Connect 2017 spring summer what's prayer final by ELCA Youth Ministry Network

SUMMER 2017 Summer 2017 • $8.95

Journal of Children, Youth & Family Ministry

What’s Prayer?

BUILD KITS OF CARE! Assemble School Kits with your youth group or Vacation Bible School for children living in poverty around the world. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to make the kits:

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For complete project instructions, visit BuildKitsofCare.org/connect!

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Members of New Hope Lutheran Church in Columbia, Md., assemble School Kits. 2

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

CONTENTS Welcome! 4 Todd Buegler Lord, Teach Us to Pray 5 Marilyn Sharpe

Prayer Languages—An Interview with Bill and Carolyn Kees 8 Bunmi Ishola

Prayer in Real (Lutheran) Life 10 Christopher Zumski Finke

Interview with Janelle Hooper 12 Bunmi Ishola

Prayer, Youth and Living a Vowed Life as a Benedictine Sister in 2017 14 Christopher Zumski Finke Subscription Information: call 866-ELCANET (352-2638) or visit: www.elcaymnet.org connect@elcaymnet.org

How Do You Teach Prayer to Young People? 16 Answers from the ELCA Youth Ministry Facebook Group

Corporate Prayer George Baum Design and Layout: Michael Sladek Impression Media Group www.impressionmediagroup.com

Managing Editor: Erin Gibbons

Connect Editorial Board: Todd Buegler, Nate Frambach, Erin Gibbons, Dawn Rundman, Michael Sladek

Cover Photo: Michael Sladek www.msladekphoto.com

Calendar of Events 23

UPCOMING CONNECT ISSUE THEMES:

Scripture, Practice & Why Nobody Wants To Do Bible Study Anymore (Fall ‘17)

ELCA YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORK BOARD Becky Cole: Board Member

Dr. Jeremy Myers, AIM: Board Member

Rev. Regina Goodrich: Board Member

Tom Schwolert: Board Chairperson

Kinda Makini: Board Member

Erik Ullestad: Board Member

Sue Megrund: 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

Dear friends,

NETWORK NEWS

The question was both simple and profound: “Why do we pray?” It was a middle school student

The Network continues to work on its

who asked the question in a small group. He wanted to know why we needed to pray. After all,

new strategic plan. The Network is a

“If God knows everything, why do we need to pray? Why do we need to tell God? It’s not like I

community of both leaders and learners.

pray for my grandma who’s sick and God says ‘Really? I didn’t know that. Thanks for letting me

And our goal is that every member of the

know.’”

Network works to create an individual development plan for vocation, skills and

It is a both a simple and a profound question because prayer is perhaps the simplest and yet

faith practices. The ELCA has committed

most profound of our faith practices.

to funding this strategic plan. Watch for more information coming soon on what this

Prayer is the expression of a relationship, and prayer manifests itself in a variety of ways:

• When Abraham expressed obedience by answering God’s call with the words “Here I am.”

• When Moses removed his sandals after God told him he was standing on Holy Ground.

• When Jesus prayed in the garden, asking: “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it,

means for the Network and for you!

The Network will again be partnering with the ELCA Youth Gathering at

your will be done.”

Extravaganza, 2018 in Houston. There

will be an Intensive Care Course on hav-

• When I saw a group of young people, following a car accident involving their friends,

standing in a circle, holding hands and praying.

ing a great youth gathering, as well as a

• When my spouse hears a siren, and pauses to pray for those affected.

gathering site tour and other ways to focus

• When I’m alone in the car, thinking about those things in my life about which I feel

on making sure your young people have a

anxious, and I realize that at some point my thoughts have morphed into prayer.

fantastic Gathering experience next summer. Watch for details coming soon!

Prayer is both communication and presence. It is both being and doing. It is speaking and listening. Prayer is the channel in which our relationship with God flows.

Extravaganza registration will open

This month in the Connect Journal, we are exploring prayer, both the “how” and the “why.” And

on July 1.

we’ll wonder together about how we teach prayer both as something for us to understand, and as something for us to practice.

The ELCA is in the interview process to fill their position of: Program Direc-

God’s blessings!

tor - Youth Ministries. Please keep their process in your prayers.

Todd Buegler Executive Director – ELCA Youth Ministry Network Pastor – Trinity Lutheran Church; Owatonna, Minnesota Todd@elcaymnet.org

SUMMER 2017

LORD TEACH US TO PRAY

by Marilyn Sharpe

Forty years ago, I was invited to teach seventh- grade confirmation. My answer? The easiest “NO!” of my life. I had only been Lutheran for eight months. I’d fill their heads with heresies. I had a horrible confirmation experience. I promised myself I’d never teach anyone that age anything ever. I cried in the delivery room four years earlier, imagining our beautiful baby would someday be a seventh grader. I had two preschool children at home. We only had one car, which my husband needed 24/7. And, here is what I was sure would seal the deal: I couldn’t pray in public! I was certain that the confirmation director would recoil in horror and run in the other direction, rescinding her invitation. She didn’t. And I finally, grudgingly, said I would do it, but only for one year! You can guess what the Holy Spirit did with that. I taught confirmation for 23 years, 13 of them as director of the program, and I fell madly in love with middle school kids, Lutheran theology and praying out loud.

nant with me and stayed 25 years! My gram prayed all the time about everything in heavily Swedish-accented English. She couldn’t have prayed in elegant Elizabethan English if the lives of her two grandchildren depended on it. She was a powerful role model for me for praying in my family, in confirmation, in parenting classes and adult Bible studies, with my friends and in all of the situations in life where we are moved to call on God.

The first year, it took me the entire week to write a two-sentence prayer. The only reason I could pray it aloud in class was that I was sure my kids weren’t listening! Don’t get me wrong: I have prayed all my life, silently in private and reciting rote prayers with others in public. I just didn’t feel I could speak to God in my own voice, in conversational English, about all of the joys and sorrows, wants and needs of my life. Twenty-three years of teaching confirmation cured that.

Jesus’ disciples, having observed the regularity with which Jesus prayed, implored, “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1). In response, Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer. We, too, teach children, youth and families this prayer. But it wasn’t the only prayer Jesus prayed in the Gospels. He prayed in every situation, with all those with whom he found himself.

I grew up in a three-generation family, and we prayed. We said a Swedish table grace at every meal. Before bed, we recited, “Now I lay me down to sleep,” until we were old enough to have memorized the Lord’s Prayer. My parents were deeply faithful people, but they belonged to the Silent Generation, who never talked about faith or prayed spontaneous prayers. And then, there was my grandmother, Agnes Carlson, a Swedish immigrant with a fourthgrade education, who came to visit my parents for two weeks when my mother was preg-

WHAT PRAYER IS: Simply, prayer is liv-

So, what does this have to do with your ministry to children, youth and families? Parents often feel intimidated and ill-equipped to teach their children and youth to pray. They don’t model prayers aloud in the home. Perhaps they didn’t grow up experiencing prayer in their homes. They drive their kids to church, where they expect you to do the praying. In worship, the pastors and trained lay leaders lead the prayers. We’ve professionalized everything else—why not prayer?

Let’s explore what we can learn from Jesus and teach God’s family about prayer.

ing your life as an ongoing conversation with God, in touch with God, aware of the presence of God.

