Connect fall 2016 colleges and congregations by ELCA Youth Ministry Network

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Journal of Children, Youth & Family Ministry

Upcoming classes Luther Seminary’s engaging coursework helps students deepen and strengthen their ministry. Classes in our flexible curriculum are based at the intersection of church and world. Contemporary issues in Children, Youth and Family The 2016 course is Neuropsychology and children, part of the Science for Youth Ministry grant. Explore how the neurological realities of development impact ministry with children, youth and their parents.

Think Theologically.

Be Relevant.

Luther Seminary offers many concentrations in relevant areas of ministry within Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees. These include: • Children, Youth and Family Ministry • Congregational Mission and Leadership • Congregational and Community Care • Theology and the Arts • Christian Faith and Community Engagement

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: youth worker Examine the writings and work of Bonhoeffer, a theological thinker in children and youth ministry. Culture and emerging generations Study younger generations in culture to integrate and develop effective practices in youth and family ministry. Young Adults and the Church Explore God’s presence in young adults’ questions, dreams and church engagement.

www.luthersem.edu/admissions | 800-LUTHER3 GC1005-16

Taking science in American youth ministry from an afterthought to a primary concern

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FALL 2016

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

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

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Managing Editor: Erin Gibbons

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

CONTENTS Welcome! 4 Todd Buegler Hungry for Faith: Ministry with College Students On Campus and Off Mindy Roll

Learning the Fullness of God Together Mike Blair

Interview With Rozella White Bunmi Ishola

Trinity Lutheran College: Grief and Legacy Christopher Zumski Finke

Faith Like A College Kid Erin Gibbons

Thoughts From Facebook: How Campus Ministry Impacted Me

Campus Ministry Across the ELCA Christopher Zumski Finke

A Brave New Pronoun George Baum

Calendar of Events

UPCOMING CONNECT ISSUE THEMES:

Mental Health (Winter ‘17) Prayer (Spring ‘17)

ELCA YOUTH MINISTRY NETWORK BOARD Becky Cole: Board Member

Dr. Jeremy Myers, AIM: Board Member

Rev. Regina Goodrich: Board Member

Tom Schwolert: Board Member

Kinda Makini: Board Member

Erik Ullestad: Board Chairperson

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,

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR EXTRAVAGANZA 2017 IN LOUISVILLE! You can go to ext17.org

In the first week of August, every year, I would send my letter. It would go to every young person in the congregation who had graduated the previous spring. In that letter, I would thank them for bringing their gifts to our ministry. I would remind them that our congregation was and would always be a home for them, that they could return to, and that I, and all of the other staff and volunteers that they’d connected with over their high school years would continue to be there for them. And finally, I’d remind that wherever they went, be it college, or the military, or into the working world, there was probably a Lutheran campus ministry or congregation somewhere in their vicinity with whom they could connect. And that if they had a hard time identifying one, to let me know…I’d be glad to connect them. And then I’d send off the letter, and when I’d drop it into the outgoing mail basket in the office, I’d say a prayer for those who would receive it. And then those young people whom I’d gotten to know and to love would leave, and I’d have to trust their life and faith to God and to others. Occasionally I’d hear back from some of them. And many would stop to see me during school breaks. Social media was a helpful way to stay connected. And some of them would return with stories of the ministries they were a part of, and how they were experiencing new things that God was up to within their lives. Others would come home and tell me of feeling untethered and kind of lost. Others had gone to their classes and had their faith challenged in new ways… and they weren’t quite sure of what to make of it. I’d spend time with them and would listen and affirm them in their process. But I’d also realize that we’d “send” our young people out, and that others would receive them. Whether I was aware of it or not, I was in partnership with those in campus ministry, or in military chaplaincy, or with other congregations. And yet I hadn’t done anything to get to know these people, or to build any kind of relationship with them. We just sent young people off. What does it mean to partner with colleges and universities in ministry? What do I want them to know about these young people we send, and about the congregations from which they come? What do I want to know about those who will receive them? How can I support them, so that while faith may be challenged and (hopefully) deepened, it will also grow. There is a link between what “we” do and what “they” do. As a matter of fact, I’d be bold enough to suggest that there is no “we” and “they.” There is “us.” We are them and they are us. We share in ministry. In this issue we wanted to explore this relationship between congregation and whatever comes next. How do we best prepare our young people, and what do the ministries wherever they go need from us? We’re in this together. So let’s be in this together. God’s blessings!

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

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WONDERING WHEN THE FUTURE EXTRAVAGANZAS WILL TAKE PLACE? Go to: elcaymnet.org/futureextravaganzas to get the info!

FALL 2016

HUNGRY FOR FAITH: MINISTRY WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS AND OFF by Mindy Roll Recently, at an intergenerational small group conversation about the church, an older couple directed a familiar question my way. Since I am a campus pastor, they asked, “Why don’t we see young people in church anymore? Are they lazy or self-involved, or do they just not care?” This is the million-dollar question these days, isn’t it? If only we could find a formula to get those young adults back in the church, the thinking goes, then all would be well. “Well, why do you go to church?” I asked. The couple looked surprised. “We go because our friends are there,” they replied honestly. Now I was surprised. “You don’t go to experience God in the bread and wine or to hear words of forgiveness or to learn about Jesus or to connect to service or to have your soul renewed or to be re-oriented toward a life of discipleship?” “No,” they replied, not missing a beat. “We go because our friends are there.” I think we have discovered a piece of the problem.

HUNGRY FOR FAITH There are approximately 240 campus ministries connected to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and while no two look or function the same way, campus pastors speak of a common thread running through each: Students are deeply hungry. Many students who have been raised in the church, now standing on the edge of adulthood, hunger for a deep faith—an adult faith—to match a growing awareness of the world. Many students raised outside of the church crave meaning and purpose found in faith communities.

When I started in campus ministry five years ago, that was what struck me: how profoundly hungry students and young adults are. As I worked with students to rebuild the ministry, which had been without pastoral leadership for several years, I learned more about their hunger. They weren’t hungry for more church or smooth programming or fun social activities; they were hungry for Jesus. So we began to study the Gospels. “Here’s what I don’t get,” one student commented after several weeks in a row of readings from Matthew where Jesus throws people into the outer darkness. “How do we reconcile a loving, forgiving God with this outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? This just doesn’t make sense.” The students wrestled with the verses, read up on the context, talked with each other and then came to me. “I don’t know,” I challenged them. “How do we make sense of this?”

responded thoughtfully. “That God is actually in the weeping and gnashing. There is no darkness too dark for God, and even when we find ourselves alone in darkness, overcome by weeping, God is working to transform it to light.” It was a eureka moment for students but one that did not ease their hunger. In fact, it intensified it. For most, the one-dimensional flannel board Jesus they had come to know as a child no longer worked as an adult. He was nice and wanted them to be good but was ultimately irrelevant. But as they encountered Jesus first-hand in the text, suddenly they were intrigued. Here was a God who didn’t act like a God should act. This God wasn’t proper or powerful or nice or benevolent. This God was real— radically loving, present on the margins, willing to shake things up, on the side of the lowly, choosing to die without status or honor and full of emotion, including anger, joy, sadness, despair and warmth.

