Connect Journal - Fall, 2015; Race by ELCA Youth Ministry Network

FALL 2015 Fall 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ $8.95

Journal of Children, Youth & Family Ministry

SEEING 1

Master of Divinity

Master of arts

Taylor Wilson, M.Div. CYF student

Earn your degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary!

At Luther Seminary, we’re looking at children, youth and family ministry through a different lens. What does it mean to think theologically when considering how to minister to children, youth and their families? Upcoming classes led by Andrew Root, Kenda Creasy Dean and Tim Coltvet address these new questions.

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“A ministry that turns to the theological seeks to share in the concrete and lived experience of young people as the very place to share in act and being of God. The goal of a ‘theology turn’ in children, youth and family ministry is not to get people to know information, but to seek to minister to the concrete humanity of young people, seeking for God’s action in and through their experience.” —Andrew Root, the Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry

luthersem.edu/admissions | 1-800-LUtHer3

UpCoMing C L a sses

Think theologically family, Childhood and the Church: Exploration in Family Ministry | Tim Coltvet

A theological framework for home and congregation ministry will be developed in this course, followed by practical ministry to provide effective ministries across the generations.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Youth Worker | Andy Root

Through Bonhoeffer’s writing and history students are given an example of a theological thinker in children’s and youth ministry to emulate.

Collaboratory: turning Hair-Brained ideas into sustainable Ministries | andy root with Kenda Creasy Dean

This course addresses millenials’ concern for sustainability in ministry—social, spiritual and especially financial.

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

CONTENTS Welcome! Todd Buegler

Seeing Black People: Confronting Race and Racism Guy Nave

Defining Terms on Race and Privilege Naomi Krueger

Can Youth Ministry Make a Difference in the Fight Against Islamaphobia? Todd Green

Subscription Information: call 866-ELCANET (352-2638) or visit: www.elcaymnet.org connect@elcaymnet.org

Kicking Open the Doors of the Church and Inciting Change Kwame Pitts

An Interview with David Scherer (Agape*)

Ten Children’s Books to Add to Your Church Library Today Anna Haase Krueger

The Hearts of the Fathers George Baum

Design and Layout: Michael Sladek Impression Media Group www.impressionmediagroup.com

Calendar of Events 21

Managing Editor: Erin Gibbons

UPCOMING CONNECT ISSUE THEMES:

Connect Editorial Board: Todd Buegler, Tim Coltvet, Nate Frambach, Sue Mendenhall, Dawn Rundman, Clint Schnekloth, Michael Sladek

The Link Between Youth Ministry and College (Winter ‘16) Human Sexuality (Spring ‘16) Mental Health (Fall ‘16)

ELCA YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORK BOARD Becky Cole: Board Member

Tom Schwolert: Board Member

Rev. Regina Goodrich: Board Member

Valerie Taylor Samuel: Board Member

Sue Megrund: Board Member

Erik Ullestad: Board Chairperson

Dr. Jeremy Myers, 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

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our

THIS FALL, REGIONS 2, 6 AND 8 WILL BE SELECTING NEW REGIONAL FACILITATORS.

God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” - Revelation 7:9-10

Our RF’s work to communicate the vision

tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white

and mission of the Network within their local regions and using regional teams, help

Dear friends,

to facilitate local networking. You can get There are times when plans change. Originally, our theme for this issue was going focus on the

more information at elcaymnet.org/RFs

connection between campus ministry and congregations. However in mid-summer, during our editorial team’s monthly conference call, something (the Spirit?) stirred up our conversations, and we knew we needed to make a change. Important (and tragic) events had again raised the temperature of conversations about race, power, privilege, and abuse in our country, and important dialog within the church was ramping up. Our team raised this question: “How can the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, and the Connect Journal, contribute to the conversation and challenge our readers to action?” This question led to spirited discussion within the journal’s editorial board—and to the decision to shift our editorial calendar and develop a new fall issue around the theme of race.

THANKS TO CATHERINE ANDERSON, WHO IS LEAVING HER ROLE AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE NETWORK’S PRACTICE DISCIPLESHIP INITIATIVE. Her vision and leadership have helped to create a ministry that has trained and supported tens of thousands of adult ministry leaders in all the synods of our church. Thank you Catherine!

We’re also keenly aware that conversation and dialog without follow-up and action is hollow. It is time to take concrete steps to address racism and privilege within our church and our culture. Our prayer is that this issue of Connect is another step toward that action, especially given our readers’ ability to shape the hearts, minds, and actions of the young people they work with every day. We are very grateful to those who wrote for this issue, particularly because we asked for a quick turnarounds so we could get this into people’s hands.

TAMMY JONES WEST, OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SYNOD, WILL STEP IN AS INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE PRACTICE DISCIPLESHIP INITIATIVE as we work to discern future directions for the

May God bless our conversations, and may God bless our work to change the church. Our hope

initiative. Thank you Tammy!

is that together we reflect God’s vision of “all nations, tribes and languages” standing before God’s throne, confessing God’s love and gift of salvation for all people.

CONGRATULATIONS TO DANNICA OLSON AND HER HUSBAND PATRICK! Dannica is the

Peace,

host of the Network’s 3rdTuesday Conversations. Their first child, Brindley Ann Todd Buegler Executive Director – ELCA Youth Ministry Network

Olson was born on September 13th! 3TC

Pastor – Trinity Lutheran Church; Owatonna, Minnesota

God bless all 3 of you!

Todd@elcaymnet.org

is on hiatus until Dannica returns to work.

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SEEING BLACK PEOPLE: CONFRONTING RACE AND RACISM by Guy Nave In the1999 movie “The Sixth Sense,” an 11-year-old boy who communicates with spirits that don’t know they’re dead seeks the help of a child psychologist. When the boy reveals to the psychologist that he’s able to communicate with spirits, he tells the psychologist, “I want to tell you my secret now…I see dead people.” The boy had kept this secret for years because he lives in a world where it is only appropriate to see living people. No one is supposed to see dead people “walking around like regular people.” Everyone around him—including his mother—tries to convince the boy that he is crazy. During the course of the past several years, especially since the election of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States, much of the national rhetoric has tried to convince Americans—especially young white Americans—that America is now a post-racial society. In this post-racial America, “seeing” race is as inappropriate and crazy as seeing dead people. At the same time young white Americans are being taught not to see race, black people in America (and around the globe) are experiencing severe forms of oppression, marginalization and discrimination on the basis of nothing more than the color of their skin. Since society seeks to make race invisible, it also makes racialized oppression invisible to those who are taught not to see race. If unarmed black people are being killed daily by police officers, it must be happening for reasons other than race. If all sorts of social disparities exist between white people and black people, it must be for reasons other than race. If black lives do not thrive in society as well as white lives, it must be for reasons other than race. For those taught not to see race, race cannot be the reason for the suffering experienced by black people.