WHAT PRAYER ISN’T: We don’t have to call on God in prayer to get God’s attention. God is always present and listening. It isn’t a news update to God, letting God know what we think, want or feel. It doesn’t manipulate God to give us what we want or to make our baseball team win. 5

WHY PRAY?: God calls us to pray. God is listening. In praying, we practice the presence of God, reminded that God is always with us. It reminds us to bring our needs to God and to remember to celebrate all of the ways God is and has been and will be with us. WAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO TEACH PRAYER: It’s never too early or too late to start praying. When you know of a family that is adopting a child, giving birth to a child, doing foster care or expanding by marrying a person with children, pray for them, pray with them and teach them to pray. At pre-baptism class, teach parents to pray for and with their children. Give the gift of a book of prayers that parents can pray with children. Give them a simple children’s Bible and show them how to read Bible stories to their children and pray with them. Andrea Fieldhouse Griner does a program called Faith Families. Each family with young children sits at its own small table, set with a family altar cloth, candle and symbols of stories and topics they’ve done together previously. Families have time to sit in silence, pray a prayer in their own words, read a Bible story and bless one another. Family devotions—the full-meal deal—and they literally take it with them in a box to replicate in their home. In VBS, Sunday school, Bible camp or any other setting, have the leader model simple prayers from the heart. Or invite participants to do a circle prayer, each one adding a line. Or gather written prayer requests in a basket. Invite kids and youth and parents to pray a prayer request. Do it by candlelight. Lyle Griner has my favorite resources for getting kids to pray. Kids of all ages! “Heart Ignite” has 179 different prayer experiences, engaging to all of the generations. “Candle Time Prayer Kit” is another spectacular resource, offering 54 creative and interactive prayer

experiences by candle light. Lyle has taught me so much and given me ideas for kids, youth, adults, my family and classes for parents. I am so grateful. His downloadable resources are available at peerministry.org. Rev. Dr. Dick Hardel taught me a lasting lesson in prayer. Instead of saying, “I’ll be praying for you,” stop right where you are and pray together. That has changed my prayer life. To date, there hasn’t been a single 911 call as a result!

MORE PRAYERS TO LEARN BY HEART: Hymns are wonderful prayers. Many of the lyrics come right out of scripture. St. Augustine said, “When you sing, you pray twice.” Make sure all children, youth and adults have a well-stocked library of faith songs. Don’t forget camp songs. They often carry the memories of sitting around a campfire, feeling close to God and nature and one another. Sing songs that tell God’s story. How many of us would know about Zacchaeus, if we hadn’t learned that “Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he”? Children’s books of prayer and table graces are a great way to get families praying. Some graces are set to music. Or find little wooden prayer cubes that families can roll and read and learn. With memorized or written prayers, it is easy to establish a routine of praying frequently. In I Thessalonians 5:17, we are reminded to “pray without ceasing.” It frames all of life in this ongoing conversation with God. Simplify. Borrow author Anne Lamott’s three favorite prayers; • Help me, help me, help me. • Thank you, thank you, thank you. • Wow! (Created after the birth of her first grandchild!)

PRAYER PROPS AND PROMPTS:

gather to eat, pray and do devotions. I do borrow from the best. SIREN: A 4-year old was in the van when her mother pulled off the freeway, hearing a siren. From her car seat came this request: “Mom, we should pray for the person who is hurt or sick or in trouble.” I’ve never heard a siren again in the same way! NEWSPAPER: Split the front section down the vertical fold. Give everyone a single sheet and ask them to look for three things: one thing that would delight God, one thing that would sadden God and one thing you think God would like us to do. Then pray it together. MAP: Spread out a map on the floor. Give each person three markers. Ask them to put one on the map where there is a person, place or event they want to pray for. Then, do it! CHRISTMAS CARDS: Pull out several Christmas photo cards from last year. Explain who the people are, why you stay in touch and what you think they might want you to pray about. Then, do it! SEEDS: Pass a seed packet around your circle, each naming something new that you think God is growing in you. Bless the “seeds” and pray for germination. TAPE: Pass a roll of tape around. Everyone take a piece, naming one thing God uses to “stick” us together. Give thanks. BANDAGES: Put an adhesive bandage on the back of your left hand. Name one hurt in the world; pray for God’s healing. TEA LIGHT CANDLES: Give everyone two tea lights. Light the first candles, while each person names someone who has been the light of Christ for them. Light the second candles, while each person names someone for whom they have been the light of Christ. Thank God for all who have borne Christ’s light to the world.

This is my cheesy and not at all original list of things I put on our family table when we 6

BIRTHDAY CANDLES: Before dessert on a birthday, give everyone, except for the birthday kid, a candle. Each person inserts their candle in the cake, naming one thing they thank God for about the birthday person. Light the candles; you know the song to sing!

THE ROLE OF SILENCE IN PRAYER: We live in a noisy culture, bombarded with sound and distraction. Psalm 46:10 reminds us, “Be still and know that I am God.” Help children, youth and adults learn to be silent, listen for God’s word and be centered in God’s presence. Light a candle, say a brief prayer and sit in silence. Start with a short time of silence. Stretch it longer, as participants discover the gift of being present with God. Ask them what they heard.

A FEW SIMPLE PRAYER PITFALLS TO AVOID: Years ago, before going to Arizona on spring break, an eighth-grade girl prayed this prayer: “God, let me get really tan, and let everyone be jealous when I get back.” Everything in me was yelling, “No, no, no.” I resisted the temptation to “correct” her prayer. My silent prayer for her was that she would grow to pray more generous prayers, with love and concern for others. Two weeks later, she returned to class. This time, her prayer was for a challenging boy in the class, who was not well liked and whose custodial grandmother was in the hospital. That prayer and God’s work in both of us brought me to my knees. I learned not to correct anyone’s prayer, but to pray for them. Some pray as if prayer is a Christmas wish list. Ask gently, “For who else and for what else would you like to pray?” Some believe that if only we pray the right words, with enough others, God will grant us the desires of our hearts. We can offer a gentle reminder that God is with us and those we love, even if the answer to our fervent prayer is not what we expected or desired. God does not need to be begged to answer our prayers.

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Too often, we turn to God only in hard times. This can lead us to believe that when things are going well, it is because we did well, and we don’t turn to God with thanksgiving. A robust relationship with God is a gift in all circumstances.

BE LAVISH WITH BLESSINGS: In our culture, we often limit blessings to a response to sneezes! God blesses us and calls us to bless one another. In Genesis 12:2-3, God calls Abraham into relationship with these words: “I have blessed you…to be a blessing… Through you, all of the families of this earth will be blessed.” That is also God’s call to each of us. Let’s teach families to bless one another. Frame the day in blessings—waking and sleeping, going out and coming home. It can be any of the following or a variation on them, tailored to a life situation. Simply make the sign of the cross on a beloved forehead and say:

• (First and Middle Name), child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. (This from the baptismal service in the ELW.) • God loves you, and so do I. • God goes with you throughout your day. • Welcome home. God returns you safely to us. • God bless you with deep and restful sleep. • God wakes you to a day full of possibility. • God gives you courage to do what is right and loving and just. • God bless you. • God be in your healing. • God fill you with joy. Prayer doesn’t have to be intimidating. Everyone has the ability to pray, bless and talk to each other and to God. So instead of worrying about praying, just pray! Others will learn from the gift you are sharing.

Marilyn Sharpe is the principal of Marilyn Sharpe Ministries, LLC, dedicated to helping congregations equip households to nurture faith in all of the generations, all of the time, wherever they are. She is a congregational coach, trainer, writer, presenter, speaker, retreat leader and teacher. Marilyn’s first book, “For Heaven’s Sake! Parenting Preschoolers Faithfully,” captures the wisdom of parents and best parenting practices, as they nurture faith in God’s youngest children.