By then, thanks to Book of Faith’s excellent resources, students had learned a method to the study of scripture: Look at context, examine law and gospel, search for a communal meaning and pay attention to the wider message of faith.

They were hungry to know this God. This was a God who they were willing to let shape their entire lives.

“Well,” one pondered, “a wider message of the Bible is that God is infinitely present, closer to us than our own breath and will never abandon us.”

FAITH THAT GROWS

“And that God is a God of resurrection,” another chimed in. “Yes!” I exclaimed. “So what does this mean in light of the text?” Silence. And then, slowly, insight. “That God is actually present in the outer darkness,” they 5

And that encounter, in a nutshell, is what Lutheran Campus Ministry is all about.

Campus ministry sits in that liminal space between youth and adulthood. For those raised in the church, the faith we are taught as children is foundational. We are welcomed in baptism, learn the stories of the Bible in Sunday School, dig into the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments in Confirmation, find our sleepy home in the pews as teenagers and, through it all, begin to sense how deeply loved we are, not only by God, but by a church community as well. That was certainly my experience in church, and it is the story that

resonates for many college students as well. But faith must grow. And the transitions from the simple faith of childhood to the questing faith of adolescence to the complex, nuanced faith of adulthood are challenging. They lead to sleepless nights, heated debates, hours of study, deep conversation and much soul searching. College students and young adults wonder, what is it I actually believe? And if it’s not worth everything, is it worth anything? As students undergo this faith deepening, their worlds are shaken.

THE MINISTRY OF COFFEE One of the most important parts of my work is taking students to coffee. We sit, we sip, and I listen. I guide them with a few questions, then make space for them to talk about their soul and whatever is happening in it. During my first year in campus ministry, I had coffee with every student in the ministry, except for Mark. I am not sure why Mark came each week, except that his sister was on the leadership team, and they shared a car.

By his senior year, Mark’s anger had shaped him into a person of deep, passionate faith. He taught our ministry how to show up for justice, how to take risks out of love for Christ and how to befriend other groups on campus: the Jewish student group, the Atheist/Agnostic student group, the LGBT Resource Center, groups often scorned by other Christians on campus. Recently, he sat on a panel about young adults and the church. When the question came up about why young adults do not go to church, Mark’s trademark passion came out: “I don’t understand all this obsession about young adults and the church. Every young adult that I know is working as the hands and feet of Christ: One of my friends does environment sustainability, another works with HIV/AIDS patients, another works with homelessness and the mentally ill, another works with children aging out of foster care. Instead of being obsessed with getting us into the church, why doesn’t the church come to where we already are and join us in doing the church’s work?” The applause was thunderous.

“When are we having coffee, Mark?” I’d ask. He would shrug. “I’m really busy.” I heard this for weeks. He wasn’t, in fact, really busy, he would tell me later. He just thought he had nothing to say to a pastor. Finally, near the end of the semester, he said he could talk between classes, if I met him on campus. The time frame was intentionally short. Mark, as I would quickly discover during that conversation, had one of the most profound faiths I had ever encountered. And he was angry—at the church, at God, at his family, at society, at the campus. He had one foot out the door, the other on the threshold of leaving. Church was not his thing. One coffee turned into another, then another. We talked about faith. We talked about Jesus. He started to study the Bible. Then he became a Bible study leader. Then he became chaplain to the leadership team.

Campus ministry is not about wooing college students with pizza (though that helps), nor is it about fun retreats with campfires and s’mores (that also helps), nor is it about “being where our friends are” (though campus ministry friendships sustain students in tough college years and often last a lifetime). Campus ministry is about helping young adults encounter the living Christ and then being present as their faith deepens into a worldshaking force. It’s a profound thing to witness.

TAKE ACTION How, then, can congregations and campus ministries better connect? Here are a few ideas that have worked in our context: Invite your campus ministry to worship. Once a year, we have “Campus Ministry Sunday” in our synod. Last year, our campus ministries sent about 35 students out in pairs to preach in 20 area congregations. Listening 6

to a student tell their story of faith through the lens of the Gospel text is powerful—for the congregation, for the student who is preaching and especially for high school students. If you can’t do a Campus Ministry Sunday, invite your campus pastor and a few students to lead worship. Connect high school seniors to their campus ministry. Send an email introducing incoming students to their campus pastor. The number of students that have stumbled into our ministry as juniors because they had no idea that Lutheran Campus Ministry even existed is problematic. Encourage high school seniors to seek out LCM and give it a try. Take an annual offering or add your nearest campus ministry to the congregational budget. Most campus pastors spend a whole lot of time fundraising (at my site, for example, we fundraise over 80 percent of our budget). This is time away from coffee with students, Bible study and conversation—the very things for which students hunger most. Make space. After students graduate, they search for a passionate community that takes Jesus seriously. If recent graduates come your way, help them connect in a meaningful way—leading a Bible study, teaching the congregation about justice work, serving as a mentor for a confirmation student, organizing interfaith events. Then prepare to have your faith shaken in powerful ways, for they have certainly shaken mine.

Pastor Mindy Roll is the Lutheran Campus Pastor at Treehouse, the Lutheran Campus Ministry at Texas A&M and Blinn College.

FALL 2016

LEARNING THE FULLNESS OF GOD TOGETHER by Mike Blair I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. —Ephesians 3:18-19

One of the joys of campus ministry is walking with students where the roles of mentor and student are often switched in reversals of grace. Such grace sometimes comes by way of reality check. I recently met with a first-year student who said with a benign smile, “I see that you’ve been here since 1991. That makes you an old-timer—but I mean that in a good way!” This jarring affirmation helps me ponder how I might embrace the vocation of old-timer in a good way. What does it mean to be a generative mentor? We learn about the fullness of God only with the help of many mentors along the way. In his watershed work, “Falling Upward,” Richard Rohr writes, “Mature spirituality has invariably insisted on soul friends, gurus, confessors, mentors, masters and spiritual directors for individuals, and prophets and truth speakers for groups and institutions.” Biblical narratives tell the stories of mentors and students often reversing roles of learner and teacher. In the third chapter of 1 Samuel, Eli teaches young Samuel how to respond to God’s unexpected call in the night. The young prophet Samuel teaches the old-timer Eli that God is still speaking, even though “the word of the Lord was rare in those days.” Ruth, the Moabite foreigner, models faithfulness for Naomi in the wake of devastating famine and grief. Naomi teaches Ruth the ways of her people when they return home to Judah. Their pain is transformed into joy when Obed is born to Ruth and Boaz. Obed’s birth places Ruth, a foreign refugee, in the lineage of Jesus as told in the first chapter of Matthew. Ruth teaches the breadth, length, height and depth of God’s love through her remarkable story.

Ministry with college students offers many opportunities to hear transformative faith stories and witness God at work, doing a new thing. A common theme in student faith stories is the importance of mentors and soul friends along the way. When reflecting on difficult passages of loss or disappointment, or navigating difficult issues and complex questions, students often remember the pivotal role of faith mentors. They speak of youth and family ministers, teachers, parents, pastors, coaches, camp staff, grandparents, music directors, godparents, peers and others who have made a big impact in their faith journeys. They speak of companions who have helped them know themselves as beloved children of God, modeling the paradox of being at once broken and whole. Students often speak with deep affection about their home congregations and how much they value the learning, experiences and relationships that shape their faith.

working against racism, working for inclusion of gender and sexual minorities and working for environmental sustainability. They are finding new ways to share the faith and tell the story of God’s love.

