth to live life using their skills. “It’s not a job, it’s an attitude,” declared one youth. Relational faith is meant to be lived. Therefore, we ask kids how their ministry is going. How can we pray for you? How can we help your ministry? In the midst of your friends? Team? Work? Family? We allow kids to lead. Kids are either leading or they are leaving. “Our kids are not ready for this,” underestimates our kids. If they have friendships, if they live around people, they are in dire need of learning relational faith skills! See youth differently. They really can be the church of today. See your youth as your ministry team.

SURPRISE! Ministry doesn’t require a sign up form; it is all around us. “Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live.” -Isaiah 55.3. Living water... by the well, by the campfire, around the candle, in the cafeteria, in the living room, in the office, across the street, the other side of town, and the other side of the world. Listen, as God’s love surprises us and God’s grace captures us. I will listen to your story. You listen to my story. Together we shall know a little more about God.

Lyle Griner Is the National Director of Peer Ministry Leadership. He works with congregations to learn how to train youth, and coaches congregations on how to implement systems for caring student leadership. To learn more go to www.peerministry. org or contact him at pml@ everydayllc.org.

SUMMER 2013

3rd Tuesday Conversations are monthly gatherings of friends. They are great continuing education events. They are opportunities to hear from, and interact with experts in the field. 3TC conversations are free for Network members. Our schedule: Stay tuned at www.elcaymnet.org/3tc for Fall schedule!

Our conversations: We use online webinars. You can log in to a special webinar site and listen to the conversation while watching images on your screen. Or, you can watch on the computer while calling in and listening on your phone. You will have opportunities to ask questions as well.

Times: All 3TC conversations begin at:

2:00 p.m. Eastern, 1:00 p.m. Central

12:00 p.m. Mountain, 11:00 a.m. Pacific

Join the conversation! www.elcaymnet.org/3tc

Here’s our belief: There is an amazing amount of talent, expertise and skill within our community.

open source youth ministry

And we have all developed resources for use in our congregations. Many of us are willing to share those resources that we have created. MartinsList is a place to do that. Here, we can share our work with each other...and can create a community of mutual support in our ministry. It’s open source ministry.

www.MartinsList.org

It’s MartinsList.

D.I.Y. ETHNOGRAPHY: KID EDITION Ethnography. The term may seem like one best left to those who work in the social sciences, or perhaps you have associated this word with the design firms and ad agencies who are creating products and advertising for futuristic electronic products. But when it comes to faith formation for children in your congregation, one of the best (and most accessible) settings for ethnography is your own church building. Stepping into the role of ethnographer in a place that is so familiar to you requires that you view the experiences of kids through a different lens. But it’s definitely possible . . . and you might even have some fun along the way. Here is a quick look at how you could try out some DIY ethnography with the goal of learning more about how you can design parts of your church to be more welcoming and focused on children. Take a camera, record notes, jot sketches and be ready for some surprises along the way.

ENTRANCES AND EXITS Start your project by identifying where kids typically enter your building. The narthex? The education wing? Before you walk into the space, squat down to a kid’s eye level and stay there a while. What do you see? Is there signage that uses words and pictures? Do kids know where to go next? Are there artwork and symbols of the faith that kids can easily view? What messages, both intended and un-

THE FOUR-F APPROACH So how do you go about making your congregational spaces more inviting to kids? For starters, you can approach a specific room in your building with this Four-F approach. For each statement below, jot notes that reflect what your ethnographer’s eye views.

intended, are kids receiving when they enter your building?

WHERE IN THE WORLD DO THEY WORSHIP? Stand in your sanctuary and sketch a quick map of the seating. Where do kids and their families often sit? Draw circles there. Can parents make a quick exit with little ones (especially during the toilet-training months)? Use lines to show this path. Are there areas that seem to have an invisible “Grown-ups Only” sign? Make X’s there. What patterns do you see?