PRAYER LANGUAGES—AN INTERVIEW WITH BILL & CAROLYN KEES by Bunmi Ishola “Lord, Teach us to pray,” the disciples asked. Jesus guided them through an example of how to talk to God. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…” Found in both the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the Lord’s Prayer is one of the most common corporate prayers in the church. This prayer comprises some of the first verses of scripture that children learn by heart. As we grow into adulthood, we strive to follow the example Jesus laid out for us, shaping our own prayer lives as Jesus taught. However, no student learns all he or she needs to know in one lesson, and a great part of learning comes from practice. While the Gospels do not describe other examples of Jesus teaching the disciples to pray, there must have been more examples of prayer to follow, more ways that Jesus showed us how to connect with God. Now retired, Bill Kees served as parish pastor, then as director of youth ministries for the ELCA, overseeing the denominational ministries with young people and the ELCA Youth Gathering. After retiring, Bill and his wife, Carolyn, moved to Chico, California to be closer to family. Both continue to be active in church ministry and work as certified spiritual directors. Bill and Carolyn have always had a strong interest in how Christians integrate spiritual practices in their daily lives, and one spiritual practice they have spent a lot of time exploring is prayer.

WHAT IS PRAYER? Bill believes the biggest assumption we make about prayer is that is must be verbal. “And it indeed is,” he says. “I think later in my life, I began to discover that prayer can also be a time of invitation into silence and to be quiet, and there are certain practices that one can engage to entertain that silence.” Most churches teach prayer as “a time to give thanks, a time to praise, a time to pray for others and to pray for self.” But Bill strongly believes that prayer goes beyond what we say. “Sometimes prayer is paying attention to what doesn’t leave you alone,” he says. “It’s something that gnaws at you. And I think that that’s

another way that God is trying to break in to your life.”

These are just a few of the ways that Bill and Carolyn talk to God.

Carolyn agrees. “It could be a relationship that’s broken and it keeps gnawing and you realize, I need to ask forgiveness of someone or forgive someone,” she says. “Something that keeps gnawing is something that makes me restless—then God is getting my attention.”

Centering prayer can be done either corporately or individually. If done in a group, the leader shares an opening prayer, area of focus or specific passage from Scripture. Then the group spends 20 minutes in silence. “Which sounds like an awfully long time, and it is,” says Carolyn. “But you’re invited to choose a word or a phrase that will bring you back. And this word or phrase will bring you back when you are distracted.”

Ultimately, Bill and Carolyn see prayer as a way of living. “Prayer is multiple ways of being in the presence of God, and sometimes I’ll even say that prayer is the way we live,” Bill states. “That means that every action, every movement, every part of my being is engaged in this very alive relationship with all of creation, all that God has given me.”

TEACHING PRAYER The Kees believe the most important thing parents and church leaders can do is to model prayer for the young people in their life. This can be at bedtime and mealtimes or even by teaching children prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer. Give children and youth the opportunity to pray during times of liturgy and help them shape their prayers. Bill says it is also important to let children choose the prayers they want to pray. “Some of them might be kind of funny, or different, but that’s okay,” he says. “It’s a lifelong teaching process, and it’s probably picked up more by how we are than what we say. I think that a lot of times, we try to ingrain conceptually what prayer is, and it’s missed because for whatever reason it’s not translated well.” Introducing young people to a variety of ways to pray helps them learn to make prayer an active part of their lives and not simply a routine practice.

“What happens when you are silent is that the mind becomes very active,” Bill says. “I use a practice every day in the morning time where I begin with some simple prayers, verbal prayers—I speak them silently to myself—and then I enter into a time of silence. And the only thing that happens in that silence is that when my mind takes me away from it, I find a word or a phrase that I use. And a lot of times it’s a word that I just read in my devotions. It might be the words that we use to talk about God— ‘Jesus,’ or ‘Spirit,’ or ‘Creator,’ or ‘Lover.’ And that becomes of word that draws me back to the silence.” Centering prayer generally ends with a reading from Scripture, which is repeated three times. And then the group responds with a word that stands out to them from that scripture. “There is nothing that happens in the stillness, other than I am invited to that deeper place of quiet and listening,” says Bill. “It’s hard to define that occasionally 20 minutes goes by and you can’t believe that 20 minutes has gone by, and other times you can’t wait for the 20 minutes to be over because your mind is going all the time.”

TYPES OF PRAYER The Kees practice many different forms of prayer to connect on a deeper level with God. We all learn, process and interact with information differently, so they believe it is important that we don’t limit ourselves to only one form of prayer. “When I can pray through different ways, I think it really is helpful to enlarge how I can be about praying,” Bill says. 8

Bill values the time because it allows him to listen with greater capacity to what’s going on around him. Often, after praying this way, he likes to immediately read the news, hoping that fresh stillness allows him to lift up what he reads as an intercession or prayer offering to God.

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Breath prayers focus on repeating a Scripture, statement, phrase or chant to the rhythm of breathing, silently or aloud. “The simple reality is we breathe all the time, and we don’t remember that we are breathing. You can emphasize that God is always in and around you as you breathe,” says Bill. “I find that I have a very busy mind,” Carolyn says. “My mind gets very overwhelmed with information I take in, or people I am concerned for, or concern for the country politically, if things feel chaotic, as they feel right now.” Breath prayers help Carolyn still herself and allow her mind to slow down and focus only on God. “I might just say, ‘Peace be Still. Peace be still,’” she shares. Carolyn recommends breath prayers as an entry point for helping young children develop a prayer language. “I think breath prayers are a wonderful tool for children because they are so simple,” she says. “They can do it on the playground; they can do it when they are frightened. It’s a portable prayer, sort of a tool chest of some simple prayers to access. I think breath prayers help to teach the accessibility of God’s presence, the awareness of God’s presence, that God is always there.” Praying with music can be a tool to draw oneself into the presence of God and help still the mind and soul. “I use a chant that comes to mind like from Taize or from Holden Evening Liturgy,” Carolyn says before she begins to sing, “Peace be still, peace be still. The storm rages, peace be still.” She sings the words over and over, allowing them to become integrated into who she is and calm her down. “One of the rich things about Taize, particularly, is that all of the words are scripture,” Bill adds. “So you’re not only listening to the music, but you are memorizing scripture. And those words come back to you when you least expect it.” While the Kees have a large collection of Taize and Holden music, Carolyn believes that any music can become prayerful. “I think whatever type of music your readers would find worshipful or focusing or centering, a reminder of God’s presence that they can just repeat over and over till it becomes very integrated—I think that’s prayerful.”

The Bible is full of prayers. The psalms, however, might be the most natural place to start. “We have the psalms that are just rich in a host of different styles of praying,” says Bill. His personal favorite is Psalm 27, and he often finds himself praying just one verse from that Psalm throughout the day. “Sometimes you find the psalm verse that really means a lot to you, and that becomes a repetitive form of praying.” The Kees refer to Nan Merril’s “Psalms for Praying,” which Carolyn says has a contemporary phrasing that makes the scriptures more accessible for children, youth and young adults. Walking the labyrinth, like a maze but with no wrong turns or dead ends, is an ancient practice that facilitates prayer, meditation and spiritual transformation. In a prayer labyrinth, a person follows a simple path to the center of an intricate design and then back out again. There is only one path leading in and out, so those who walk the prayer labyrinth can’t get lost. “It’s walking prayerfully,” Carolyn says. “As you walk, you just follow the path, you don’t look any farther than what the next step is. And so it’s a physical movement with probably some sort of verbal or mental prayer of ‘God be with me on this journey.’” “Sometimes the noticing in coming out is a shift in your own well-being,” Bill adds. “It doesn’t always happen, but a shift so that that becomes more of a sense of thanksgiving as you leave the center of the labyrinth.” Labyrinths can be found around the world—in cathedrals in Europe, cities in the U.S. and at campgrounds. Bill and Carolyn’s church has a mobile labyrinth, and at home they have a picture of one hanging from their wall that Carolyn will occasionally trace in her mind, or with her finger. “You can actually go online and find a little labyrinth that you can carry in your pocket,” Bill says. Ignatian/Examen Prayer is a corporate prayer that Bill and Carolyn practice with a small group every Monday. Participants are asked, “How do you come?” The group then spends about three minutes in silence, 9

followed by an invitation to respond. This is repeated several times, with varying lengths of silence and time to share. “We listen to ourselves, and we are invited to know the places of connection over the last 24 hours or week,” Bill says. “Connection with God, with others and with ourselves.” After several times of silence and sharing, the group enters into silence for 20 minutes. “What we hold in that silence is not only the invitation that comes out of our own words, but out of how the whole community has spoken, and what God is inviting of us as we leave this time together,” says Bill. Praying corporately is very important, Bill says. “It’s essential, as is individual prayer. They go together, hand-in-hand.” What makes corporate prayer special is that it’s done as a body, but also gives individuals the chance to hear new things. “It really widens the parameter of how we are invited to include all things.” It doesn’t matter which type of prayer you engage in. What’s most important is that you spend time in prayer, talking to God. Through words, music, silence and simply being, prayer is how we explore and deepen our relationship with God. It helps us care for one another. If you’re not sure where to start, you can always use the words Jesus taught. “Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name…”