There is a longing to connect faith and justice and to bring a core Lutheran theme, connecting love of God to love of neighbor, to new depths. This is a generation leading the way in interfaith work, working against racism, working for inclusion of gender and sexual minorities and working for environmental sustainability.

A few years ago at a fall theological conference, the presenter was quoting current research on millennials and drawing a rather discouraging picture. The age span at the gathering created an unintended vibe of older folks complaining about kids nowadays. It was an instructive discovery to realize that colleagues in their 20s and early 30s at the gathering were discussing this on Twitter. Even without sharing in the tweets, it wasn’t hard to tell that there was an animated counterpoint conversation about what a new generation of leaders has to offer.

Three student stories illustrate ways that I often am graced to be on the learning side of the story in mentoring relationships with students. Makayla, a senior from Wisconsin, Brandon, a senior from Minnesota, and Gifty, a junior from Ghana, are all leaders in college ministries who are willing to share a bit of their stories. All three of these students have been deeply shaped through formative experiences in their home congregations and ministries of the church.

The emerging models of ministry in a postmodern, post-Christian, post-9/11, post-haste world are both energizing and disorienting. While I am sometimes confounded by rapidly changing markers, technologies and language in life together, I am energized by the deeper hungers of student leaders. There is a longing to connect faith and justice and to bring a core Lutheran theme, connecting love of God to love of neighbor, to new depths. This is a generation leading the way in interfaith work,

Rather than retreating from the questions and challenges raised by the study of religion, Makayla embraces the creative tension of faith and learning. As a religion major and a campus leader, Makayla has channeled her passion for interfaith work into fruitful listening, learning and relationships. In a vocation retreat for sophomores held last fall, the group of students drawn to the retreat offered a rich diversity of faiths and cultures. Makayla, serving as a senior mentor, was at ease in

helping to create a space of trust, listening and dialogue where Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and seekers could hear one another’s stories without judgment. The spirit of the retreat carried over into campus conversations when Makalya later helped initiate a fall interfaith forum, creating a venue that gave space for the Luther College community to discuss how Islamophobic events in America affect our community and how we can stand up against Islamophobia on our campus and in our schools. This kind of ministry challenges communities to grow beyond fearful stereotypes into faithful relationships. It is a joy to behold. These examples from Makayla’s story reflect a larger movement of faithful folks working on campuses and other fronts for something closer to beloved community. A Luther College group of students, faculty and staff called Just Action recently developed a statement of solidarity with Muslim students, “Friendship not Fear.” This statement was written in response to the wave of polarizing and fearful political rhetoric against Muslims that has emerged so strongly in recent public and political discourse. The statement has sparked support from other campuses and “Sojourners Magazine.” In the wake of tired stories of fear and prejudice, students are asking anew, “Who is my neighbor?” Brandon is a contemplative leader. Contemporary voices on contemplative practices and emerging ministries are high on his reading list. He integrates his studies in music, leadership in worship and contemplative gifts for the sake of a more inclusive church that lives out the fullness of God’s love. Like many of his peers, Brandon is drawn to a church that welcomes the stranger and the marginalized. It’s interesting to hear this generation of students talk about their experience of the 2009 ELCA assembly action that offered a more welcome approach to blessing same gender relationships and affirming rostered leaders who identify as gender and sexual minori-

ties. Current students were in high school or middle school at the time. Brandon represents many students who welcomed this movement and were confounded by critics who saw this new expression of welcome as somehow threatening or distracting to the church’s mission. For many students, this kind of deep hospitality in Christ’s name is precisely the church’s mission. Brandon is finding clarity in his own vocation through making deep connections of liturgy, social justice, hospitality and contemplative prayer. We can learn much about church practices by listening to those who haven’t experienced the kind of welcome we hope and intend. Gifty lives up to her name. Her depth of faith and generous soul is a gift in life together. She serves on the Student Congregation Council and as a leader with a host of campus groups. Last year, while hiking one of the beautiful trails of Decorah during a fall leader’s retreat, Gifty began reciting Psalm 8 in thanks for the beauty of the day. She recited from the King James Version, “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” The group stopped as Psalm 8 was spoken with such grace that it opened our eyes to the very presence of God filling the wooded trail. I asked Gifty how she knew this Psalm by heart. She explained that a tradition in Ghana is for spiritual mothers or fathers to help teach the faith, much like a godparent. Gifty’s spiritual mother taught her many Psalms as she was growing up. She learned from her spiritual mother to commit many Psalms to memory. This would allow her to summon a Psalm for every life circumstance, including joy, sorrow, discernment, longing and anything else life brings. Gifty brings the faith of the Psalms to life together, to relationships and to her leadership. Her witness has inspired me to deepen my knowledge and use of the Psalms in my own

prayer, Bible study, pastoral care, listening and leadership. Learning and teaching Psalms is a good calling and practice for any faith mentor. My service as a campus pastor gives me deep gratitude for the cloud of witnesses who serve as faith mentors in congregations and ministries of Christ’s church. That faithful ministry bears much fruit in the spiritual formation of college students. The gospel surprise of giving and receiving such mentoring is that along the way we are all graced to grow in the fullness of God.

Mike Blair has served Luther College as campus pastor since 1991. Before serving at Luther, he was campus pastor at Augustana College, Rock Island and Associate Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Freeport, Illinois. Mike received a Bachelor of Arts in music and psychology from Augustana College, Rock Island in 1979 and a Master’s degree in Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1985. He is married to Susan Blair.

FALL 2016

INTERVIEW WITH ROZELLA WHITE by Bunmi Ishola Young Adult Ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is still relatively new. It started about three and a half years ago, as the organization sought to address a specific trend they were seeing: Young adults, specifically between the ages of 18 and 30, do not go to church. While many young adults are involved with ELCA campus ministries and outdoor ministries, “Those don’t necessarily translate to active engagement in a congregation’s life,” says Rozella White, who served in the role of ELCA program director for Young Adult Ministry through July 2016. “In our traditional congregational groups, that age group is missing.” Bunmi Ishola: Young Adult Ministry targets a pretty wide age rage—18 to 30. Some of that group is just entering college, and others are young professionals. Why is that? Rozella White: When I received this role, there wasn’t really a formal definition we were using for young adults. So that initially was the parameters to say this is an age group, though it’s wide and varied, (that) is missing from most of our congregational settings and not necessarily from other community gathering spaces. And it used to be that after 30, people got married and settled down, (and) they’d come back to church. And then we saw that that’s not happening. The other piece is that the average age of our congregation, I believe, is in their 60s now, and so we really wanted to skew younger as we think about who and what is missing from our life together, our worship life together and the ways we gather. And so we have some amazing ministries that do connect very much with that age group, but they still are not connecting with the larger congregational life of our denomination.