FAITH IN THE NOOKS & CRANNIES Next time it’s Sunday morning and you can take a few minutes, note the spots where kids make themselves comfortable . . . and the places they avoid. Are they gathering around the donut table, jumping off the stair landing, or (a common occurrence in my congregation) waiting outside the sacristy like hungry birds for pieces of the remaining communion bread? Has it been months since a kid-spotting in the library? Do kids bolt out of Sunday school classrooms the moment they are dismissed? Do any of them get a chance to see a pastor or other staff members in their offices, or are those spaces off-limits? By looking at your whole building and all the possibilities for faith moments to happen, you may come up with some ideas for rearranging furniture, hanging kid-friendly art and inviting kids to visit.

MAKE FAMILY MAPS If you have architectural plans of your building, size them so that each floor can fit on an 8.5x11 page and then distribute these maps to some families. Ask them to map a typical Sunday morning, using lines of different colors for each family member. Where do they go? How much time do they spend in each location? (Does any kid NOT use the bathroom at least once?) After collecting the maps, review several of them to look for patterns and outliers. Who needs to see these visual representations of how and when these spaces are used?

SHOW AND TELL In addition to observing how kids use the space in your context, ask them! Take a photo of each kid holding up a whiteboard that has their answer to a question about the space. (Examples: Where is your favorite spot? Where do you feel connected to God in our church?) Print the photos and create a display in a common area to show others the results of this ethnographic project.

A KID’S-EYE VIEW If you want to involve kids in another way during this DIY ethnography, invite one or more kids to help you! Give them digital cameras or smart phones and ask them to take photographs in and around your building. You could ask them specific questions (see the suggestions in Show and Tell above) or give them the freedom to shoot photos where they want of what they want.

NAME of the Room/Space: FUNCTION—What is the function of this space? FEATURES—What are the physical features of this space? FLAWS—What are the flaws in this space? FIXES—How could we make this room more welcoming to kids?

By Dawn Rundman

SUMMER 2013

SAMPLE FOUR-F APPROACH NAME of the Room/Space: Fireside Room FUNCTION—What is the function of this space? Adult forum some weeks when the usual space is occupied with other activities Informal gatherings during the week (Bible study, committee meetings) Impromptu meeting space Preparation room for weddings Sometimes parents with young kids come in here between services FEATURES—What are the physical features of this space? Close to sanctuary and bathrooms Carpet Comfy chairs Exposed brick around fireplace

Decorations (unlit candles, vases with artificial flowers, wall hangings) Overhead fluorescent lighting FLAWS—What are the flaws in this space? No artwork, religious symbols or words, or other faith-based images Lots of stuff that kids could break Lit gas fireplace with kids in the room could be dangerous Fixes—How could we make this room more welcoming to kids and families? Remove breakable decorative objects (or place them on higher shelves) Add table lamps for warmer, cozier lighting Add a rocking chair so a mother could nurse during worship

Dawn Rundman is on the Connect Journal team and is a longtime fan and supporter of youth ministry volunteers and professionals. She is a resource developer for children’s resources at Augsburg Fortress and sparkhouse, its ecumenical division. Dawn also presents workshops in congregations and at events about how to become a Child Loving Church. Dawn lives in the Twin Cities with her husband Jonathan and their two children.

ETHNOGRAWHAT? A FACEBOOK CONVERSATION - NETWORK MEMBERS Q: Where are your “listening posts?” That is, where do you go within your community to listen, observe and learn about young people and their cultures? Your responses may be published in the journal, the theme of which is on “Listening,” and how ethnographic research can be a tool in ministry Paul Clark My community has a pretty awesome (and I am sure rare) program for adult volunteers to be allowed into the school during the school day... so twice a month I wander the halls and deliver office notes into class rooms. Don Marsh Listening is the most important thing I do in ministry. Experience taught me long ago ( and continues to teach me) that what I have to say about life is far less important than what others NEED to tell me. Rachel Slough Sports events. Bleachers are an enlightening place to observe and listen-and as a bonus, you get to watch youth you care about shine (or, worst case, be there to comfort). Rachel Slough With caution, I also use facebook as a listening post. I know this is a slippery slope. But if the youth ask to friend me and I don’t seek out their posts, I’ve found it to be a very honest forum and way to know what’s happening in their lives. Sheryl Zeis I work more with young adults now. Coffee shops and the stores around campus can be very enlightening, especially Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market. Melinda King The local coffee shop, school events (band concerts and sporting events), Twitter (they are most open there), and luckily the 3rd floor of our church where the youth tend to hang out. Gene Ramsey Best listening post I ever found was the front seat of a car chauffeuring 3 teenagers in the back. Tracy Bieger I agree with Gene Ramsey, one of the best places I’ve found is during trips, even short ones. They are pretty honest on Twitter as Sheryl Zeis mentioned, and my youth are definitely on Twitter much more than facebook these days. My youth this past weekend at our synod gathering told me

“Facebook is for old people”. Exact words! I guess I’m officially old.

etc... regarding what is going on in their lives, than they ever will be face to face.