Carolyn and Bill Kees live in Chico, California. They retired there in the fall of 2006. They are active members at Faith Lutheran Church. Carolyn was an RN, mostly in public health, and also the executive director of the Institute of Spiritual Companionship from 2000-2006. Bill was a pastor in Minnesota and California and completed full time ministry at the ELCA in Youth Ministry in 2006. They continue their calling in spiritual direction in Chico. They have two children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren. In their retirement they have enjoyed staying in touch with adults who work with youth by being spiritual directors at numerous Extravaganzas.

PRAYER IN REAL (LUTHERAN) LIFE by Christopher Zumski Finke Prayer is a crucial element of a life of faith. That’s generally agreed upon. But it’s also, honestly, a practice that gets little bit snoozy at times. Teens everywhere will tell you so, but even Martin Luther acknowledged as much in his writing. In his pamphlet “A Simple Way to Pray,” Luther admits to praying “as time permits.” Luther knew the importance of prayer, of course. Prayer is front and center in his writing and teaching. But there’s something reassuring about hearing Luther say that he was often “cool and joyless in prayer because of other tasks and thoughts.” Because, look, we’re all busy. What does it really matter if we skip a few prayers anyway? Five hundred years later, it’s possible nobody understands the difficulties Luther describes around prayer better than the men and women who work with youth in church. Church gatherings are often designed around the act of prayer. “It’s the first thing we do and the last thing we do when we gather,” says Anne Williams, minister for learning at Holy Trinity Lutheran in Ankeny, Iowa. Prayer is a recurring part of gathering, and worship is expected, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to know exactly what prayer is for, or even why we do it. Ask a youth group what they pray for and why, and you’ll get as many different answers as there are kids in the room. Williams says that many young people in her congregation feel “culture telling us that prayer is asking God for things.” This popular culture-infused understanding of prayer turns God into a therapist, or even Santa Claus. “Kids, or Americans in general,” Williams says, “go to God in prayer when we want something from God or want God to do therapy on a situation.”

Another youth worker reiterates much of what Williams said but puts more blunt force on the point: The act of prayer is constant, he says, “but prayer as a subject is much trickier.” A lot of leaders struggle with their own prayer life, says this midwest Lutheran youth minister, and wonder exactly who they are to teach it. “Some people think their brain cancer was cured because enough people prayed for them,” he says. “Others think prayer, like meditation, is meant to help the pray-er feel better. It can be easier to just avoid it.” Which is not to say that he, or anyone, thinks prayer is not crucial. These youth workers reflect the same challenges that Luther wrote about in “A Simple Way to Pray.” The living of daily life can make anyone feel “lazy and lax, cold and listless toward prayer,” Luther wrote. So if Martin Luther acknowledges the inherent difficulties of maintaining an active life of prayer, what does he have to teach us today about how we can overcome those difficulties? What is the center of Luther’s teaching on prayer, and how can 21st-century youth workers communicate that teaching to today’s youth? According to Luther, the way to overcome that lax, listless attitude is, paradoxically but not unsurprisingly, prayer. According to Rev. Dr. Martin Lohrmann, professor at Wartburg Theological Seminary, Martin Luther puts prayer front and center in his writing. God, Lohrmann says, wants us to be prayerful people. “God invites us to pray. He gives us the words for our spiritual life and our daily life.” God calls us to prayer because “God want us know our good creator, to know that we belong in the world and are created out of grace.” Luther also “makes a big deal about the daily bread petition,” Lohrmann says. It matters a

great deal to Luther that people have what they need to live their daily life. “God knows what we need and provides for us. And where that is missing, God calls us to provide for others.” Such clearly stated principles of Luther’s thoughts on prayer are useful, but if we’re not careful, they can mask the larger challenges expressed by youth workers when it comes to engaging on the subject of prayer. We can all pray together, but why is so hard to step back and talk about prayer together? One reason is that humans are “embodied creatures,” Lohrmann says. “There’s no getting out of our daily lives into some higher spiritual place,” which is where prayer tends to operate. This is why Luther connects prayer to physical things, like sleeping and eating: Pray when you wake, eat, before sleep, etc. But even connecting prayer to physicality creates challenges, like one experienced by people in pastoral care since time immemorial: What do we pray for when our loved ones are sick or dying? Humans are embodied, as Lohrmann says, and bodies die. That is part of the physicality of life. Isn’t it easier to perform the functional elements of prayer for someone’s health and leave it at that? To pray to health is obvious, but to discuss outcomes of that prayer? If God is turned into a cosmic Santa Claus, what does it mean when a young person’s prayers go unanswered? Anne Williams from Holy Trinity Lutheran describes such topics as “the hardest conversation you can have with a kid.” Williams describes children asking questions like, “I want my mom to get well, and if she doesn’t, does that mean that God doesn’t

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love me?” While such questions are not new, the level of distraction from prayer is higher all the time, and the wrong answers to such questions might alienate youth from a life of prayer. “To pray wholeheartedly for wellness is understandable,” Lorhmann says. “We see that in the psalms. We see that in Jesus himself. At the same time, though, to trust God in all things is to trust God in the moment of death.”

Williams puts this concept another way, one perhaps more digestible for youth: “That stupid ‘Footprints’ prayer is actually true. God is with us in the hardest of times.” These aren’t easy subjects to discuss, at any age, but communicating them to youth is vital to build something prayerful.

Christopher Zumski Finke

is a freelance journalist and editor of TheStake.org. Follow him on Twitter @christopherzf. He resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and two children.

“It is hard, but we have resources,” Lohrmann says. We have places to start, and among them are the Large and Small Catechisms from Martin Luther.

Five Ways to Pray Like Luther 1. Keep it simple. Luther recommended starting and ending each day with this little prayer: “God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, watch over me. Amen.” 2. Pray with the Bible. Luther often used biblical words in his prayers. For instance, Psalm 145: “The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy all living things with delight.” 3. Pray the Commandments. More than a just list of rules, Luther viewed the Ten Commandments as resources for daily prayer. They give us guidance for how to act, point out where to give thanks for the blessings in our lives, inspire confession for the wrongs we’ve done and show us what to pray for in the world. 4. Pray the Lord’s Prayer…a lot! Luther’s Small Catechism invites us to pray these words from Jesus when we wake, when we eat, when we give thanks and when we go to sleep. It speaks to our hearts, minds and bodies throughout the day. 5. Sing! Luther believed that music was a gift of God. Singing helps us share the gospel, express the pains and joys in our hearts, and give thanks to God. .