BI: As program director, would you say this new ministry is working? Have you been able to bridge that gap and help young adults connect more with congregations? RW: I would say that that hasn’t been our focus. It’s been to connect to young adults in that age group, as they deepen in faith, as they uncover their identity, as they discover their vocation and as they grow as servant leaders who do justice in the world. And the goal has really been to create opportunities to network, to provide space for people who have grown up in our churches and who may engage in different ways, to really see their faith come alive in a new way. We know that young adults, by and large, are passionate about issues of social justice and change and transformation, so a big piece of my work has been creating opportunities and connecting people to things that connect faith, justice and culture, so that they can continue to serve and to lead and to be activists and advocates. But there’s a faith connection and faith component there. Some of that has led to people connecting to congregations, but for me, it’s been about providing a different entry point, to say that it’s not just about congregational life, but it is about the whole of one’s life. And congregations provide a particular entry point, but there are lots of young adults that don’t enter through that way. So how are we providing opportunities and lifting up experiences that connect to those that would never come to a church or that that would be the last thing that they do? BI: What are some of the justice issues that you have tackled, and what has been the most effective way of letting young adults connect to them? RW: One is an opportunity that’s a partnership with our Peace Not Walls campaign of the ELCA. (Peace Not Walls is the ELCA strategy for engagement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.) A few years ago, I created, along with my Peace Not Walls colleague, 9

an opportunity for young adult engagement in that…So we went from not really having young adults really engaged with that network to having over 70 that have been on the ground, that are connecting to the network in various ways, that are engaging their synods in issues of justice as it relates to the Peace Not Walls strategy. The other one has been has been a partnership with ELCA World Hunger, Alumni of our Young Adults and Global Mission program, our strategy on HIV and AIDS and our Justice for Women office. So we started a thing called the Young Adult Cohort that takes young adults as part of the delegations sponsored by the Lutheran World Federation to two international events. One happens every year in New York—the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which is primarily focused on issues of gender justice and equity. And then another event that happens every two years is the International AIDS conference. So again, young adults are part of an international delegation that focus on HIV and AIDS through the lens of faith. And so that cohort, which started my second year here, now has over 40 people in it. And they continue to support one another and serve in their congregations around raising up information around issues of gender, issues of HIV and AIDS, issues of poverty and hunger and all of the things that intersect in that space. And then lastly, I would say that we just started a process with ELCA Advocacy and Racial Justice, a campaign called ELCA Votes, with a focus on getting young adults engaged in the electoral process and using our theological frameworks and social statements around the church in civic engagement to connect the fact that we, as citizens of this nation, have a particular right. We, as people of faith, have a particular responsibility, and that’s to show up in the public square.

A lot of my work is just working very closely with the ministries of the church that engage in issues of justice and issues of advocacy and helping young adults connect more fully to those opportunities. Because most people don’t realize that we have such a wide community of people that are working on issues of justice, whether it be hunger and poverty and homelessness, HIV and AIDS, gender. So a lot of my work has been nurturing a network and creating connections that move us towards being people of public faith that engage in issues of justice but very clearly do that from a motivation and understanding of who they are as people of Christian faith. And that’s the overarching message of ELCA Young Adult Ministry. BI: Since a lot of young adults aren’t attending ELCA congregations, how do they find and connect to your ministry? RW: So because we are a part of a churchwide organization as a particular ministry, then we tend to be connected initially through our network. So whether that’s congregations, whether that’s young people who grew up in our churches and kind of went through youth ministry and are looking for young adult ministries, we rely heavily on our synods (the 65 offices and bishop staff), many of which have someone who works on youth or young adult ministry issues as a point of connection. Because at the end of the day, ELCA Young Adult Ministry is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. So it’s not so much been a campaign of engaging with people that are not necessarily connected to the church, but it has been about kind of broadening people’s view. And by doing that, that has invited other people to the table that maybe wouldn’t have heard about it. And I would also say we have a pretty broad social media presence, and are kind of known as a ministry that responds to issues that happen in our community and in the world and invite people in. So we just recently had a webcast where we invited younger leaders, and not just Lutheran, but younger leaders of faith, who identified as LGBTQ, to talk about

their grief and their laments postOrlando—to kind of share and teach the larger population what it means to be a person that has integrated their faith and their sexuality and their identity. Anyone can watch that and see that. And we’ve had Twitter chats around race and faith after (the) Charleston (church shooting in summer 2015). And so we just really try to show up in public ways, and it’s not really about who people are connected to, but we definitely don’t have either the budget or the human power to advertise and be present in every space that’s not ELCA-affiliated. BI: Do you every get pushback on the issues that the ministry has chosen to address or highlight? RW: We actually don’t from ELCA young adults, but we tend to do things in line with what our organization and what our church says. We rarely do things that are outside those limits. I think people by and large in our denomination, or the people that engage mostly with us, are looking for a space that creates opportunities to have difficult conversations. They’re looking for a place that integrates faith and life in real ways, and they’re not looking for perfection. They are just looking for people that care and are willing to show up. And that’s something that we are absolutely committed to—showing up. Across the board, young adults want to know how church shows up in public life, period. (As I work with young adults,) my goal is to

Across the board, young adults want to know how church shows up in public life, period ... And then, how is it that you define meaning

help you embrace the fullness of who you are, and that fullness is holistic. It’s your mind, it’s your spirit, it’s your body, it’s your heart—it’s all these pieces working together. And then, how is it that you define meaning and find that in the world, live that out? And I believe that our faith can be the cornerstone, the foundation of how we understand being a person that is meaningful, being a person that is created to make meaning in the world. So it’s kind of connecting all of the dots. BI: You’ve been the director of the Young Adult Ministry since it started, and this summer you are stepping down from that position to do other work. When you think about where the ministry goes from here, what is your hope? RW: Ideally I’d love for this ministry to continue its momentum in connecting with young adults and those who work with them because that hasn’t been an area of focus for so long in our church. So on one hand, it’s continuing momentum and finding ways to connect and network folk, but for me, it really is important for the church to create space to not only listen to voices of our young people, but to actually affirm the gifts that they have in the way they are leading them that may or may not be necessarily within the four walls of the congregation. A part of me really desires that young adults, both millennials and the generation after them, can lead our church into a new way of being a church, which I don’t necessarily know that we’re willing to follow. Because that means we would look very different. But I feel like young adults have the gift and the desire and energy to do that in ways that actually harken back to movements of the first church—so, less structure, more presence, more connection, and kind of a way of being that is subversive that isn’t about the status quo, that gets back to loving God and loving people, to doing justice and walking humbly. That would be my hope—that the church actually follows young adults.

and find that in the world, But lastly, I would say that I think the thing that I love most about working with young

live that out? 10

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adults today is that, as an Afro-Latina, as a black Puerto Rican woman who is theologically trained and someone who is absolutely passionate about intersectionality, I feel like many of our young adults live that and understand that in ways that other generations don’t. And so, they live lives or are trying to live lives of integration. And I think that church at its best is about creating that space for people to do that. I don’t know that we’ve necessarily done a good job of that because church right now has become so compartmentalized, to being something that happens one day of the

week or maybe two, if you’re really involved. Whereas, I think young adults are looking for a life experience that continues to connect and inform and encourage and uplift. And so I never actually worry about the faith of our young adults fizzling out. I just think it is being reborn in different ways. And I think we have a lot to learn from them, of how they figure that out. And we also have a lot to give—I think it can be a mutually beneficial relationship.