STARTING THE CONVERSATION In a March 25, 2015 letter, Presiding ELCA Bishop Elizabeth Eaton asserted, “Recent events…prove we are not living in a post-racial society.” She continues, “I know it’s difficult to talk about race because too many Americans do not want to believe racism still exists in our country. Yet, as always, Christ promises to be alongside us, even in the most difficult of times, working for our reconciliation. Because of God’s promise, we can and must have a deep, honest and even painful conversation about racism.” In order to have such a conversation, however, we must first see race. A recent study suggests that now might be the time to have such a conversation. A recent Gallup poll found that the percentage of Americans “satisfied with the way blacks are treated in U.S. society” has dropped to a 15year low, falling from 67 percent in 2013 to 49 percent in 2015. White Americans are more likely now than in January 2015 to see the death of a black man at the hands of a white police officer as part of a broader pattern of racism, rather than an isolated incident.

When students are are forced to think, talk and learn about difficult issues like racism in college—often by black faculty and black students—it is easy for them to dismiss what they are hearing because for them, it clearly reflects the “liberal” ideological biases of “those people” who are making racism an issue. After all, if racism were still an issue, the important people and institutions in their lives (e.g. their parents and churches) would have already addressed it with them. This is why, as Bishop Eaton asserts, “We must have a deep, honest and even painful conversation about racism.” In her letter addressing the need to and difficulty of talking about racism, Bishop Eaton writes, “Yet, as always, Christ promises to be alongside us, even in the most difficult of times.” Not only does Christ promise to be alongside us, Christ also provides us an example of what it means to live a life committed to overcoming difficult times. One of the first steps is to recognize that we are living in difficult times and to recognize for whom these times are difficult.

RELIGION AND RACISM While many churches (especially predominantly white churches) are often reluctant to talk about tough social issues, churches can no longer afford to shy away from them. Churches need to provide safe spaces to talk about, explore and grapple with issues like racism. As a professor of religion at a liberal arts college of the ELCA, I often encounter young white people who have never explored, grappled with or been taught to think socially or theologically about difficult issues like racism. If anything, many of them have learned that God is concerned more with “spiritual” issues than with “social” issues. They’ve learned that addressing social issues belongs in the realm of politics and the church should not be engaged in politics. 5

According to the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ public ministry began with the bold declaration: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free. (Luke 4:18) Jesus recognized that the times were difficult and for whom they were difficult: the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed.

BLACK LIVES MATTER Many white people are afraid or reluctant to talk about racism because they don’t see racism as a problem. When black people talk about their experiences of being affected by racism, many white people are unable to relate to such experiences, and they often challenge

the experiences of black people because such experiences do not match their own. White people rarely experience racial injustice; instead, what they often experience is what they perceive to be attacks on their character when black people talk about the realities of racism. This is one of the reasons why it’s often difficult and painful for white people and black people to have conversations about racism. Many white people get upset and defensive when they hear the assertion, “Black Lives Matter.” In response, many white people retort, “All Lives Matter,” meaning white lives matter just as much as black lives. This is a given. Virtually every aspect of American society affirms that white lives matter, but in a society where black people have been oppressed for hundreds of years and continue to experience oppression on the basis of their skin color, asserting that “Black Lives Matter” is a challenge to the racism that runs deep within American society.

Virtually every aspect of American society affirms that white lives matter, but in a society where black people have been oppressed for hundreds of years and continue to experience oppression on the basis of their skin color, asserting that “Black Lives Matter” is a challenge to the racism that runs deep within American society. While most Christians believe and assert that Jesus loves and died for all people, they often ignore the specificity of Jesus’ inaugural proclamation found in the Gospel of Luke. By identifying the “poor” as the recipients of

“good news,” was Jesus implying he had no good news for those who are not poor? By declaring he came to bring vision to the blind, did he not care that the mute could not speak or that the deaf could not hear? By saying he came to set the “oppressed” free, was he suggesting that freedom is not for those who are not oppressed? Jesus was not asserting that the poor, the captives, the blind and the oppressed are more valuable than others. He was asserting that they are of equal value and need to be treated as such. The biblical account of Jesus’ life depicts him as advocating for people whom society had treated unjustly and whose lives seemed not to matter. By asserting, “Black Lives Matter,” we are not asserting that black lives are more valuable than all other lives. Instead we—like Jesus— are acknowledging that society treats certain lives as less valuable than others and that those lives are just as valuable. As followers of Jesus, Christian churches have a responsibility to challenge all practices— including racism—that value certain lives more than others. Often those in positions of privilege are uncomfortable challenging such practices because such practices often support their own privilege. It appears that Jesus himself may have had his own sense of privilege challenged at times.

THE WOMAN WHO CHALLENGED JESUS Both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark give an account of Jesus being confronted by a woman depicted as a racialized other. The Gospel of Matthew identifies the woman as a Canaanite (Matthew 15:21-28), and the Gospel of Mark identifies her as a Syrophoenician (Mark 7:25-30). While the Bible is full of stories depicting God sanctioning and demanding God’s people to commit atrocities against people of differing ethnic groups, we rarely spend time in church unpacking these stories. In order to inhabit the “Promised Land,” God’s “chosen 6

people” had to utterly destroy and annihilate the people in the land, who are often identified as Canaanites. Because most Christians read these stories identifying with the people of Israel, we rarely see, or identify with, the Canaanites. In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ encounter with a Canaanite woman, Jesus and his disciples enter the region of Tyre and Sidon where the woman meets them and begs Jesus to have mercy on her daughter. Jesus, however, ignores the woman. Then Jesus’ disciples say, “Send her away, Jesus, for she keeps crying after us, disturbing us.” Jesus turns to the Canaanite woman and says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In other words, Jesus says to her, “I don’t see you.” The author then depicts the woman as getting down on her knees in front of Jesus, begging for his help. Instead of helping, however, Jesus responds, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” As an African-American man who has and continues to experience the pains of racism on a daily basis, Jesus’ racist comparison of this Canaanite woman and her people to dogs has always been disturbing for me. I’ve come to realize, however, that to ask how Jesus could have said something so insensitive and racist is to miss the point of the story. The focus of this story is the woman’s response, not Jesus’ racist assumptions about Canaanites. The story reveals some of the prevailing assumptions of God’s “chosen people” about Canaanites. The story also reveals how people are often influenced by the prevailing views of their culture. Jesus was a Jew, and his response to the Canaanite woman reflected common Jewish opinions about Canaanites. The Canaanite woman, however, challenged these opinions. After Jesus’ comment about not giving the children’s food to the dogs, the Canaanite woman responds by saying, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” This Canaanite woman

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stands toe-to-toe with Jesus and challenges Jesus’ racist assumptions. Maybe in the afterlife the power that Jesus represented would be made available to this Canaanite woman and her people. But she refused to wait until the afterlife. Her daughter needed a miracle from God now, so she acted now! She demanded to be seen. It might even be argued that she was asserting that “Canaanite Lives Matter.”