Dr. Martin Lohrman is assistant professor of Lutheran confessions and heritage at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. He is the author of “Book of Harmony: Spirit and Service in the Lutheran Confessions” (Fortress Press, 2016). Before teaching at Wartburg, he served as pastor of congregations in Ohio and Philadelphia.

INTERVIEW WITH JANELLE HOOPER by Bunmi Ishola

When the opportunity came up for Janelle Hooper to really encourage children’s ministry throughout the ELCA, she says she jumped at the opportunity because “being able to value children in leadership, and their role in theology making, was crucial for me and something I try to do with my own children.” While the program director for ministry with children for the ELCA is a part-time position, Hooper works hard to support congregations and synods in building effective programs and opportunities from birth to fifth grade. Here she shares a little bit about her philosophy around children’s ministry at church and at home. This conversation has been lightly edited. Bunmi Ishola: What does it mean to value children in leadership? Janelle Hooper: I think we’ve limited children in their role in worship. Because most ELCA churches worship around 100 people, they do not have a separate children’s ministry. Instead, children worship with their parents. But those services aren’t geared towards children. Too often, our worship services are only “if you can read, you can participate.” So how does our worship service look if you are a non-reader, and being able to invite them into roles? That includes things way beyond being an acolyte—being able to be an usher, signing the Lord’s Prayer as a part of children’s group (they can do that without ever learning how to read). My daughter, we were at a retreat, and she’s in

second grade. She read a psalm—so lovely for everyone. So, I think it’s not as seeing age limits but looking for gifts and empowering them.

there are others, like Faith5 and different groups that offer how to integrate faith and life into the home. I would say pick one of those things.

BI: How would you advise or suggest children’s leadership at churches to begin empowering children in their gifts? JH: I co-curate a website with Paul Amlin called Youth Ministry Links, and it’s got all kinds of resources for parents and churches. And I just say, try one thing. Pick one thing— whether it’s doing one intergenerational event, or including children as ushers or communion servers. Just try one thing. You don’t have to have a huge program shift. It doesn’t have to be a huge “children’s ministry wave.” Put some rocking chairs out in the back of the church. Emphasize your children’s bulletin on Sundays, so they are easy to find. Have pictures of children in worship on your website. I have children’s sermon resources, and children’s chapel resources, but the move is towards—how do we integrate everyone into intergenerational faith formation? I’ve also gone to churches, and I’ve done a worship audit to help people think through how the worship service needs to meet an older person’s needs of quiet and silence.

Start small. Start with something that is already a strength for your family or your church. Keep it simple, and then you can see how it makes a difference, and you can go from there.

I’m there to help people, but our website also gives out all kinds of resources. Pick one and try it.

BI: Beyond encouraging their gifts, you mentioned that it’s important to grow children’s theology. Are there specific age “milestones” that you would suggest churches and parents follow? JH: I’m actually working on benchmarks for the ELCA for households and congregations to use that should be out by the end of the year. From birth up to young adults, what are some benchmarks they could expect that a 5-year-old or younger to be comfortable with in service or witness? I think parents want to help their kids, but they just don’t know what to expect. And congregations have this sense around confirmation of what we teach, but what about before that? So this will be an intentional system to help with that.

BI: What about parents? What can they do to encourage their children’s role in worship and develop their theology? JH: Example it with your kids. Parents and kids can do anything together. I have found parents and kids like to do the sound booth together. They can usher together. They can assist ministers together.

BI: What about developing a prayer life and helping children develop a prayer language? JH: I think mealtime and bedtime are great access points for families. When we eat a meal, my kids are usually the ones who pray. Most of the time, go with whatever they say—you don’t have to direct them too much. For my reading child, we do have a book of prayers, some of which she now knows by heart. And there are tons of resources like that to use.

And at home, also think about doing just one thing. For instance, in my family we have a Spark Psalm Book, and my daughter loves to read a psalm every night before bed. And

BI: Why is it so important to start early with faith formation? JH: Kids are already asking big questions. They are already wrestling theologically. And

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I believe as early as we can encourage people with these wondering questions about God, it will help them be critical thinkers when they wrestle with faith questions for the rest of their lives. It will give them more of a wrestling faith, instead of when they don’t have any answers, giving up on faith and giving up on God. The earlier we start, the earlier they can build in practice of meditation and prayer and wor-

ship and quiet and service and knowing they are beloved. The earlier, the better. Faith is a practice; it is an ongoing thing. Parents don’t have to be experts. And you don’t have to rely on your pastor for everything, but certainly go to the pastor. If you’ve never built a relationship with him or her, get to know them and ask them questions. We are all in this together, and there is no end to faith practice.

Bunmi Ishola is a graduate of Texas A&M and Northwestern University. She currently lives in Houston, Texas and teaches 8th grade English.

www.MartinsList.org NEW, IMPROVED AND AWESOME!

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU: This is user-driven content, so we need your participation. These resources can only be helpful if they are shared.

Martin’s List has been under construction with a major overhaul!

As network members there are at least a few things you can do to help this reach its full potential: • upload resources that you have created • encourage others to share their resources through Martin’s List • comment on resources you’ve used and how you found them helpful • provide feedback on how Martin’s List is or is not working for you so we can continue to make improvements that matter for you

The ELCA Youth Ministry Network’s greatest assets are you, the members and the experiences and resources you have created and curated over the years. With this update to Martin’s List you will now have the capacity to: • easily upload resources to share • easily download resources created by fellow network members • connect with network members and see how they use different resources • find resources on the fly with mobile-friendly access

The possibilities are endless! See you on Martin’s List!

PRAYER, YOUTH AND LIVING A VOWED LIFE AS A BENEDICTINE SISTER IN 2017 by Christopher Zumski Finke “I’m curious why you would want to interview a Catholic Sister for a Lutheran organization.” This was the first thing I heard from Sister Linda Soler when I asked her for an interview. I had reached out to St. Paul’s Monastery, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to see if any of the sisters there would want to talk with me about prayer. The Prioress informed that she was not available but that I might want to talk to Sister Linda Soler. Sister Linda Soler is the membership director at St. Paul’s Monastery. She’s also the campus minister at Hill Murray, a Catholic school serving grades 6-12. Her duties at Hill Murray also include the spiritual coach for the varsity football team. “I’m a nun all over the field,” she says. When I got Sister Linda Soler on the phone, the first thing we had to do was to address her immediate query: Why are Lutherans looking to talk to Benedictine Sisters about prayer? I explained that this was the 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses, that it seemed like a ripe moment to look at what was happening across parallel lines that have been moving for the last half a millennium, and ask her what she might teach us about prayer, youth and devotion. Sister Linda Soler was more than up to that task. She has the instincts of a teacher (she corrected my mispronunciation of Benedictine because she “wants to teach me right”), and she has respect for the history of her order (“Benedictines have been around for 1,500 years. I think we’ve proven ourselves.”). But what came across most was her contagious laughter, her eagerness to share her faith and the inspired nature of her interaction with her community. This conversation has been lightly edited. Christopher Zumski Finke: Can you share some of your autobiography as it relates to becoming a Benedictine sister?

Sister Linda Soler: I was 8 when my mother died of a heart attack in her sleep. My father was 40, and it left him with Five children. If there was ever a time in my life when I asked, where’s Jesus?, it would have been that. Because I wanted to know what happened.

So you will have certain sisters that will pray the rosary at a certain time every day. You will have some sisters take time out and do Lectio Divina maybe in the afternoon or evening. You will have some sisters who will just pray alone and have that conversation with God.

I still remember the prayers around all that, and I remember in my education that we started every class with a prayer. Eucharist, attending mass, were very important. And seeing my father be that role model, along with my grandmother. It was through a traumatic experience, for a child to have their eyes opened to the question, where is God? And then as I grew older, I began to realize where God was.