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

So that would kind of be my hope.

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!

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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!

TRINITY LUTHERAN COLLEGE: GRIEF AND LEGACY LOST IN TRANSLATION...

by Christopher Zumski Finke

As Trinity Lutheran College closes for good, grief and gratitude accompany questions of legacy. In May 2016, Trinity Lutheran College held their 72nd, and last, commencement ceremony. There was perhaps no better way for Trinity to end its run than by holding a commencement. Ending the school’s work with a celebration of beginnings was an experience that spoke to the heart of what so many students from Trinity have done, and will continue to do, to reflect the legacy of the school. As the school year ended, so did the life of Trinity Lutheran College—founded back in 1944 as Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle. There were many details to work out when closing a septuagenarian higher learning institution. Some of these details were expected, like securing the future of Trinity’s underclassmen—not all of Trinity’s students were graduating and had school transfers to find. Some of these details were more surprising, like securing new homes for the Trinity Trees, about 50 trees cultivated on campus by master gardener and Trinity professor Dave Ellingson. Such a closure left a weight hanging over commencement, and there was a concerted effort by students, faculty and the administration to make the final months of Trinity “the best last semester ever,” as Professor Mark Jackson put it during a phone interview.

Children, Youth and Family Studies program at Trinity was one of the oldest in the nation. It was started in the 1970s, and according to Jackson, was “among the first, historical youth ministry programs in the country,” though where exactly in the list it falls is tricky to pin down. Reverend Ellingson agreed with Jackson’s sentiment. “The rich history of the school and how it has contributed to the life of the church and our society for the past 72 years—obviously there’s an element of sadness in it.” Jackson and Ellingson spoke of the shock that preceded the sadness at the news of Trinity’s closing but were unwilling to dwell in the emotion for long. Neither, it would seem, were the students, despite being informed that the spring 2016 semester would be the last at their chosen college. “Totally, completely unexpected.” That’s how graduating senior Alisha Nelson described the experience of being in the exclusive club that was the last graduating class at Trinity Lutheran College. Ms. Nelson talked about the footholds underneath students falling away. “You’ve climbed this ladder and for seniors, you get to the top, but the foundation kind of feels like it’s not there anymore.”

What marked the final months at Trinity was the not the practical element of closing a school, but the emotional and spiritual effect that closing carried. For Children, Youth, and Family Studies professors Mark Jackson and Reverend Dave Ellingson, closing was a time of grief and gratitude.

But that initial response was not what Nelson will remember about the news of Trinity’s closing and the student body’s response. “There is a mode for action,” that quickly surpassed the shock, she told me. “The morale of the school changed once we got the news.” Students created a campaign, Support our School, to raise money to send off Trinity’s last cohort of students in fashion. Support our School funds were used to host activities—karaoke, flash mobs—that brought some fun, lighthearted experiences to Trinity’s transition.

“It’s a sad time,” Professor Jackson said. “The sadness comes from the transformative nature of our unique community.” The

The CYFS faculty reflected on this student motivation as well, with a deep sense of pride in their final cohort. After the announcement

GRIEF, THEN GRATITUDE

was made to close the school, CYFS professors met with their students “to share how they were feeling and get a chance to do some caregiving,” Ellingson said. When students turned the table and started asking how they could care for faculty, Ellingson was surprised about just who received that caregiving. “One student sat there with a notebook and said, I want to know specifically from each faculty member what I can pray for for each of you.” I asked Jackson about this event, and he was similarly moved. “The conversation was about taking care of faculty. To me that’s the biggest testament to the kind of leaders we have here.” Ellingson and Jackson both spoke at length about their grateful spirit that results from being given the chance to teach at Trinity. This gratitude followed quickly, partly because the spirit of caregiving was so evident in their students. No one wanted to see the school close, Ellingson said. “But that is not the case, so instead there is gratitude for the remarkable spirit among students and staff who (had) a commitment to finishing strong.” In my conversations with the CYFS faculty, we spent so much time discussing the school’s closing and the impact that it would have on students, alumni and youth ministry training in the Lutheran church, that it was easy to dwell upon the finality of the last graduation—to forget the meaning of commencement and instead focus on closure. But that best last semester Professor Jackson spoke about wouldn’t have happened without intention. “There (was) definitely a concerted effort by the faculty that our 72nd commencement (was) not a funeral, but a celebration,” said Jackson. “It (was) a time to celebrate their accomplishment…a grand celebration.”

LEGACY Trinity Lutheran College ceased operations after the May 2016 graduation, but the impact

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of the school on the church and the culture around it will continue to be felt for generations.

the focus elsewhere. “The legacy is not the institution carrying forward. It is the life and work and service of our graduates.”

The school has established the Trinity Education Foundation to continue supporting Lutheran education by providing student scholarships. According to Trinity’s website, the foundation is “committed to the long-term vision of providing scholarships to students who are interested in studying God’s word and prepare their lives for service.” In addition, faculty projects begun at Trinity, like the Service and Learning Leadership Team, continue the Trinity legacy after closure. Administered through Trinity and created with a grant from Thrivent Financial, the SALLT Project provides training and research to congregations and organizations offering youth experiential learning and service learning opportunities.

Trinity’s Children, Youth, and Family Studies program has seeded congregations, camps and campuses around the country with welltrained ministers ready to serve their call. They’ve also sent alumni into social services, education, pastoral studies, counseling and countless other service fields. Graduating students are already the living legacy of every education institution. But when that institution closes, those alumni become even more vital. Mark Jackson reported that at this year’s Trinity alumni gathering at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, the alumni were adamant that they continue to meet going forward. “The school closing doesn’t mean we’re no longer alumni,” he said. “If anything, it gives more reason to celebrate the college.”

These are the pragmatic offerings from Trinity that will outlast the school’s operation. Asked about the legacy of Trinity, however, the 30year Trinity veteran Reverend Ellingson put

Jackson and Ellingson were clear on this point: The legacy of Trinity is the leaders who came through the doors and walked across the stage and who will continue to change the

world around them because time they spent in the classrooms of Trinity prepared them for life’s commencement.

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

FAITH A COLLEGE KID LOST LIKE IN TRANSLATION... I was 19 years old when I took my first Bible class: Introduction to the New Testament. On the first day of class, my pristine, yetunopened Harper Collins Study Bible was perched on the edge of my desk, and a fresh, new notebook sat open and waiting. A faithful youth group attendee and church camp lifer, I thought Jesus was a pretty cool guy. I loved Christmas carols, Easter hymns, and camp songs. I had been baptized and confirmed by the church. My church community was filled with a few just-as-awkward-as-me friends, as well many adults who loved me. I figured Bible class was going to be a breeze. But here’s the thing: The historical experience with Jesus is vastly different from the religious experience with Jesus. My semester in Introduction to the New Testament chipped away at my faith. After five months of an undergraduate Bible class, I was pretty sure that Jesus had actually been alive on earth at some point, but I wasn’t at all sure of anything else I had learned about God while growing up in the church. This was the unfortunate consequence of a common experience: As children, preteens, and teenagers, we are taught what to think— by our parents, schools and churches. We are trained to figure out the right answer and rarely taught how to think pluralistically. In college, especially liberal arts college, the emphasis is suddenly and unexpectedly shifted to helping us learn how to think. The solid foundation of right and wrong crumbles beneath us, and many young adults are left hanging on for dear life. This can be especially detrimental to the faith of college students. So how do we, as churches and youth groups and Sunday school classes, help equip kids and youth for this transition from childhood to adult learning—and childhood to adult faith? Start early. And stop answering questions.