NOT ONE DAY, BUT NOW As Christians, many of us are quick to talk about how “one day” things are going to be better. And while there may be things in life we cannot change—things for which change has to wait—far too often we talk about how “one day” things are going to be better because we’re too afraid to try to make them better today. We’d rather wait and do nothing instead of challenging systems of injustice. After the June 28, 2015 fatal shooting of nine black parishioners attending a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina by a 21 year-old white man who was a member of an ELCA congregation, Bishop Elizabeth Eaton sent a letter calling ELCA communities to a day of mourning and repentance. In that letter, she wrote, “Each of us and all of us need to examine ourselves, our church and our communities. We need to be honest about the reality of racism within us and around us. We need to talk and we need

to listen, but we also need to act. No stereotype or racial slur is justified. Speak out against inequity. Look with newly opened eyes at the many subtle and overt ways that we and our communities see people of color as being of less worth.” One of the ways churches can act is to teach and speak out against racism. While I’m sure the pastor and members of the ELCA congregation in Columbia, South Carolina did not teach the perpetrator of the Emanuel AME shootings to hate black people, I have taught at Luther College long enough and have interacted with enough students to know that many young people can actively engage in church and college without ever encountering teachings that explicitly challenge racist assumptions and stereotypes. As leaders who work closely with young people, it’s imperative that we create environments where racist assumptions and stereotypes are challenged and young people are empowered to see race and embrace racial diversity and oppose racial oppression. It’s imperative that we create environments that actually affirm that “All Lives Matter.” One of the ways we do that is by acknowledging within a racially oppressive society that “Black Lives Matter.” And in order to acknowledge that black lives matter, we must begin by seeing black people.

Guy Nave is a professor of religion at Luther College and an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In addition to being an author, teacher, minister, and highly sought after speaker, Guy was one of the translators for the Common English Bible. Guy is a regular contributor to the Luther College’s Ideas and Creation blog, Sojourners online, and his own blog at clamoringforchange.com. Guy’s academic interests include the intersections of race, religion, and politics.

DEFINING TERMS ON RACE AND PRIVILEGE by Naomi Krueger If you’re just entering the national conversation on race, you may feel daunted at the thought of talking about race or racism with the youth of your church. But here’s the good news—acknowledging that you don’t know much is a great first step to dismantling privilege and racism. The next step is doing something to change that. And then keep on admitting that you don’t know much. To get you started, here are 12 key terms and some basic definitions. Please do more research and listening on your own, as this list is certainly not exhaustive . 1. Race: a social construct that puts people into specific categories based on their skin color. Historically, racial categories were built in order to justify discrimination and unequal treatment of people of color. 2. Racial prejudice: baseless beliefs or attitudes toward members of a particular race, which often lead to negative thoughts, harmful stereotypes and discrimination. 3. Racism: the unequal treatment of other racial groups by a majority race that holds economic and social power. Power is the cornerstone of racism, which is why “reverse racism” is not really possible. 4. Systemic racism: the laws, practices and norms built in a society over time that disadvantage members of the society based on their race. 5. POC: people/person of color, often the preferred term over “non-white” because it doesn’t describe people with a negative adjective. 6. Color blind: the idea that a person “doesn’t see color” and is therefore not racist. This attitude is problematic because it ignores the unique experiences and perspectives of people of color by assuming a worldview that is normative for white people only.

7. Black male code: the unspoken, unwritten rules that govern how black men must act in public in order to protect themselves from harm. (For example, “don’t wear your hood up at night” or “don’t put your hands anywhere but up when confronted by police” or “stay vigilant, especially when in an affluent neighborhood.”) 8. White privilege: unearned benefits held by white people. White privilege manifests itself in social and economical advantages, which may or may not be visible or acknowledged. Privilege is usually a result of historic subjugation and systemic oppression of another group of people. You know you’re privileged if you can decide when or where to engage with the realities of racism in our world. 9. Cultural appropriation: when a dominant group adopts symbols, religious practices, art forms or other cultural expressions from an oppressed group without respect for the culture they’re taking from. For instance, dressing like a Native American for Halloween or wearing dreadlocks as a white person. Cultural appropriation happens when the dominant group benefits from something that the minority group is usually oppressed for. 10. #BlackLivesMatter: started as a social media hashtag and evolved into a movement after a series of police-shootings of unarmed black men (Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and others). According to its website, #BlackLivesMatter “is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.” 11. #AllLivesMatter: a social media hashtag used by mostly white people in response to #BlackLivesMatter. the hashtag is problematic because it diminishes the injustices faced by black people in its attempt to silence or override the demand for justice.

12. Reconciliation: the act of coming together in unity, after a process of truthtelling, listening, and forgiveness. This is not an easy process. It’s important to approach the reconciliation process with loads of humility, self-examination and empathy. If you’re committed to starting the journey toward acknowledging and dismantling your own power and privilege in pursuit of reconciliation in our communities, please continue to educate yourself. Become a sponge, learning with humility and empathy, and always be quick to admit that you don’t know anything.

Naomi Krueger Naomi Krueger is a freelance writer in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She also works full time as a children’s resource developer at sparkhouse (Augsburg Fortress Publishers). Naomi has a B.A. in journalism and reconciliation studies from Bethel University. Read more from Naomi about being an ordinary change-maker on her blog at naomikrueger.com and follow her on Twitter @ naomi_writes. Special thanks to Rev. Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung, author and executive director of Community Renewal Society in Chicago and Dr. Leon A. Rodrigues, Chief Diversity Officer at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities for consulting on this article.