I like to sit down at night. My method is sit down at night, look back at the day and say, where was God today? And God’s not always in the positive. God is also in the struggle. And it’s through the struggle I am able to deepen my prayer life with God.

CZF: You said you started to see where God was. Can you tell me a little about the answer? SLS: I would say, first of all, I was able to develop a stronger personal relationship with God by asking questions. Then I was able to develop my relationship with God by praying with others. It was through that that I was able to ask God the questions. As I got older, in my early 20s, I had to work out that grieving process (of my mother’s death). It’s okay to say, God I’m not happy with this. What I was realizing was that I was asking the questions, but it wasn’t like he was giving the answers I wanted. Now, at age 56, what I have to remind myself is, God hears the prayer. Am I listening, is the question. CZF: For 1,500 years you’ve had a community built around prayer in the way you practice. Can you give me a little perspective on individual prayer life under the Rule of Benedict? Is there variability? How does that work? SLS: Well there is variability when it comes to personal prayer. Even in our vows, if you want to talk about prayer life, Benedictines are the only ones that vow conversion of life, which means we will be faithful to the scriptures through our personal and communal prayer.

CZF: I think a lot of people have this idea that in Catholic orders it’s really ritualized, everyone does everything at the same time in the same way. Is there a sense in which it’s about the vows and not necessarily everyone practicing them in the same way? SLS: No. The ritualized prayer is huge. It’s so huge that we as Benedictines will vow that we will be committed to our Liturgy of the Hours and to our personal prayers. It’s communal and personal prayer. That’s what the conversion of life is. But you know, to me, prayer is the practice of the presence of God. CZF: Can you unpack that a little more, especially as it relates to the daily life of a Benedictine monk or sister? SLS: For me, my daily prayer is my nourishment. We need the spiritual nourishment as well as the physical nourishment. I believe I get fed when I pray. And sometimes it’s not as easy to pray on certain days. And even there I have to look at what’s filtering from seeing the work of God or love—unconditional love, as I like to name it. And then I have to go deep within and see, what am I anxious about or what am I hurt about? Why am I guarding my heart today? That’s the question. It’s the practice of the presence of God so when I don’t see it, then I have to just go a little deeper and ask that question.

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CZF: Being someone who lives in a tradition that goes back so far, are you ever struck by anxiety that you’re not praying in the right way? Or that the model exists but maybe you’re not able to tap into it? SLS: Because we’re so ritualized in our common prayer, the question would not be, am I praying correctly? The question would be, am I listening? One thing that is really awesome about community prayer is that there are times when I go to prayer and maybe my heart is hardened, but I have all the other sisters surrounding me, and they’re lifting me up in prayer. In Benedictine life, we say all guests are welcomed as Christ. We mean that. We welcome all faiths. Diversity is healthy in our eyes. As long as we’re solid in our community prayer. CZF: Can you talk about that relationship to intra-faith and diversity, as a Benedictine? SLS: It’s Benedict-TIN. I just want to teach you right. I’m for teaching. But the question is diversity. I think we need to be on that journey and learn. That’s the word to emphasize. We need to learn from each other. Without judgment. Because once you’re comfortable, no matter what faith you are, once you’re comfortable with your faith with God, out of that comes an openness to where people are at. CAF: You work at Hill Murray. What have you learned, working with youth? SLS: Youth teach me the joy in life and the brokenness. But then, it’s not just youth. I learn that from everyone because we’re all broken in many ways. But they have such an enthusiasm and such energy in wanting to make a difference. And it’s their energy that teaches me to have hope You have them on all different levels. You have to accept them for who they are, and you’ve got to love the Christ in them. Even the wounded Christ, you’ve got to love. That’s what I learned with youth. CZF: What have you learned about modern life, modern technology, distractions and what youth are facing? SLS: I have the advantage of working in a

Catholic school. Because here, it’s not an option. When it comes to prayer, there are no computers open. There is no technology going on. I do feel that technology can be a distraction, yet it can also be a resource. I know students who have apps on their phones where they have daily prayer, or a quote of the day from scripture. Those are the positives, the resources. But the distractions can also take them away from prayer. It’s 50/50. I don’t know. But I will also say, it’s not just youth, either. CZF: What’s it like being part of a Benedictine community in the modern world? That’s something a lot us simply don’t have a daily understanding of. SLS: That is very interesting. Think about it. The world is heavy on money, power and sex. We are promoting simplicity, obedience and chastity. I mean, we are counter-cultural. And it can be a challenge, absolutely. CZF: What are some of the biggest challenges that you face? SLS: Benedictines have been forming communities for 1,500 years under the rule of Benedict. We have used the same foundation of prayer in community over the years. We are not looking for new ways to live in community with a new meaning. Benedictines are looking for a way to expand our vision of how to belong, how a seeker can be a part of the Benedictine community. And it’s through that the daily world comes through our doors. And that’s not a bad thing. None of this is negative. CZF: So, given 1,500 years of experience, obviously the way the Benedictine order does community is working. You’re talking about getting people to see how that works. What’s the primary outreach mode for an order like yours? SLS: Through the rule. Through word of mouth. It’s through our programs. Especially our Benedictine center. And the web. We, St. Paul’s Monastery, when we say membership, the old way of thinking was vowed life: You’re going to enter a formation process and become a sister. Now we have expanded that by saying, you are a seeker, either you’re going to be vowed life, an oblate or an associate, if you are looking for any sense of belonging to 15

a Benedictine community for more than just a retreat or a visit. We are very much of the times. Benedict says that. We are to minister to the needs of the church in the present time. Benedict was very strict about that. CZF: What is the biggest misconception, or the thing you’d tell people who are curious, about life as Benedictine Sister in 2017? SLS: I would say we are women who want to have an impact on society. And I would also like to say we are very inviting to men and women to come and visit us. We appreciate anything that is of God. Everything is treated as a sacred vessel, from a car to a piece of art. And so there is a sense of peace, a reverence. To say that sisters or Benedictines are on their knees all day long praying would not be a reality. Our goal is to continue to build the church, welcome all as Christ, and that we invite anyone who is seeking God. Hospitality is not an option in a Benedictine community.

Christopher Zumski Finke is a freelance journalist and editor of TheStake.org. Follow him on Twitter @christopherzf. He resides in St. Paul, Minnesota with his wife and two children.

HOW DO YOU TEACH PRAYER TO YOUNG PEOPLE? Answers from the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Facebook Group We asked the ELCA Youth Ministry Network Facebook group “How do you teach prayer to young people?” Here are the great ideas you shared.

MARISSA KOLANDER LETSCHER: In addition to three Milestones classes on prayer and other spiritual practices, we also teach regular meditation and reflection and mindfulness in a once-monthly “Listening Day,” where children spend the entire education hour engaging in prayer practices. We also try to give physical resources to our families to encourage the regular use of prayer practices at home, like spiritual journal keeping, mindfulness exercises (Traci Smith has a great tool on Etsy—Family Faith Jars), monthly blessings, mandalas, “Praying in Color,” prayer cubes and prayer pockets.

DAVE ELLINGSON: A wonderful book, “50 Ways to Pray” by Teresa Blythe, offers a rich variety of prayer practices that can be woven into the fabric of ministry with young people as well as adults. My favorite, that is also loved by folks I have taught, is the Nature Lectio Divina, which experiences God in the created order using all of our senses. Truly AWESOME!

KRIS HERTSGAARD KINCAID: For confirmation students, we have used prayer stations occasionally for the weekly lesson. Confirmands move from station to station with their small groups. This has been a powerful experience. We also appreciate the “Candle Time” resources offered by Peer Ministry LLC.