by Erin Gibbons

By about fourth grade, kids start to see that Bible stories are unrealistic. “That’s dumb. Snakes don’t talk,” they’ll say after hearing about Adam and Eve. This is a pivotal moment when kids either discover that church is totally fake, like Santa Claus and fairy tales, or they start to set a foundation upon which they’ll be able to build a lifelong faith. When a fourth grader smartly points out that snakes don’t talk, respond by saying, “You’re right! Let’s read the story again, and after, tell me what you think the story means.” And whatever they say, affirm their response. Because wrestling with difficult Bible stories from an ancient world that didn’t have worldwide news or the internet or big box stores packed with material items or McDonalds is, let’s face it, a huge part of adult faith life. As kids grow to be teenagers, church youth groups can help them discover deeper meaning in their faith life—through relationship, ritual, tradition and prayer. I know what you’re thinking—teenagers are not interested in anything but texting and Snapchat. But think of it this way: those teenagers who show zero interest in faith life probably discovered in fourth grade that snakes don’t talk, but no one helped them work through that realization. Help your teenagers discover the gift of faith and relationship with Jesus—whoever their Jesus might be. Answer their questions with questions (they’ll love it), and when they ask tough questions about the capital-T Truth of the Bible, share your experiences with questioning and doubt too. Lifelong faith is not confident faith. Lifelong faith is exploration and confusion, doubt and wondering, joy and sorrow and real-life experiences. But lifelong faith built on a foundation of exploring this messy reality can be fulfilling and life-altering. I’m thankful to have rediscovered my faith as I grew into adulthood—through church camp experiences during college summers, many

years developing Sunday school curriculum and wonderful faith communities. But if I could rewind my experiences, I would help my college-age self understand that having your faith challenged with facts can make your faith stronger, instead of breaking it apart.

Erin Gibbons is the managing editor for the Connect Journal, a Sunday school curriculum developer for Sparkhouse and a dreamer for the future of the church.

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THOUGHTS FROM FACEBOOK: HOW CAMPUS MINISTRY IMPACTED ME Matthew Diegel: I was introduced to the Lutheran chaplain for Western University in London, Ontario at a synod convention by my pastor father. For the first few weeks, I didn’t follow up on invitations to attend events. Then, however, a hand-delivered note about a corn supper, rather than a worship service, caught my eye. I went across campus to Luther House and got hooked on campus ministry, even living there for my final two years of undergrad. Campus ministry helped me to discover myself, the wider scope of spirituality and to build on the foundations of faith that I learned to thank my mom and dad and my home congregations for. I continued in LSMC and Campus ministry throughout my seminary years also, where I could be me and not just a seminarian or a PK.

Gretchen Freese: Due to labs, I was not able to regularly attend (campus ministry) worship in college, but when I came back home after working overseas, it was the place I found as my worship home. The campus pastor was instrumental in helping me understand my call to ministry and has continued to be a great blessing and mentor in my life. Drew McCaffery: It was because of campus ministry I was able to really grow in my faith. Growing up, I was raised in a different tradition where there was a lot of judgment for not being “perfect.” It got to the point where I actually left the church for a number of years. Getting involved with campus ministry in college was a life-changing experience because I found a place where faith wasn’t judgmental, but accepting. In that acceptance, I grew not only in my faith, but as a better person. Thanks to our campus pastor—she urged me to go to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor. Four months into my first call, I am thankful for the acceptance and growth in campus ministry which gave me a chance to see the grace we find through our faith. I hope through my experience, I will be able to share that same acceptance and grace in my ministry.

Kurt Strause: The pastors and interns of the Lutheran Campus Ministry at Penn State in the 1970s were models of how well Christian faith and intellectual inquiry interact. The intentional community life of Luther House opened up a world of prayer, cooperation and friendship I hadn’t experienced. Worship was fresh and new, yet deeply liturgical and catholic. And it was just plain fun! JoAnn Fabie: I met my husband of 53 years and counting there. It was a safe place for me to explore my own changing, growing and doubting faith. It was central to a sane university experience.

Erik Doughty: Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois) Campus Ministries gave me—a just-figuring-out-some-things new arrival to campus— a place to be both happily gay and happily Lutheran. It provided Eucharist, community, weekly meals with other students, a thoughtful mentor in campus pastor Swanie, contemplative time amid busy college days on Wednesday evenings and the opportunity to integrate critical thinking and spiritual life in the church (to name only two).

Veronica Webber Smith: Even though I was born years after women became pastors, I had never known a female pastor until I got involved with campus ministry and met the chaplain. I had always felt like woman pastors were Narwhals (hard to believe they exist until you see one with your own eyes). The campus pastor helped me discover my gifts, and through this exploration, I was able to discern a call to ministry. She gave me the chance to practice many of the skills needed to be a pastor while simultaneously guiding me through the many challenges of moving from a small, rural community to a massive state university. Campus ministry helped me to find a safe, comfortable niche where I felt like I really belonged in a place where it’s easy to feel like just a number.

Chris Wogaman: I don’t think there were any kind of “open and welcoming” campus ministries at my college. But I can remember like it was yesterday seeing the conservative Christian Fellowship group at the student union and that being a major factor in my not going back to church for years. Brian Nunnally: Provided a place for worship and fellowship. Service projects were offered, but I was working to pay for college.

Erin Bents Martinson: It didn’t when I was in college, but when I was in seminary and now my current call, it is so awesome to be connected. Helps me to think about the changing landscape of ministry, gives me hope for the world and keeps me feeling young”ish” and very wise!

Rachel Meier Laughlin: My campus pastors were the first pastors I really remember having who weren’t my parents. I learned how to grow up in faith. Lutheran Student Movement gave me a chance to be a leader among my peers. Our campus church relations person made me realize my voice counts for something—that if I’m invited to the conversation, what I have to say matters. I made dear friends, many of my best ones, and had a place to turn when I needed to because of this ministry. I wouldn’t be who I am or do what I do as an ordained minister without campus ministry.

Jessica Cain: Campus ministry changed my life in many ways. I had already acknowledged my call to ministry, so being a part of campus ministry allowed me the opportunity to work on my leadership skills. I was able to lead Bible studies/worship, help with worship planning, serve as council president, look at long-range planning, participate in service

Marie Caron: It gave me community and respite and acceptance when I desperately needed healing.

projects and experience a wide range of ways of encountering God. It expanded my understanding of God, as well as my understanding of what church is and can be. I met my husband through campus ministry. I also made many lifelong friends (about 20 of us still get together at least once a year). My mentors in campus ministry continue to be an important part of my life and have become friends and colleagues, as well as excellent examples in my work. Before going to college, I never would have considered serving in a ministry role outside of parish ministry. Now campus ministry is something I aspire to do at some point.