Jason Kramme I find that the students are the best cultural informants. Depending on your relationship with them, they are incredibly open and honest about things.

Paula Sebastian Johnson Social media and trips. Our youth are very active with instagram these days. When you go on a retreat and have the time just to interact and talk with them then begin to open up.

Lyle Griner Sat Sunday night with 24 parents in a Living Room, all from different church back grounds, all from the same neighborhood. Parents know SOOOO much more than they are given credit for. Their love and knowledge FAR exceeds what I can give kids. I learned a lot listening in that neighborhood gathering. Andy ‘Mo’ Moscinski Sitting at one right now, Perkins on a college campus after 10 pm. Great observation and listening. Seeing how these high school and college students interact with each other, with other groups. So diverse and I am by far the oldest right here right now. Linda Brandvold McPeak Anytime the young people are waiting for rides at school, community center, mall, or church. These interim periods seem to be great opportunities to see and hear their culture preferences. Social media is another great window; what songs they listen to, videos they like, and an underestimated one are internet memes. Memes carry quite a bit cultural info. SugarCreek YouthDirector Middle school lunch...watching, observing, listening, and talking with them. We have youth that come from our church, our partner church, some from the community and some from no church background. It is amazing how open and comfortable they all become through the year and how they share and just “be” when we come to eat with them. Ariel Williams Social Media is my best way of listening to my youth... they are far more open and honest on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, 14

Rich Melheim I go here. Mark Parker Patterson Park. the Southeast Anchor Library the basketball court inside my church Working in the planting area outside my church Sitting on my front steps with my guitar The Pre-K through 8th grade school across the street. Shannon Fleischfresser We have a youth drop in center at our church that the middle school students come in 3 days a week, hanging out at the high school after our Friday morning bible study before school starts, sporting events, going on trips- to Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, the Dells, etc.- or long trips and social media sites. Molly Haggerty-Brewster I am a substitue teacher by day and ministry staff by evenings and weekends. This helps get perspective of youth culture in religious and secular settings. It is interesting how much the students in class want to talk about faith or religion.

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONS! For ELCA Youth Ministry Network: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/2310375886/

SUMMER 2013

ETHNOGRAWHAT? A FACEBOOK CONVERSATION - ELCA CLERGY Q: Where are your “listening posts?” That is, where do you go within your community to listen, observe and learn about young people and their cultures? Your responses may be published in the journal, the theme of which is on “Listening,” and how ethnographic research can be a tool in ministry Sara Litzner Coffee shop and McDonalds play area (which was just recently taken down :-().

Pastor Sherry McGuffin Bars and sports events.

Sara Litzner Sometime a pizza place too Clint Schnekloth Our play area is also under construction. This has caused concern in our household.

Rob James I echo the coffee shop. My daughters started soccer last night and being a leader who can’t stand on the sidelines in a leadership void, I became the assistant coachshould be a lot of learning!

Sara Litzner This summer I am thinking of making the soccer field my hangout.

The other I would add is our monthly food pantry.

Sara Litzner 6-8 office hours at the soccer field near the concession

Stacy Hill Seger Youth choir/band/orchestra concerts, plays, etc... and, of course, Facebook. Folks do lots of talking on Facebook!