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CAN YOUTH MINISTRY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ISLAMAPHOBIA? by Todd Green One of my favorite courses to teach at Luther College is a study abroad course called “Islam in Europe.” Students join me on a whirlwind tour of five countries to learn about the cultural and political debates surrounding Europe’s Muslim minority communities. We visit plenty of mosques and Islamic centers along the way, gaining a glimpse into the lived religious experiences of Muslims from Belgium to Britain. Most of my students have never stepped foot inside a mosque prior to this course, nor have they engaged in any significant interfaith dialogue with Muslims. It’s all quite exotic for them in the beginning, but by the end of the course, they are much more comfortable navigating around a mosque, witnessing the rituals involved in daily prayers and talking to Muslims on topics ranging from Jesus to jihad. Most importantly, their misgivings about Islam have all but disappeared by the time we step on the plane to head back to America. But should this be such a novel experience for my students? Wouldn’t it be better for them to come to college from congregations that have already provided them with opportunities to attend Friday prayers, to hear Muslims discuss their faith firsthand and to study the Quran? Yes, it would. Islamophobia is a massive problem in the United States, one that cannot be overcome by hoping that our children and youth will all head to college one day and take a course that challenges their preconceived notions of Islam. If we are realistic, we must accept that the majority of our children and youth will never engage in the academic study of Islam. Most of what they will learn about Islam will come from the media or the movies. In other words, they will learn Muslims are violent and dangerous, people to be feared. Churches must therefore take the lead in the fight against Islamophobia and accept greater responsibility for providing members

with more accurate, nuanced perspectives on Islam. But how can churches do this more effectively? How can youth ministry programs help in the fight against anti-Muslim prejudice? Before addressing these questions, let me tackle a more basic question: What is Islamophobia? Islamophobia is an unfounded fear, hostility or hatred toward Islam and those who practice it. Islamophobic attitudes involve viewing most or all Muslims as inherently violent, backward, irrational, misogynistic and uncivilized. These attitudes are sometimes translated into actions against Muslims, including restrictions on civil liberties, employment discrimination and hate crimes. From a global perspective, Islamophobic actions also include detentions, torture and casualties arising from never-ending wars on terrorism. Islamophobic attitudes and actions are often given a pass by the larger public because of the negative perceptions toward Islam held by the majority population. A recent “Huffington Post”/YouGov poll reveals that 55 percent of Americans have a somewhat or very unfavorable view of Islam. This matters because it leads large numbers of Americans to offer either tacit or explicit support for policies and practices that harm Muslims. Christians in America are not necessarily helping the situation, particularly white Christians. To take the example of torture, according to a “Washington Post”/ABC News poll from December 2014, 75 percent of white mainline Protestants believe the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation techniques” in the war on terror were justified. Among white evangelical Protestants, 69 percent believed this treatment was justified. Despite unequivocal condemnations of CIA torture from human rights organizations and international church bodies, large majorities of white Christians support the torturing of Muslims and Arabs in the name of national security. It is hard to 9

imagine that these levels of support would exist if those being tortured were not Muslims or Arabs but white Lutherans or Methodists. Racism and bigotry have infected too many churches when it comes to attitudes toward Muslims. Why should churches care about Islamophobia? They should care because human lives and human dignity are at stake. They should care because, as the data above suggests, they might be contributing to the problem more than to the solution. They should care because the gospel calls upon Christians to love their neighbors, to do justice and to love mercy, to do unto others as they would have others do unto them and not to bear false witness against others. The way of Jesus cannot be reconciled with the hostility toward Muslims that plagues our nation. It’s time for churches to spend less time condoning Islamophobia, even implicitly, and more time combating it. To do this effectively, they must address one of the root causes of this bigotry—the lack of personal relationships between Muslims and the non-Muslim majority. The Pew Research Center indicates that 62 percent of Americans do not know a Muslim. It’s just a little higher than the percentage of Americans who have unfavorable views of Islam. This is not a coincidence. Many Americans have negative opinions about Islam in part because they don’t know any Muslims. Churches must forge positive relationships with Muslims if there is any hope of loosening Islamophobia’s grip on the country. This means that interfaith engagement will need to become more central to the mission of churches. Congregations can no longer afford to view interfaith work as an extracurricular activity. One of the reasons that many congregations have struggled to make interfaith work more central to their mission is that seminary

education for clergy and other religious professionals has long downplayed the importance of interfaith literacy. When I was in seminary in the 1990s, I took a grand total of zero courses on religious traditions outside of Christianity. To my knowledge, the seminary only offered one elective on “world religions.” None of the core theology courses incorporated readings from other religious traditions. As for Islam, I cannot recall ever opening a copy of the Quran or hearing a professor engage Islamic concepts in a seminary classroom. Things are better today. Increasing numbers of seminaries and divinity schools offer courses in religious traditions beyond Christianity. Comparative theology, a branch of theology that encourages Christians to learn with and from other religious traditions, is receiving its due attention in theological education. Some theological schools are beginning to hire practitioners of other religious traditions as professors. Other seminaries have centers or institutes dedicated to interfaith relations. Interfaith literacy is much more a part of the vocational training of future religious professionals than it was just a couple of decades ago. What this means in the long run is larger numbers of church leaders who are more inclined to make interfaith work a primary focus in their ministry. Interfaith engagement, however, cannot be the sole preserve of seminary-trained professionals. Congregations must take steps to strengthen their interfaith commitments and to build on the interfaith momentum of seminaries. In the case of Islam, one strategy congregations can adopt is a worship exchange with a local mosque. Churches can invite Muslims to attend special liturgical services (Lent, Christmas Eve) and provide an opportunity for fellowship and Q&A after the services. Muslims can return the favor by inviting parishioners to attend Friday prayers or to celebrate Eid al-Fitr (the feast marking the end of Ramadan), again with an eye toward enhancing interfaith understanding and relationships.

Another strategy involves outreach. Congregations can reach out to mosques in order to coordinate outreach projects. For example, Christians and Muslims can work together to build homes for low-income families in the community. Building new homes translates into building new relationships. Social outreach projects have the added benefit of taking some of the pressure off of both religious communities when it comes to focusing their efforts on resolving controversial or tense theological disagreements. Such dialogue is important, of course, but sometimes the most meaningful relationships are forged not around a “dialogue table” but in the world beyond the church and mosque. How can youth ministry programs build on these interfaith strategies and further the church’s mission to combat Islamophobia? One suggestion pertains to Sunday school curriculum. If seminaries are able to incorporate the study of other religious traditions into their classes for religious professionals, why can’t churches do the same for youth? Why not have a Sunday school class that studies the Quran for an entire year? Or at the very least devotes one year to the study of sacred texts other than the Christian scriptures? Yes, this is a tall order for those who teach these classes. Ministers, youth ministers and Christian education directors would need to take it upon themselves to acquire some basic literacy in these topics. Seminaries can offer valuable assistance here in terms of continuing education programs and classes focused on the teaching of other religions. Congregations also might find help from religious studies professors at local colleges and universities. An alternate model involves inviting members of a local mosque to visit Sunday School classes as guest speakers. This could be one individual, such as the imam, or it could be different individuals who take turns talking to the church’s youth about what the Qur’an means to them and how they read and interpret it in their daily lives.