Meredith Williams: I met my husband there. Sue Lang: I was a co-campus pastor (with my husband) at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Working with the students opened my eyes to the deep struggles of young adults during this formative time in their lives. I think it helped me to be better prepared as a parent when my daughters entered college. This is probably outside of your box, but hey, you know me!

Patti Axel: Campus ministry was my home away from home and a place where I could ask questions about my faith and theology that I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel comfortable exploring in the church where I grew up.

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 16

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CAMPUS MINISTRY ACROSS THE ELCA by Christopher Zumski Finke 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.

additional institutional support to continue their studies.” National data on the number of students going hungry is difficult to gather, in part because self-reporting food insecurity comes with stigma and shame, according to the Washington Post.

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.

The problem was only noticed at the university level in recent years. O’Brien noted that “UF only discovered in the last few years that students were being affected academically because they were hungry.” To address the problem the school created Fork and Field food pantry, which provides healthy food and education to all Gators “about how to make balanced food choices.” The food security issue is a big one for Lutheran Campus Ministries at UF. They organize food drives and service opportunities with Fork and Field at the 65-year-old University Evangelical Lutheran Church.

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

I spoke with Pastor O’Brien about her work on the University of Florida and around the synod’s colleges. And our conversation continually returned to the need to feed hungry students and staff, though their efforts also reach into the local community as well. University Evangelical Lutheran Church hosts Family Promise, which allows homeless families to live in the church for a week. These families can use the church’s resources to look for work and meet other basic needs, while campus groups provide meals and make connections with the families. Sometimes, students will visit with the families as they move from church to church around the Gainesville area. Pastor O’Brien was clear that Lutheran Campus Ministries at UF goes beyond the reach of food drives and serving food to the homeless. But the reality remained clear: Hunger was the issue. “Make no bones about it,” O’Brien told me as we wrapped up our conversation. “Food is a big issue. You will always find students are interested in a free meal.”

HOW BIG IS THE TABLE…AT YOUR FOOD TRUCK? At the beginning of last semester, Lord of Life, the campus church of California Lutheran University, hosted a food truck from In-N-Out Burger. “That smell goes out, and people just wiggle their way over like monsters.” This is how Pastor Scott Maxwell-Doherty described the event, anyway. The monsters he mentioned were Cal Lutheran students, drawn to the scene by the famous In-N-Out Burger. “The overwhelming question was: Who’s doing this, why are you doing this, and does it cost me anything?” Turns out it didn’t cost anything; Lord of Life was just putting out free burgers. “We know food brings young people to the table,” Pastor Maxwell-Doherty told me during our phone call. Being a food truck, I knew the table was metaphorical. Bringing people to the table is a theme of Maxwell-Doherty’s ministry this year. Room at the Table was Cal Lutheran’s chapel theme for last year, and Pastor Maxwell-Doherty says the chapel ministers and speakers have helped everyone wonder, “How big is the table? How inclusive is it? What do we do when we recognize that it’s become exclusive?” Those were the same questions that wandering hungry students brought to the In-N-Out Burger event. Bring people to the table with free burgers, but let them know why you do it. “We got to identify as a faith community that worships every Sunday night and let them know they’re always welcome.” Identifying as a faith group is the purpose of these “fun food events,” Maxwell-Doherty says. But the point is not to put butts in pews. “We don’t do these things to build attendance. Attendance might be the result of, but not a precondition for. We want to do this because it’s fun.” Fun, simply put, appears to be one of the central goals of campus ministries and Lord of

Life on the Cal Lutheran campus. It’s not their only effort; issues oriented work drives their ministry as well. For example, this year, a wider ELCA effort to aid Syrian refugees energized campus. Students created school packs for children and collected clothing and blankets for Syrian refugee families. The charity event was an attempt to combat the impulse, common in the face of global crises, to “throw our hands up and say we can’t do anything.” But even in the midst of retelling the Syrian refugee charity work, Pastor Maxwell-Dogherty was reminded of another event, again including food trucks, that had student leaders wearing t-shirts that prompted conversations about subjects as varied as third grade teachers and Syrian refugees—all in an effort to “reinforce the idea that everyone has a place at the table.” Campus ministry, like preaching, is partially about finding a metaphor that people connect with. On California Lutheran University’s campus, that metaphor is the table. “When I talk to students who attend the chapel they say, ‘Man, that is such an accessible image for me.’ We all wonder, where do I sit at the table, and whom do I exclude?”

RELIEF FROM THE PRESSURE COOKER The campus ministry and congregational partnership at the University of Minnesota differs from UF and Cal Lutheran in that there are two university churches connecting with students: Grace University Church and University Lutheran Church of Hope. Grace and Hope work in “deep collaboration and partnership” with Pastor Kate Welton, the Lutheran campus pastor at the University of Minnesota. Probably, Pastor Welton says, this results from “the density of Lutherans in Minnesota.” With Grace and Hope serving full congregational needs, “from babies to the elderly,” Welton put it, she serves to “focus in on the students in a way that a pastor at an intergenerational congregation wouldn’t have the time for.” Pastor Welton expressed immense gratitude for Grace and Hope and the partnership she has with those congregations. The coverage

they are able to mete out together goes a long way at a university with 55,000 undergrads, many of whom suffer from anxiety and depression or just feel overwhelmed. Welton spoke at length in our phone interview about the “incredible pressure cooker” that students find themselves trapped in. “Students feel pressure not only to perform well in school and be a part of student groups, but they’re nervous about missing out on this experience they call college.” Welton, who’s in the sixth year of her call to the U of M, empathized with the pain that can accompany student life. “There’s not a lot of space in their academic lives. If you stumble or miss a semester, then everything is off; you’re not going to graduate in four years, and the world is going to end.” All of this leads to depression, mental health issues and, increasingly, suicide. There’s a name for this problem in academics, originating at Stanford University: Duck Syndrome. Last year, Julie Scelfo discussed suicide and Duck Syndrome in the New York Times: “A duck appears to glide calmly across the water,” Scelfo wrote, “while beneath the surface it frantically, relentlessly paddles.” Scelfo continued to state that the problem “can manifest as demoralization, alienation or conditions like anxiety or depression.” These effects were the need that Welton returned to throughout our conversation. “We see a lot of depression and anxiety related to the pressure that students need to have it all together. It’s rare they can find a place where they don’t have to have it all together and where they can be honest about their brokenness and uncertainty.” By creating a space for students to escape the pressures of their academic lives, campus ministry provides students the opportunity to fill another need: community—not just with students, but with congregations, families and mentors too. Mentorship programs in the local churches allow students to see working professionals—often in their own fields—who have survived the pressure cooker with their faith intact. Welton told me of a recent connection between a struggling business student and a local CEO. “Now the student has some-

one who can do way more than I could do and also had someone to sit with at church and celebrate Christmas with.” There is a spiritual hunger that forms in students during the college years, Welton told me. One that is driven by a student’s need to at least appear like they have it all together It’s through these mentorships at Grace and Hope, as well as Wednesday night worship services, small groups and other events, that Pastor Welton and her campus allies provide an opportunity to let the weights fall off. “We talk with our students and cultivate a community where you can be real, talk about authenticity and vulnerability and name this culture of performance.” What Pastor Welton is describing is a potential life-saving practice. Hunger, depression and suicide are realities on America’s campuses, driven by a culture that expects everything from its members. Pastor Welton called for the church to be a countercultural force that allows people to “name their brokenness, and critique the culture that pulls students towards perfection.” The church can do that. None of these situations is unique to the schools above. In fact, what makes these cases special is that they are not unique. Each of these campus ministers testified to that very fact: Hunger, outreach, anxiety and pressure exist everywhere students congregate. The capacity for a university-level countercultural force is what Pastors Welton, Maxwell-Doherty, and O’Brien describe. Each in their own way addressed the need to gather at a table together with their students and congregations and fill a hunger—spiritual and physical—that students cope with every day.