Paul Petersen The coffee shop that is part of our new campus ministry building and the patio out front Kathi Inglis Johnson Coffee shops. Restaurants. Shopping malls. In the fall, high school football games. Krister Ulmanis When my son was playing soccer I did a lot of pastoral care by simply standing on the side lines and watching him play. People saw me as his dad, not the pastor, and felt comfortable talking about everything that went on in their lives. Powerful experience and wonderful lesson. Have been doing something in the community ever since. Lura N. Groen Pretty important to have close friends who aren’t in church. Local drag bar. Transgender community center. Facebook. Bus stops. Volunteering at homeless service providers. Public events at a university. And yes, coffeeshops. Scott Alan Johnson Bible study at the coffeeshop downtown. Meeting random people at the golf course. Sermon writing at Panera/ other coffee shops in my collar. Kim Peterson Coffee group at the local coffee shop. Develop wonderful friendships with people from the community and learn a lot.

Katya Ouchakof The gym. I’m a water aerobics instructor in my “spare time” and it’s a great way to get to know folks who may or may not be churchgoers. The sports bar. Seriously, I can’t count the number of sermons and newsletter articles I’ve written at Buffalo Wild Wings. Free wi-fi, and friendly staff who think it’s awesome that their customer is writing a sermon with a glass of wine. PJ Holthus Student union at our campus two lunch hours every week at the same table by the traffic flow Sarah Schaffner My neighborhood.

sibility of speaking with, hanging out with, and listening to youth and young adults in your congregation. Emily Pankow Nesdahl I eat lunch at the school a few times a month. Now that school is out I will be the cheerleader for the t-ball team that our congregation sponsors. Anna Garbisch Sorenson Little League games Joel Martin I play poker at a bar that offers a free weekly poker tournement Matthew March Football press box, band concerts, pool, chaperone school dances, Facebook, instagram, the lake. Eric Burtness “Listening post”? 26 hour volunteer training at the local women’s abuse shelter. As the only male. Chris Duckworth Road Races (5K, 10K, Half Marathon, etc. etc.). Clint Schnekloth Parties John Dietz A lot of conversations/ listening happen at the grocery store here. Dairy Queen. After confirmation and Sunday School at the doors of the building. Kenneth Melber Jr. Farmers Markets. People talk about anything and everything there.

Gail Cromack A great old diner. From 1937. The diner-- not me:) Noah Hepler I might add local comicons, theaters, game stores, comic shops. Noah Hepler Also, finding a nice guild on world of warcraft. Kent Lee local bike shop, paddle board store, and local hang out/bar Noah Hepler if its not already been mentioned yet, there’s always the awesome pos15

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONS! For ELCA Clergy Conversation: http://www.facebook.com/groups/ elcaclergy/

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! THRIVENT CHOICE The Network is grateful to its individual donors and organizational partners for supporting its mission and vision for the future. The Network is funded in 3 ways: Extravaganza fees cover approximately 2/3 of the cost of the event. The remaining 1/3 is covered by organizational and partnership gifts.

Thrivent Members Can Now Choose

N AGA RAV EXT

The Network! The ELCA Youth Ministry Network is now a recipient of Thrivent Choice dollars! Folks

extravaganza

who have access to these dollars can go to

IST

Funding for developing our future vision comes from financial gifts from individuals, and organizations.

ION

operating expenses

RAT

Network operational costs are covered by membership dues.

REG

Connect Journal • Staff • Publicity • Etc...

MEMBERSHIP DUES

These individuals have made a special gift during the current fiscal year to help further the mission of the Network. We are grateful for their support! Rachel Alley Nate Althoff Jeff “Spanky” Amlotte Catherine Anderson Andrew Arnold Kristen Baltrum Sarah Bane Molly Beck Dean Don Behrendt Mark Behrendt Arne Bergland Kris Bjorke Ramona Bouzard Lois Brown Eric Carlson Melissa Chaddick Debbie Clipson Timothy Coltvet Heidi Cryer Carole De Jardin David M Deeds Susan Detwiler Jeffrey Engroff Patty Erickson Margie Fiedler Liz Fisher Shannon Fleischfresser Ryan Fletcher Ray Gentry Desta Goehner Regina Goodrich Joshua Graber

Shannon Greely Deborah Grupe Julie Hagen Heidi Hagstrom Peggy Hahn Barbara Harner Ian Hartfield Emily Henselmeier Jim Holthus Mary Houck David Hunstad Kathy Hunstad Kate Huron Chelle Huth Tony Kerlavage Lisa Kramme Kim Krummel Leann Kruse-Arcia Shirley J Lee Lynn Leisen Martha Maier Tyler Malotky Matthew March Don Marsh Cary Mathis Karla May Tiger McLuen Julie Miller Susan Miller Sarah Moening Rick Mollenkopf-Grill Andy (Mo) Moscinski