Another suggestion involves confirmation. Traditional confirmation curricula focus on teaching youth the fundamentals of their denomination’s tradition. Lutheran churches, for example, often sponsor classes that help confirmands learn the basics of Lutheran doctrines and history. There are good theological reasons for this focus, such as the need to help youth understand the religious tradition that they are entering into as full members. But what if confirmation was not focused on learning about Lutheranism in isolation from other religious traditions but in conversation with these traditions? What if youth ministers and confirmation teachers developed or adapted curricula that incorporated site visits to mosques, synagogues, and temples? What if confirmands spent the better part of a year learning about the texts and traditions of religious traditions such as Islam or Hinduism while also learning about Lutheran texts and traditions? Youth that have these types of experiences will be in a much better position to contextualize what they encounter about Islam or other religious traditions in the media. They also might be more interested in making friends with people of different religious traditions and to see these friendships as a natural extension of their Lutheran faith.

What if confirmands spent the better part of a year learning about the texts and traditions of religious traditions such as Islam or Hinduism while also learning about Lutheran texts and traditions? Youth that have these types of experiences will be in a much better position to contextualize what they encounter about Islam or other religious traditions in the media.

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A final suggestion involves mission trips. Many youth groups organize service-oriented mission trips. What if youth ministers worked with members of a local mosque to co-sponsor a service trip? For example, Christian and Muslim youth could travel to an area hit hard by a natural disaster in order to deliver food, water and other supplies. Interfaith service trips provide opportunities for Christian youth to experience and appreciate Muslim commitments to the poor and others in need. They also afford Christian youth a firsthand glimpse into Islam as a lived religion as Muslim youth observe dietary requirements and daily prayers. I am not naive. I know from personal experience that interfaith engagement is not easy. It’s complicated. It’s messy. It’s time-consuming. It’s intimidating. Perhaps most importantly, it can come across as very threatening. For youth ministers who try to initiate interfaith endeavors, it’s not uncommon to get pushback from some parishioners who fear that exposing children and youth to the study of other traditions, and to people from those traditions,

runs the risk of undermining the Christian faith. Our youth may grow to question Christianity as they develop more curiosity about the faith of others. With Islam, there is the added fear that they may convert to a dangerous and hostile religion. My experience does not confirm these fears. When my students from Christian backgrounds study other religions, or when they visit mosques and interact with Muslims, most don’t turn away from their Christian faith but toward it. Learning more about how Muslims understand Jesus, for example, makes them curious to delve more deeply into how Christians historically have understood and debated his significance. While my students find interfaith learning challenging, I rarely encounter a student who is turned off from the Christian tradition by studying Islam or interacting with Muslims. Quite the opposite! Along the way, they also develop a greater respect for Muslims and a stronger desire to cultivate friendships with Muslims.

That’s what we need in the battle against Islamophobia. More friendships. We cannot win this battle without them. They break down barriers. They erode prejudices. They replace hate with hope. They offer a brave new world for Christians and Muslims alike. But the possibility of embarking on this brave new world depends now more than ever on congregations making interfaith work central to their mission while recognizing the importance of children and youth in that mission’s success.

Todd Green is associate professor of religion at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He is the author of “The Fear of Islam: An Introduction to Islamophobia in the West” (Fortress Press, 2015).

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.

KICKING OPEN THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH AND INCITING CHANGE LOST IN TRANSLATION...

by Kwame Pitts

My location where I am serving is rather different and slightly challenging from my original social location, especially as my spirit rises and wanes with each passing new rising of the dawn. I should start out by saying that I am a woman of color, from the African diaspora and from the Creole culture; I am straight, married, a mother and continuing to expand my circle of those who are suffering beyond my own African-descended people. I have lived in the urban, middle class environment of Chicago most of my life, and that is where my heart lies—because the reality is that the oppressive systems and empire have shut out an entire tribe and race of my people from access to being seen as living, breathing human beings that love, move, celebrate and lament; that work extremely hard because we are already seen and perceived as subhuman; that bond with our children because of our bond with the creator and our ancestors who continually speak to us through our blood and through the drums, music, languages and wisdom of our people. Each morning, as I am driving to work along the Bishop Ford Expressway here in the Chicagoland area, specifically the south suburbs, I pass a flashing sign. The sign screams “Blue Lives Matter.” My 14-year-old son stated upon seeing the sign, “Yes, the good cops’ lives do matter, NOT the rogue ones.” My son goes to a private Christian high school located in an adjoining suburb, which, I am sure, stands in solidarity with the Fox Lake community, where recently a local police officer was murdered. I feel for that family and that community because, from all accounts, this cop was a good and dedicated servant. But when people shout “Blue Lives Matter” and in the same breath are advancing upon black and brown bodies, I have serious issues

about that statement, and my soul grows angrier by the minute. In this context, I am fully aware of my blackness and how people perceive me as a person of color. So how can I, moving forward, teach my young members about what matters most to the creator? About whose lives matter most to our holy parent? These are a few of my thoughts. Conversations about the myths and the truths surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. This is first and foremost the best defense: sharing with youth my activism during seminary and visiting Ferguson and asking them what they are perceiving and what information has been gathered for them to make an informed decision. Group activities during Sunday school or youth night help youth begin to understand where they are coming from, their fears, concerns and misconceptions about race. Engaging theologically the cross. For people of color, the Theology of the Cross has an impact beyond Luther’s understanding of what it meant for him in that community and in that time. For us, people of color, as stated by Dr. James Cone in “Theology and the Black Experience” by Drs. Albert Pero and Ambrose Moyo, “God encounters us in the human condition as the liberator of the poor and weak, empowering them to fight for freedom because they were made for it.” If we call ourselves Christians, are we in name only or do we follow Christ as footstep followers? What strength do we bring with us beyond those doors, into the streets as Lutherans? How can we identify with those who are suffering, and how can we stand as an ally? In other words, how are we preparing our youth to actually go out and speak out? We as Lutherans love and claim Bonhoeffer, but are we bold enough to actually use him and live out his examples to effect change? Are we willing to learn about “the other,” whomever or whatever that may be?