FALL 2016

THE NETWORK APP! Now experience ELCA Youth Ministry Network anytime, anywhere . . .renew your faith…experience powerful education opportunities wherever you are, and connect with peers who share the same joys and struggles in ministry. Yes, put all this at your fingertips--with the state of the art app for your iPhone or iPad. This app is free and gives you unlimited access to these great features: · Streaming videos of education events--watch and listen from home or anywhere! Instantly access keynote talks from past Extravaganzas, webinars from 3rdTuesday Conversations and the Practice Discipleship Initiative. All these resources are literally in the palm of your hand! · News and Events - stay up to date on Network happenings. Add events to your own calendar, set reminders, get directions, and share with friends-on the spot! · Discover Our Mission, Vision, History, Leadership Teams and More - it’s a “Network Leadership Directory” in your pocket, with leadership roles, bios, and more. Plus all the info on the Network’s history, and where we’re going together! · Contact Info - Got questions? Call or e-mail us directly from the contact page. · Support the Network Easily! - With just two clicks! Completely secure, you can make gifts or donations to support the Network simply and quickly. · Invite Others and Share - Share content effortlessly on your favorite social site: Facebook, Twitter, SMS, and e-mail. “Go viral” with anything and everything, and help others stay connected! Why wait? Download this free app today in the App Store and Google Marketplace. Renew, Educate and Connect. Put the entire Network in your pocket!

THE PROBLEM WITH WWJD AND COLLEGE STUDENTS By George Baum You can probably guess by the title where I am going before I even start, but I’m going to go ahead and start anyway. In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few decades, I will tell you that WWJD stands for: “What Would Jesus Do?” The intention of asking yourself that question is that you will not do something Jesus would not do, mostly. Sure, sometimes it’s a spur to action, but mostly it is a hedge to acting un-Jesus-like…whatever that means. This WWJD approach to youth ministry is often used in tandem with things like a Purity Pledge, and so forth. If you have no idea what I’m talking about…good for you! So, the chief problem with the WWJD approach to behavior modification really hits its stride in college. If students can somehow remain within the youth-group bubble through high school, they might enter college confidently wearing that WWJD bracelet, determined to stay on the straight and narrow. However, more often than not, young people find themselves in college doing what Jesus

would not do (whatever that means). And, in case you don’t remember your own experience, the guilt or embarrassment of “sewing your wild oats” tends to make you shy about wandering down to the local Lutheran campus ministry because, well, that’s where people will be asking themselves, WWJD? It doesn’t take long for the cycle to spin a person into thinking it’s probably best to just stay away from church altogether. My small point here is just this: If we base our youth ministry on making kids behave (as many parents are hoping is the whole point of youth ministry), eventually the day will come when those well-behaved young adults will find themselves in college, doing what Jesus would not do (or so they think, given that they might have inadvertently picked up the message that church is for the good people). That’s a long sentence. Put another way: If the church is filled with good people, and I am acting badly, then church cannot be for me.

Treating youth ministry as behavior modification can kind of pay off in the end though. Because, eventually, those college kids who drifted away will come back to church when they have kids of their own, and they’ll be bringing those kids to your successor and asking them to teach them how to ask themselves, “What Would Jesus Do?” In the meantime, I encourage you to avoid focusing on behavior and continue focusing on what Jesus has already done. Because, as you know, that is what actually changes behavior. George Baum is an Episcopal Priest who lives in Cleveland, OH, 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).

FALL 2016

Intensive Care Courses: January 19-20 Main Event: January 20-23 The Galt House Hotel Louisville, Kentucky

Registration Open at: elcaymnet.org

The Extravaganza is an amazing event. The Extravaganza is an annual 4-day conference that draws together anywhere from 500-750 adults who work with youth in congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for the premier renewal, education and networking event of our church. It is for the professional and the volunteer. It is for the old and the young. It is for the urban, the suburban and the rural. It is for pastors, and laypeople. It is for all who share in the adventure we call youth and family ministry.

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! Liz Albertson Catherine Anderson Kayla Aspeslagh Kara Baylor Wendy Black Lois Brown Todd Buegler Laurie Carson Paul Clark Debbie Clipson Stephanie Coltvet Erdmann Dave Delaney David Ellingson Terri Elton Megan Floyd Marcia Giordano

Pamela Gompf Richard A. Hardel Barbara Harner Laurie Hoium David Hunstad Suzanne Hunstad Olson Chelle Huth Bryan Jaster Tammy Jones West Amy Kippen Laurie Line Tiger McLuen Jan Mills Brian Norsman Bill Oelkers Chris Okey

Brent S. Palochonski Patsy Polilli Karen Pugatch Linda Rambow Susan Schiermeyer Beth Schneider Tom Schwolert Stephanie Spellers Michael Thomas Jamie Travers Sue Tyler Christina Von Bank Larry Wagner Kelli Weiss Lisa Williams-Mathews David Wolfe

www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice . Log in, and from there you can search for the ELCA Youth Ministry Network in the listing of approved organizations, and make your designation! Thank you to all who have chosen the Network for your donations so far!

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

Gold Partners: 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

FALL 2016

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

End Date

Name

Location

Contact Person

10/08/16 1:00pm

10/08/16 2:00pm

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Resource Day Wondering Creatively

First Lutheran Church; Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Sonja Gerstenberger

sonja@stpeterofgrimes.org

Adult Volunteers, Adult Professionals

11/03/16 6:00pm

11/06/16 11:00am

ELCA Youth Leadership Summit

Lutheridge Camp and Retreat Center

Darcy Mittelstaedt

Darcy@htlutheran.com

2018 ELCA Youth Gathering Leaders

11/03/16 10:00am

11/03/16 11:30am

Fall Children/Youth Leader Network Fall Meeting - Wondering with Children and Youth

Southeastern Iowa Synod Office, Iowa City, Iowa

Sonja Gerstenberger

sonja@stpeterofgrimes.org

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

11/29/16 9:00am

11/29/16 11:00am

Youth & Family Event at Agape

Agape Retreat Center; NC

Holly Shipley

hshipley@holytrinitychapelhill.org

Adult Professionals

01/19/17 1:00pm

01/20/17 4:00pm

Intensive Care Courses Extravaganza 2017

The Galt House - Louisville, Kentucky

Terri Elton

telton@luthersem.edu

Adult Volunteers Adult Professionals

01/20/17 7:00pm

01/23/17 12:00pm

Extravaganza 2017!

The Galt House - Louisville, Kentucky

Todd Buegler

todd@elcaymnet.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

ELCA Youth Ministry Network 150 Oakwood Lane Owatonna, Mn 55060