Pat Netko Julie Schuessler Peralta Rose Prasad Rachael Puttbrese Linda Rambow Jason Reed Paul Rohde Greg Ronning Nikki Rud Katie Russell Marilyn Sharpe David Shoub Geoff Sinibaldo Beth Smallbeck Brenda Smith Dean Smith Jonathan Steiner Jacob Thogmartin Mary Toufar Kathleen Ulland-Klinkner Katie VanBeek Larry Wagner Kelli Weiss Hans Wiersma Lindsay Williams Jonathan Wills Colleen Windham-Hughes Beth Wolslegel Amy Woods Tammie Zarfos Stephanie Zinn

the Thrivent choice page and designate the Network as the recipient of your dollars! It’s a great way to support the Network! To make a donation, please go to: www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice . Log in, and from there you can search for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network in the listing of approved organizations, and make your designation! Thank you to all who have chosen the Network for your donations so far!

These organizations have taken the extra step to become Network partners this year to provide support for the Network. We are grateful for their support!

Gold Partners: ELCA Youth Gathering iGivings Luther Seminary Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

Silver Partners: Augsburg Fortress Publishing Lutheran Educational Conference of North America Lutheridge+Lutherock Ministries ELCA Mission Investment Fund 16

Wartburg Theological Seminary Youth Encounter Youth Leadership, Inc. Mike Ward Stewardship

SUMMER 2013

A VIEW FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE LIVING IN YOUR OWN PRIVATE ETHNOGRAPHY So, if you’re like most people, the word “ethnography” sends you scrambling to google for a definition. If you’re like me, you just pretend you know what it means until nobody’s looking, and then you sneak on to google. Either way, I’m assuming that by the time you reach this little postage stamp of the magazine, you have some idea what the term means. If not, now’s your chance to open your browser and find out. <cue sound of clock ticking while pages from a calendar run in reverse order to the 1960’s> I was baptized in a Lutheran church. I was confirmed in a Lutheran church. I went to a Lutheran college. I attended Lutheran worship services my whole life. I soaked up the ethos, the theology, the practices, the habits, the earth-tone clothing, the requisite solemn demeanor when returning to my pew after communion, and along the way I somehow managed to get confirmed, despite learning a fraction of what the pastor’s daughter knew. And then I successfully navigated the choppy theological waters of Concordia College in Bronxville, and had the stamp of approval for knowing my chops. In short: I was born and raised a Lutheran. (Though as my brother would insist, that should be “born and reared” a Lutheran.) It was what I knew, and I was good at it.

Over the years, my wife and I moved house many times, and each new move meant finding the new local Lutheran parish. In one of these moves, we found ourselves attending a place that was aggressively “seeker friendly.” Sermons were often replaced by videos of some pastor outside Chicago. Communion was increasingly jettisoned to make room for special occasions like Firefighter Appreciation Awards, and 45 minute sermons of laundry lists of things we needed to be doing better. Grace gave way to evangelistic inadequacy, and the Church year was replaced by a steady flow of sermon series. Most shocking of all, the broad-based, age-inclusive potluck dinners disappeared in favor of specialized coffee and pastries, which gradually came to exclude broad swaths of regular folks. At some point it dawned on me that--after a lifetime of being Lutheran--I now found myself in a place that had the word “Lutheran” on the sign (for a while, anyway), but had no connection to the traditions, beliefs, practices, music, culture, ideology, or theology of the Lutheran interpretation of faith. I had unwittingly joined a Lutheran church that was not. And here’s the point . . . Though I never intentionally sat down and said, “I shall now endeavor to perform an ethnography of Lutherans,” it was in fact what I had been doing all along, in some measure. I did not set out to study Lutherans, but I lived among them; I learned their ways; I sought to understand them; I walked alongside them.

by George Baum

And, for those reasons, I could plainly see that I had settled into a community that was not in the least bit Lutheran. Long story short, after a couple years in that place, when I could take no more, I wandered down the street to the Episcopal Church, where much to my surprise, I found the Lutheran Church alive and well! From the moment I walked in the door, I could see that it was an inter-generational place. The sermon focused on God’s unconditional love. The Sacrament was distributed at every service. And everyone was welcome. Everyone was part of the community of faith. Sometimes, the research is just because we want to know. And sometimes the research is just because we’re soaking in it. Either way, it seems you can tell when you’ve returned to your home, even when it’s not in your own backyard.