Cultural Competency. Just because we have those who are of other shades of skin in our congregations, does not mean we are diverse, especially when we do not invite them into concrete relationship with one another. One action would be to connect with another Lutheran or other denomination church community and their youth group and do activities with one another, from relationship building to being an asset to a community beyond our comfort zone, where we can also learn from them and hear their stories. But stay away from the “paint a fence, look what we did” hero routine. Social Media. Routinely, as I am called to share the gospel in the physical space, I also feel called to share the power of God’s message throughout the virtual space. Both should be seen as sacred. Social media is where many of our youth are interacting with their peers and the wider, global society, and this is also where tons of misinformation can be found. Engaging with my youth and others through various modes of social media is one a great tool. Field Trips, Action on the Front Lines. We do field and mission trips for everything else… why not a field trip to hear a theologian at a seminary or a local conference? Why not take a mission trip to Baltimore or Ferguson to meet other youth and work alongside one another on projects? This suggestion is geared more for our high school youth. An ageappropriate idea for younger members can be created (and would be helpful in populations that are homogenous), but we need to actively be involved in effecting change right where we are. Parents and You. One of the most challenging things about doing ministry with our youth is the concerns of parents, and as a parent myself, I completely understand. However, as a pastor, I am charged with expanding, growing and creating educational and learning avenues

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for my youth, and one thing that many of our parents need to understand, especially when you have pastors, assistant pastors, deacons, etc. who are staff members in our churches and who are people of color, is that we cannot offer opportunities that are alien to us (i.e. of other cultures that are familiar to the church but not to us). Therefore, if we are speaking about race and faith, then before engaging in such, there need to be frank conversations with those parents about their fears, misunderstandings, misconceptions, etc. The parents are vital to our youth groups functioning beautifully; we cannot do it without parents, but the parents must lean on the creator God and their faith, and allow us to be a part of the building up of our youth.

This list is a start; it really depends on where you are feeling the Holy Spirit calling you, where you are and how you can be connected to the communities around you. But do me a favor: If you are going to be an ally, don’t sit and do nothing. That is the only way this world will be transformed.

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. We are currently on hiatus: Stay tuned at www.elcaymnet.org/3tc for information

The Reverend Kwame Pitts has been called to Redeemer Lutheran Church in South Holland, Illinois as their Interim Pastor, but that doesn’t mean she is not fully immersed in daily ministry! She is a recent graduate from the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. Understanding and influenced by both Martin Luther’s and Dr. James Cone’s definitions of the Theology of the Cross, she co-founded Seminarians for Justice, a student social justice organization dedicated to actively living out the mission and ministry of transforming and restoring the lives of beloved community.

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.

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 13

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID SCHERER (AGAPE*) LOST IN TRANSLATION... David Scherer, performing as Agape*, has spoken, sung, rapped and danced on stages across the U.S. and internationally. For over a decade he’s been sharing the gospel through performances, recordings and the urban youth ministries of Join Urban Ministries in Praise (JUMP) and the youth-led All Metro Praise (AMP) worship. Agape has shared his message of bridging gaps of race, gender, religion, socioeconomic status and other barriers at hundreds of venues, including several ELCA Youth Gatherings. In this interview, we ask Agape* about the formative influences on his faith, his theological point of view and the future he envisions for children, youth and families in the ELCA. Where do you identify your home congregation(s), and how often do you return? Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis. I attend once every six weeks or so. My wife Carolyn is there with our kids most weeks. Hopefully my pastor realizes that I’m not just skipping church for the Vikings but that I actually have places that I have to be on Sunday mornings. When you were a child, who and what shaped how you began to understand who Jesus was? My dad always talked about Jesus as the question to our answers not the answer to our questions. This understanding allowed me to see Jesus as being present in the midst of my struggles and questions. I always saw Jesus pushing our boundaries outward and never inward. I always saw his love as getting bigger and never smaller. This was mainly because of my dad’s teaching. Tell us a little about your youth group experience. In what ways did it shape your voice and vocation today? I actually didn’t grow up in a church youth group. This has shaped my approach to my vocation a lot. Because I didn’t grow up in

Christian circles, I am very sensitive to what it is like to be the outsider. My music is often for those who do not feel welcome in a traditional church. I feel called to reach out to that person like me who isn’t in a youth group and who thinks that some of the church stuff is a little strange. Good ministers are called to be translators, and my experiences outside of the church equip me to be able to do that. What is a book that significantly shaped your theological thinking? “Dynamics of Faith” by Paul Tillich Who is a person who significantly shaped your theological thinking? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What is an experience that significantly shaped your theological thinking? Before I went to Haiti for a trip with ELCA World Hunger, I had a lot of theology that was in line with my white privileged male experience. When I saw such extreme poverty and suffering I had to question some of my ideas. For example, I always thought that if you just send out “good vibes” that good vibes will come back to you. That’s clearly not the case as there were a lot of “good vibe senders” in Haiti who were not experiencing good things coming back to them. Even the idea that God loves me just as I am as I horde a huge chunk of the world’s resources while others die from scarcity feels like heresy in those situations. So it has really forced me to refine what I say about God and the world. If it’s not true in Haiti, then it’s just simply not true, period. During your graduate training at Luther Seminary, how did your studies merge or contrast with the experiences you’ve had as a Spanish language speaker, a hip hop artist and someone very involved with communities of color? Luther Seminary was a mixed bag for me. There were multiple teachers there who didn’t seem to want to engage diverse voices

in the classroom or in the worship spaces. The implicit message there seemed to be that northern European culture was synonymous with Lutheran identity. This conflation of cultural identity and theology is so dangerous in our Lutheran church today. I’m not saying every Lutheran has to be a rapper, but diversifying the voices that are lifted up within the church would be a great first step. Luther is finally making efforts right now to make space for others at the table. There is still a long way to go. This is not just Luther’s issue but the church in general. I’m trying to do my part in the place that God has put me. In your work with youth and young adults, what are some ways you and your colleagues are helping the ELCA face and end racism, white privilege and oppression in the church? I am part of a diversity engagement team at Luther Seminary that is trying to rethink our DNA. There is so much institutional racism in our church that we can’t even recognize because it is so deeply ingrained. There was a newsletter at Luther written a few years back that made a joke about how most people will be wearing Norwegian sweaters during the winter. I was really angry because it is these subtle inside jokes that exclude others. That is one of the more benign ways that we do it, but there are other practices that are much more nefarious. We have bureaucratic processes that exclude very bright people from our higher institutions and from considering ordained ministry. We have nepotistic professional networks that promote from within the same pool of people. One of the things we are trying to do is just help people expand their circles so that they realize that there are others out there who are bright and capable and who have a perspective that is needed. We talk so much about how we “should” end racism and we “should” consider our privilege. Yes, it is a moral imperative. But it is so much more than

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that. Engaging in racial reconciliation is about God inviting us into a new way of being. I do this work not just because it is the right thing to do. I do this because I NEED the gifts of others in order to seek what Parker Palmer calls “wholesight.” People will continue to be paralyzed if obligation is the only reason to get involved in racial justice. It’s about so much more than that. Our liberation is bound up in one another. Until we truly believe that we will keep having task forces and workshops and Twitter chats and we won’t get crap done. What is one thing “Connect Journal” readers could start or stop doing today that could help the ELCA end racism, white privilege and oppression? Discover the gift that God has waiting for you on the other side of your fears, your hangups and your clinging. There is something on the other side that is so beautiful. There is liberation for each of us. Oppressing others

is so hard on one’s soul. We are all groaning for something more. Some of us are groaning from having the boot on our neck, and some of us are groaning because we are tired of wearing the boot. This is what Paul is inviting us to when he tells us to be transformed and experience the metanoia of God’s freedom. Our world needs it. That’s 30,000 feet but more practically, find spaces and places where you feel uncomfortable. Personal prejudice doesn’t end from sitting in workshops. It happens in the cells of our body when we rewire our brains through courageous action. I have taught workshops on this stuff and then still had cellular reactions to situations that are motivated by fear and prejudice literally on the way home. We can’t workshop our way out of this one. Courageous action and reflection. Not just one or the other. Oh, and don’t forget prayer. That’s a good one too.