KENNY CHAMPAGNE: We do a prayer night at least once a year with our high school students. We walk through and experience many different types of prayer, including sitting shiva with friends who are hurting to centering prayers, where we sit in silence for 15-20 minutes. We create an atmosphere of peace and calm with the lights low, candles lit, pillows all around the room. Students were, at first, very uncomfortable with the silence and just sitting focusing on their thoughts and listening (as was I), but they quickly learned to enjoy it. It has become something they ask for and look forward to, evening asking for times like that built into mission trips, etc.

PASTOR AMY EISENMANN: We have so much fun doing a prayer milestone with our kindergarteners and parents. They go station to station and learn about how they can pray at meals, at playtime, at bedtime, at the doctor, on their birthday, etc. At each station, they get another prayer to take home in the pocket of their prayer pillows (which are made by the quilters). I love it because often parents are gaining prayer skills right alongside their kids!

ED KAY: We’ve been emphasizing the seven faith practices this past year during the year and focused on prayer during Lent. For the children’s message during this season, I taught them different ways of praying that we reemphasized each week, used in worship and focused more deeply on in their learning time. First week was teaching the Orans position of prayer, which is my prayer posture

for worship, and found that they continued to imitate this throughout the season, along with a number of adults in the service. I also taught yoga prayer, the five-finger prayer, talked through the categories of prayer in the Prayers of Intercession in ELW and did a finger prayer labyrinth.

YVONNE STEINDAL: We do a “Prayer Around the Cross” service once a month on Wednesday nights. This is a favorite among our youth and children. They are the first ones to go up to kneel, pray and light candles. It serves as a powerful witness to the adults in attendance.

INGRID ROEDER: I just started teaching a prayer that my daughter recited as a child. It’s sing-songy, poetic and beautiful. Whimsical. I even remembered it. SHANNON LYNN: We do a candle time with our youth. We sit in dark with pillows and candles and then share our highs, lows and wows. We listen to a song or two that I play after hearing what they have shared. Then someone opens in prayer, and we pray for the person to our right around the circle till we get back to the one who started. Then we end with the Lord’s Prayer. This was new to the kids when I came to this church, but they love this time, and if we are doing something else one night and don’t get to do it, they miss it!

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To unpack the relationship between college students, campus ministries and local congregations, one need only ask about food. Everyone in campus ministries will tell you: Food is a big deal. Free food works like Pavlov’s bell. If you cook it, they will come. But not always for the same reason. Ask a minister working on campus, and they’ll tell you that students are looking for a place of their own. Out of the house for the first time, they’re solely responsible for their time: getting to class, getting their work done and fulfilling their educational and physical needs. During those first years on your own, even the most basic needs, like feeding your hunger, can be overwhelming. Come to the local ELCA campus church, and you’ll find food meeting all of students’ needs. Often this food is literal: We all have to eat. But in the words of campus ministers, the food they serve is just as often metaphorical. Sometimes it’s both. Whether it’s for fun or service, feeding yourself or another, the measure of campus ministry can be extrapolated from how they talk about food.

FOOD, SHELTER, AND A SENSE OF BELONGING Among the student body of the University of Florida, 10 percent suffer from food insecurity. “That’s a huge number,” says Sharon O’Brien, diaconal minister of the University Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gainesville, Florida. The problem is not just students. “We have staff that are hungry too,” O’Brien says. “The minimum wage is high, but the cost of living is higher.” Food insecurity is a growing problem on America’s campuses. The inability to secure a reliable source of nutrition leaves students struggling “to reach milestones, such as yearto-year persistence and certificate or degree completion,” according to recent Higher Ed research. As a result, these students “need additional institutional support to continue their studies.” National data on the number of students going hungry is difficult to gather, in

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part because self-reporting food insecurity comes with stigma and shame, according to the Washington Post.

wiggle their way over like monsters.” This is how Pastor Scott Maxwell-Doherty described the event, anyway.

The monsters he mentioned were Cal LuThe problem was only noticed at the univerNow experience ELCA Youth Ministry Network anytime, theran students, drawn to the scene by the sity level in recent years. O’Brien noted that anywhere . . .renew your faith…experience powerful edufamous In-N-Out Burger. “The overwhelming “UF only discovered in the last few years that cationacademically opportunities wherever you are, anddoing connect question was: Who’s this,with why are you students were being affected peers who share the same joys and struggles in ministry. doing this, and does it cost me anything?” because they were hungry.” To address the Turns out it didn’t cost anything; Lord of Life problem the school created Fork and Field was just putting the out free “We know food pantry, which provides healthy foodatand Yes, put all this your fingertips--with stateburgers. of the art food brings young people to the table, education to all Gators “about how to make app for your iPhone or iPad. This app is free and gives you ” Pastor Maxwell-Doherty told me during our phone balanced food choices.” The food secuunlimited access to these great features: call. Being a food truck, I knew the table was rity issue is a big one for Lutheran Campus metaphorical. Ministries at UF. They organize food drives · with Streaming and service opportunities Fork andvideos Field of education events--watch and listen Evangelical from home or anywhere! keynote BringingInstantly people toaccess the table is a theme of at the 65-year-old University talks from past Extravaganzas, webinars from 3rdTuesday Maxwell-Doherty’s ministry this year. Room at Lutheran Church. the TableDiscipleship was Cal Lutheran’s chapel Conversations and the Practice Initiative. All theme for last year, and Pastor Maxwell-Doherty says I spoke with Pastor O’Brien about her work these resources are literally in the palm of your hand! the chapel ministers and speakers have helped on the University of Florida and around the everyone wonder, “How big is the table? How synod’s colleges. And our conversation con· News and Events - stay up to date on Network happeninclusive is it? What do we do when we recogtinually returned to the need to feed hungry ings. Add events ownthat calendar, set reminders, it’s become exclusive?” get students and staff, though their efforts alsoto yournize directions, and share with friends-on the spot! reach into the local community as well. Those were the same questions that wanderingVision, hungry students to the In-N-Out University Evangelical Lutheran Church · Discover Our Mission, History,brought Leadership Burger event. Bring people to the table hosts Family Promise, which allows homeless Teams and More - it’s a “Network Leadership Directory” in with free burgers, but let them know why you do it. families to live in the church for a week. These your pocket, with leadership roles, bios, and more. Plus all families can use the church’s resources to look “We got to identify as a faith community that the info on the Network’s history, and where we’re going worships every Sunday night and let them for work and meet other basic needs, while know they’re always welcome.” campus groups providetogether! meals and make connections with the families. Sometimes, · families ContactasInfo e-mail usisdirectly IdentifyingCall as aor faith group the purpose of students will visit with the they- Got questions? move from church to church the page. these “fun food events,” Maxwell-Doherty from around the contact says. But the point is not to put butts in pews. Gainesville area. “We don’t do these things to build attendance. · Support the Network Easily! - With just two clicks! Attendance might be the result of, but not a Pastor O’Brien was clear that Lutheran CamCompletely secure, you can make gifts or donations to precondition for. We want to do this because pus Ministries at UF goes beyond the reach of thehomeless. Network simply and it’s fun. ” quickly. food drives and servingsupport food to the But the reality remained clear: Hunger was · about Inviteit,Others - Shareput, content effortlessly onthe Fun, simply appears to be one of the issue. “Make no bones ” O’Brienand Share central goals of campus ministries and Lord of told me as we wrapped your up ourfavorite conversation. social site: Facebook, Twitter, SMS, and e-mail. Life on the Cal Lutheran campus. It’s not their “Food is a big issue. You“Go will always find stuviral” with anything and everything, and help others only effort; issues oriented work drives their dents are interested in astay freeconnected! meal.” ministry as well. For example, this year, a wider HOW BIG IS THE TABLE…AT YOUR ELCA effort to aid Syrian refugees energized free app todaycreated in the App Store campus. Students school packs for FOOD TRUCK? Why wait? Download this and Google Marketplace. children and collected clothing and blankets At the beginning of last semester, Lord of Life, for Syrian refugee families. The charity event the campus church of California Lutheran was anPut attempt to combat the impulse, comUniversity, hosted a food truck from In-N-Out Renew, Educate and Connect. the entire Network in mon in the face of global crises, to “throw our Burger. “That smell goes out, and people just

your pocket!