George Baum is one half of the band Lost And Found (speedwood.com), and is also a supply priest in the Episcopal Church, the father of two, and the husband of one.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: www.elcaymnet.org/calendar Start Date

End Date

Name

Location

Contact Person

Web Site

Targeted to:

June 22, 2013 9:00 AM

June 28, 2013 9:00 PM

Nebraska Synod Youth Mission Trip

Dallas/Ft. Worth

Lisa Kramme

www.nebraskasynod.org

Sr High Youth, Adult Volunteers

Sep 7, 2013 12:00 PM

Sep 7, 2013 4:00 PM

Faith Formation Support

Lord of Life

Heidi Cryer

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

Oct 4, 2013 4:00 PM

Oct 5, 2013 11:00 PM

Practice Discipleship Retreat

Luther Springs

Kenny Champagne

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals, Parents

Oct 19, 2013 6:00 PM

Oct 21, 2013 11:00 AM

FreeRide

North East, MD

Ed Kay

Oct 31, 2013 3:00 PM

Nov 3, 2013 12:00 PM

ELCA Youth Leadership Event

Camp Carol Joy Holling (Askland, NE)

Ed Kay

Sr High Youth

Nov 9, 2013 12:00 PM

Nov 9, 2013 4:00 PM

Faith Formation Support

Lord of Life

Heidi Cryer

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

Nov 22, 2013 6:00 PM

Nov 24, 2013 12:00 PM

Lutheran Youth of Nebraska (LYON) Assembly

Holiday Inn & Convention Center-Kearney

Lisa Kramme

www.nebraskasynod.org

Sr High Youth, Adult Volunteers

Nov 22, 2013 6:00 PM

Nov 24, 2013 12:00 PM

Lutheran Youth of Nebraska (LYON) Assembly West

Sullivan Hills Camp-Near Lodgepole

Lisa Kramme

www.nebraskasynod.org

Sr High Youth, Adult Volunteers

Jan 18, 2014 10:00 AM

Jan 19, 2014 4:00 PM

Nebraska Synod Middle School Gathering

Bethany Lutheran ChurchElkhorn

Lisa Kramme

www.nebraskasynod.org

Jr High Youth, Adult Volunteers

Jan 25, 2014 6:00 PM

Jan 27, 2014 11:00 AM

RoadTrip

Ocean City, MD

Ed Kay

demdsynod.org

Sr High Youth

Jan 30, 2014 1:00 PM

Jan 31, 2014 3:00 PM

Extravaganza 2014 Intensive Care Courses

Hyatt Regency; St. Louis, Missouri

E-Team

www.elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

Jan 31, 2014 7:00 PM

Feb 3, 2014 12:00 PM

Extravaganza 2014

Hyatt Regency; St. Louis, Missouri

E-Team

www.elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

Jan 29, 2015 12:00 PM

Jan 30, 2015 3:00 PM

Extravaganza 2015 Intensive Care Courses

Marriott, Detroit, Michigan

E-Team

www.elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

Jan 30, 2015 6:00 PM

Feb 2, 2015 11:00 AM

Extravaganza 2015

Marriott, Detroit, Michigan

E-Team

www.elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

July 15, 2015 6:00 PM

July 19, 2015 11:00 AM

ELCA Youth Gathering

Detroit, Michigan

ELCA Gathering Office

www.elca.org

Sr High Youth, Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

demdsynod.org

Jr High Youth

SUMMER 2013

frame January 30 - February 3, 2014 Intensive Care Courses: January 30 - 31 Main Event: January 31 - February 3 Hyatt Regency at the Arch St. Louis, Missouri www.ELCAYMNet.org/Extravaganza 19

ELCA Youth Ministry Network 11821 98th Pl. N., Maple Grove, Mn 55369