AGAPE* (David Scherer) has been touring full-time as a musician for the last 15 years, performing for hundreds of thousands of youth across the US, and in seven countries. He co-founded “JUMP” (Joint Urban Ministries in Praise), a ministry dedicated to helping urban youth unleash their leadership skills through the arts. His work was featured in “Peace of Bread” an ABCaffiliated documentary about food insecurity in America. AGAPE* graduated from Luther Seminary with a degree in Congregational Mission and Leadership. He currently serves at Luther as the Christian Public Leader Coordinator.

TEN TENCHILDREN’S BOOKS TO ADD TO YOUR CHURCH LIBRARY TODAY

By Anna Haase Krueger

Stories matter. They have meaning and value beyond the entertainment they offer. Christians know this fundamentally, looking to the stories and parables of the Bible to teach, comfort and guide their lives. Most churches have a library of books that are used in the nursery or for members to use at home, but have you ever considered who is represented in that library? When considering diversity or racial equity in children’s books, a common metaphor is that children need both windows and mirrors. They need windows to see into other’s lives—to see how other people live, to learn compassion, and to learn about how the world works. Children also need mirrors that reflect back and strengthen their own experiences, values and beliefs. The majority of books that are published feature Caucasian main characters, and those that do feature people of color are often about history, slavery or life in other countries. All of those things are good, but what about stories that represent diverse kids living here and now—in our congregations, schools and neighborhoods? They can be hard to find. Here are 10 suggested books to add to your church library to help make sure that both windows and mirrors are available to everyone. Hale, C. (2012). Dreaming up: A celebration of building. New York, New York: Lee & Low Books. All ages. This exceptionally clever book takes unique buildings around the world and makes a connection between the shape of the building and a common children’s play activity, such as building blocks and the angular geometry of Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” house. A short, concrete poem, geographical information about the buildings and biographical information about the architects round out this wonderful and genuinely diverse book.

Nelson, K. (2005). He’s got the whole world in his hands. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. All ages. Breathtakingly beautiful paintings that feature a multiracial family accompany the text of this familiar song. Nelson’s artwork balances the epic beauty of creation with tender, intimate moments of family life such as a father fishing with his young children. Because this book can be sung, it works with even the youngest children. Cunnane, K., & Hadadi, H. (2013). Deep in the Sahara. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books. Preschool and up. Sweet and accessible, this book is important for churches teaching tolerance. A young Muslim girl admires her mother’s malafa (head covering) because it is beautiful. She admires her sister’s malafa because it makes her mysterious. She admires her grandmother’s malafa because she looks like a queen. Each person tells her she admires the malafa for the wrong reasons, until finally she tells her mother that she wants to wear the malafa to pray. She finally understands that the beauty, mystery, tradition, and devotion that come with the malafa are all about the same thing: faith. Boelts, M., & Jones, N. (2007). Those shoes. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press. Preschool and up. All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes—the popular, expensive ones. But there’s no room for wants in his family, only needs. He finds a too-small pair secondhand, and buys them with his own money even though they are too painful to wear. When he notices that one of his classmates has smaller feet and taped-together shoes, Jeremy has a difficult decision to make about wants versus needs. Krensky, S., & Gillingham, S. (2013). I know a lot! and I am so brave! Harry N. Abrams. Babies/toddlers. These charming board books are part of the Empowerment series. In “I Know a Lot!” a smart little girl shares

rhyming couplets about all the opposites she has learned about. In “I am So Brave!” a rosycheeked boy talks about all the things he has learned to do that once scared him, creating a relatable script that adults can use when introducing their own children to new experiences. De la Peña, M., & Robinson, C. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. K-5. CJ and his grandma leave church and board the bus for an unknown destination. CJ wants to hang out with his friends and focuses on the material desires. Grandma lovingly chides him to focus on the good and points out beauty everywhere she looks. With themes of service, gratitude and compassion, this simple story provides a lot of opportunities for teaching in addition to its value as a read-aloud. Ashburn, B., & Denos, J. (2011). I had a favorite dress. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers. Preschool and up. Every child can relate to losing something beloved. In this charming twist on the theme, the main character has a favorite dress that she outgrows. Instead of getting upset, she and her mother creatively repurpose it from dress to shirt. Each season brings new growth, they find a way to adapt the cherished garment. This story is a delightful lesson in making do, finding joy and letting go, presented in a stylish and appealing format sure to lead to repeated readings. Ziefert, H., & Kreloff, E. (2006). Bigger than Daddy. Maplewood, N.J.: Blue Apple Books. Preschool and up. An African American father and son duo share a simple day of fun, visiting the park before dinner and bedtime. Throughout the day, Edward talks about how he wants to be big–like Daddy. When they pretend that Edward is big and Daddy is little, Edward realizes that he’s not quite ready to be big and is thankful for Daddy’s care.

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Yum, H. (2013). This is our house. New York: Frances Foster Books. Preschool and up. This gorgeous book tells the story of three generations in simple text, using the family home as a landmark through time. “This is the tree that bloomed in the spring when my mother was born.” The multi-racial main character shares important moments in the lives of her immigrant grandparents, her parents and her own life, creating a warm, family-centric tale. Sure to evoke similar conversations for families telling their own stories, this book is both intimate and universal. Jules, J., & Mitter, K. (2009). Duck for Turkey Day. Morton Grove, Ill.: Albert Whitman. K-5. Vietnamese Tuyet’s class is getting ready for Thanksgiving. As she learns about the holiday, she becomes concerned about her family’s Vietnamese traditions being too different. After the holiday, when her class shares their personal traditions–which range from Tofu to Enchiladas, Tuyet realizes that the real meaning of the holiday is celebrating family and togetherness.

Other great choices: Bean, J. (2013). Big snow. New York: Farrer Straus and Giroux.

Picture books for older readers Bunting, E., & Lewin, T. (2006). One green apple. New York: Clarion Books. (gr. 2-5)

Brown, M., & Palacios, S. (2013). Marisol MacDonald doesn’t match=Marisol MacDonald no combina. New York: Children’s Book Press.

Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books. (gr 4+)

Brown, T., & Evans, S. (2013). My cold plum lemon pie bluesy mood. New York: Viking. Khan, H., & Amini, M. (2012). Golden domes and silver lanterns: A Muslim book of colors. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Lee, S., & Lee, T. (2002). Please, baby, please. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Sheth, K., & Ebbeler, J. (2013). Tiger in my soup. Atlanta: Peachtree.

Tutu, D., & Abrams, D. (2013). Desmond and the very mean word: A story of forgiveness. Somerville, Mass.: Candlewick Press. (gr. 1-4) Woodson, J., & Lewis, E. (2014). Each kindness. New York: Scholastic Press. (gr. 2-5)

Anna Haase Krueger is a graduate of Bethel University and St. Catherine University. She is a Children’s Librarian in Minnesota and is passionate about early literacy, books and racial equity

THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS So, I know the theme of this issue is “Race.” And in thinking on that topic, I keep coming back to something more fundamental, in a way: parents. Here’s my story... I grew up in a horrible town of great beauty and potential, an awful place that millions of people happily come to visit each year. You might have heard of it—Niagara Falls. As a tourist, you zip into town, you see the sights, and you flee before finding out what life is like for the residents. That’s kind of the best way to visit a scary place: See the good, and get out before the bad. Since prohibition, this border town has had one foot in the underworld of the Mafia. However, with the 21st Amendment, the Mob has been on a bit of a slide, locally. The underlings and their descendants stuck around, but the big names moved on. This left the “soldiers” in a position of having mob-like mentalities in average-Joe workplaces. A guy who once turned out pockets is now turning wrench. A fellow who once busted kneecaps is now busting rocks. The children and grandchildren of these hasbeen big shots were our classmates. The kids came to school knocked around and knocked up, beaten and beating, furious and frustrated. It was just understood that minor disagreements were solved with fists and steel-toed boots, while more serious conflicts involved lead pipes and knives. Each year, our high school lost somewhere between three and 10 children to some kind of violence or accident. Every year. So, it was never surprising to any of us—or at least not to me. (My wife, who grew up in small-town Ohio still really can’t believe I’m not exaggerating when I tell her such things.) To those who grew up in that scary tourist mecca, it was just the way things were, and it never occurred to any of us to imagine a world where things were different. Violence, not intelligence, was how problems got solved.

In hindsight, it seems obvious how this all came to be: Fathers succeeded by law breaking and terror. When the Prohibition success went away, the law breaking and terror remained but got funneled into labor unions and local government. This set the tone for the next generation, and I was born into the generation after that. Elliot Ness didn’t come to Niagara Falls. Robert Kennedy didn’t notice my neighborhood. No one stepped in to say, “This is not how society is meant to be.” Niagara just kept falling. People who could get out got out. It’s a place to be from, but nobody ever moves back there. It is still unstable, dangerous and just plain sad. The easiest thing to do is walk away, and that’s what we did. Sure, once in a while you go back and drive around Goat Island, marveling at the power of nature. But because of the power of habit, you’d never seriously consider moving back. The evil has been passed down for so long that no one knows any other way. It’s just the way things are. Now I live in Cleveland, where Elliot Ness made his mark, and where the DOJ recently issued a scathing review of the Police Department. And somehow, this all seems connected to me. Parents, and kids, and violence, and fleeing, and race, and poverty. It all gets played out in the lives—and deaths—of children, but it comes from somewhere else. It starts in the home, and in our better moments, it starts to change in the home as well. “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” —Malichi 4:6

By George Baum 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.

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EXTRAVAGANZA 2016 Intensive Care Courses: February 4-5 Main Event: February 5-8 Hyatt Hotel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Anaheim, CA

Registration Opens July 1, 2015 at www.elcaymnet.org 19

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:

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

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page and designate the Network as the recipient of your dollars! It’s a great way to support the Network!

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Gold Partners: Augsburg College ELCA Youth Gathering GSB - Mike Ward Mission Investment Fund Luther Seminary Thrivent Financial Upper Missouri Ministries Unify Church

Silver Partners: Augsburg Fortress LutheranColleges.org Trinity Lutheran College Trinity Lutheran Seminary Wartburg Seminary Camp Frederick Faith Inkubators Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp Silver Partners

Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota Novus Way Ministries Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Region 3 Camping Network Wheat Ridge Ministries Youth Encounter Youth Leadership

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

End Date

Name

Location

Contact Person

11/3/15 1:00 PM

11/3/15 2:00 PM

Story of Faith Community

Webinar

Catherine Anderson

catherine.anderson@nemnsynod.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals, Parents

11/4/15 11:00 PM

11/7/15 11:00 PM Youth Leadership Summit

Camp Carol Joy Hollings Nebraska

Rev. Paul Amline

paul.amlin@elca.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

2/5/16 9:00 PM

2/8/16 2:00 PM

Extravaganza 2016

Hyatt Regency - Orange County, CA

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

11/3/15 1:00 PM

1/3/15 2:00 PM

Story of Faith Community

Webinar

Catherine Anderson

catherine.anderson@nemnsynod.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals, Parents

2/4/16 3:00 PM

2/5/16 6:00 PM

Intensive Care Courses 2016

Hyatt Regency - Orange County, CA

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

2/4/16

2/5/16

Network Board of Directors Meeting

Hyatt Regency - Orange County, CA

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.org

2/5/16 9:00 PM

2/8/16 2:00 PM

Extravaganza 2016

Hyatt Regency - Orange County, CA

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

5/29/17

6/4/17

Luther 500 Festival Week 1

Wittenberg, Germany

fetival@luther500.com

Adults, Youth

6/19/17

6/25/17

Luther 500 Festival Week 2

Wittenberg, Germany

fetival@luther500.com

Adults, Youth

10/2/17

10/8/17

Luther 500 Festival Week 3

Wittenberg, Germany

fetival@luther500.com

Adults, Youth

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CALLING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS

AUGGIES

Angela Bonfiglio ’13 serves as the director of youth programs for Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, and it’s ministry, Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee, where she organizes youth development, community engagement, and job training opportunities.

WE ARE CALLED

Youth and Family Ministry Set in the heart of Minneapolis, Augsburg College is a liberal arts institution guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church. •

Our interdisciplinary program weaves together bible, theology, sociology, psychology and ministry classes.

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Our hands-on internship and practicum opportunities are offered in a variety of settings.

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Our intentional diversity and urban location allows leaders to develop in a real-world setting.

If you know a student who should be exploring a call to ministry, introduce them to us at augsburg.edu/yfm.

1-800-788-5678 admissions@augsburg.edu

ELCA Youth Ministry Network 150 Oakwood Lane Owatonna, Mn 55060

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