CORPORATE PRAYER by George Baum I had considered laying out my own views on private prayer in this little postage stamp of a column, but it’s probably true that someone else will say everything I was going to say. My main view of private prayer could be summed up like this: Prayer does not change God; prayer changes us. I’m guessing that’s been dealt with elsewhere in this issue, so I’m going to focus instead on something near and dear to my heart, which I bring up every possible chance I get, which is the Latin phrase, lex orandi, lex credendi. Though it sounds like a spell from a Harry Potter book, the phrase literally means, “the law of praying is the law of believing,” which really means, “praying shapes believing,” or “as we worship, so we believe.” This concept is quite important to us Anglican types, and for good reason. We are not a “confessional” church, in the sense of having a commonly agreed upon set of beliefs. And the various prayer books throughout the Anglican Communion are all very intentionally crafted to bring together those who lean Catholic and those who lean Protestant. (This goes back to the “Elizabethan Settlement,” which was a very British name for the plea, “everybody just get along, okay?”)

The Anglican Communion (of which the Episcopal Church is a part, in an often erstwhile way) is held together by common worship, rather than common belief or doctrine. As I’ve said in this space before, the basic understanding is: Believe whatever you want; just be sure you worship using the liturgy in this particular book. Which is kind of a little sleight of hand, because Anglicans also often proclaim that Latin phrase, lex orandi, lex credendi. So, in using that Book of Common Prayer, we are in fact developing a theology when we’re not looking. As Lutherans well know, most of the words we use in liturgy are taken directly from scripture. There’s theology in them there words! And in repeating them week after week, year after year, we internalize them over a lifetime. When we enter into liturgical action together, we are praying together. And in praying together, we are being shaped and formed together, into one body in Christ. Our corporate worship does not change God, but it certainly changes us. Praying shapes believing. And the more we pray together, the more we are shaped together. We gather together in public prayer

in order to worship God. But along the way, week after week, month after month, year after year, we are being slowly molded into people who believe just a little more today than we did yesterday.

George Baum is an Episcopal Priest who lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his family and their cats. He spent 29 years playing in the band “Lost And Found,” which stopped touring in 2015, but is still available for parties (if they’re good ones).

SUMMER 2017 Experience Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota

Where Faith Becomes Life Native American Mission Experiences • Adventures • Summer Camps Year-round Retreats • Horse Programs • All Ages and All Abilities

NESODAK

OUTLAW RANCH

KLEIN RANCH

JOY RANCH

Learn more at losd.org. Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota welcomes all to explore and experience Christ’s love in community and creation. 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:

The Network!

N AGA RAV EXT

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

extravaganza

ION

operating expenses

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

RAT

dollars can go to the Thrivent choice

IST

Network operational costs are covered by membership dues.

REG

dollars! Folks who have access to these

Connect Journal • Staff • Publicity • Etc...

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

MEMBERSHIP DUES To make a donation, please go to:

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!

www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice . Log in, and from there you can search for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network in the

Rachel Alley

Chelle Huth

Charlene Rineer

listing of approved organizations, and

Wendy Black

Gary Knutson

Charlie Roberts

make your designation! Thank you to all

Todd Buegler

Lisa Kramme

Terri Robertson

who have chosen the Network for your

David Ellingson

Leann Kruse-Arcia

Mary Sauger

donations so far!

Terri Elton

Kinda Makini

Beth Schneider

Megan Floyd

Ian McConnell

Ashley Strelau

Amy Gibson

Sue Mendenhall

Tara Ulrich

Shannon Greely

Mary (Peg) Miller

Larry Wagner

Richard A. Hardel

Jan Mills

Chris Wagner

Barbara Harner

Brent S. Palochonski

Amy Wagner

Tamara Howes

Gary Pecuch

David Wolfe

Suzanne Hunstad Olson

Manuel Retamoza

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: Augsburg College Luther Seminary ELCA World Hunger ELCA - Congregational & Synodical Mission Unit Faith Growth GSB - Mike Ward Lutheran Outdoor Ministries Mission Investment Fund Old Lutheran Portico Benefit Services Upper Missouri Ministries Thrivent Financial

Silver Partners: Augsburg Fortress Trinity Lutheran Seminary Wartburg Seminary Camp Frederick Faith Inkubators Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp Lutheran Retreats, Camps and Conferences Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota Novus Way Ministries Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries 20

Vibrant Faith Ministries Wheat Ridge Ministries Youth Leadership

SUMMER 2017

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

End Date

Name

Location

Contact Person

09/17/17 5:00pm

09/22/17 3:00pm

Certificate in Children, Youth & Family Ministry Leadership`

Wartburg Seminary

Tom Schwolert

tschwolert@vibrantfaith.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

10/15/17 5:00pm

10/20/17

Certificate in Children, Youth & Family Ministry Leadership`

Bear Creek Camp - WilesBarre, PA

Tom Schwolert

tschwolert@vibrantfaith.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

01/25/18 1:00pm

01/26/18 4:00pm

Intensive Care Course Extravaganza 2018

The Hyatt Regency - Houston, Texas

Terri Elton

telton@luthersem.edu

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

01/26/18 7:00pm

01/29/18 12:00pm

Extravaganza 2018!

The Hyatt Regency - Houston, Texas

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

06/27/18 7:00pm

07/01/18 12:00pm

ELCA Youth Gathering

Houston, Texas

Molly Beck Dean

gathering@elca.org

2018 ELCA Youth Gathering Leaders Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

01/30/20 1:00pm

01/31/20 4:00pm

Intensive Care Course Extravaganza 2020

The Hyatt Regency - Anaheim, Terri Elton California

telton@luthersem.edu

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

01/31/20 7:00pm

02/03/20 12:00pm

Extravaganza 2020!

The Hyatt Regency - Anaheim, Todd Buegler California

todd@elcaymnet.org

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

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

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 21

Yo u c o u l d i n v e s t i n a n o r d i n a r y I R A . Or you could invest in an IRA that lends a helping hand.

FAITH LUTHERAN CHURCH LAVALLETTE, NEW JERSEY Save for retirement with the Mission Investment Fund and you might just save an ELCA congregation. That’s because your investments earn a great rate of return and finance loans

To learn more about the competitive

to ELCA congregations like Faith Lutheran. When Superstorm

interest rates and flexible terms we offer on

Sandy destroyed the renovations Faith had financed with

a wide range of investments for individuals

an MIF loan, MIF deferred Faith’s loan payments until the

and congregations as well as ministry

congregation got back on its feet. Why invest in just any IRA

loans, contact our financial services center

when you can invest in one with a heart?

at mif.elca.org or 877.886.3522.

IRAs • TERM INVESTMENTS • SAVINGS ACCOUNTS • MINISTRY LOANS

Mission Investment Fund investments are subject to certain risks. See “Risk Factors” in the MIF Offering Circular. MIF investments are not bank accounts. As securities issued by a nonprofit institution, the investments are not insured by FDIC, SIPC or any other federal or state regulatory agency. The securities are sold only by means of the Offering Circular. This is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described here.

SUMMER 2017 The Hyatt Regency Houston, Texas Main Event:

January 26-29, 2018

Intensive Care Courses:

January 26-27, 2018

More information at: www.elcaymnet.org

ELCA Youth Ministry Network 150 Oakwood Lane Owatonna, Mn 55060

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prayer? 24