[LIVE BLOG] NTNL Youth and Family Ministry Resources Panel

3:15
NTNL Youth and Family Ministry Resources
Thane McCann
Degas Room

Thane is the director of Youth at Advent Lutheran Church in Arlington, TX. We grow the youth because if we are going to have disciples tomorrow, we need to teach them how to do it today.

Youth leaders are not at on their own. Have a team (e.g. pastor, council, other youth leaders, interested congregation members), be connected to the congregation, have clear goals/expectations (e.g. the youth leader's goal along with the team's goals), and find a mentor (especially someone from a different congregation).

If you don't have a team and something happens to the youth leader, it becomes a disservice to the church. It is important to have people on your team who also understand the direction for the youth activities. It is also important to connect to the congregation at a larger level.

It is important to read in order to continually build professional knowledge. Teach your own "stuff", one-off lessons, and/or pre-made curriculum to continue learning and solidify knowledge.

Larger church resources include NTNL (which is considering creating a position akin to a "Youth Coordinator") and the ELCA (which includes documents online, National Youth Gathering, and "ELCAYMNet - Extravaganza" centered around youth workers).

Outside organizations include YouthNet in Dallas/Fort Worth. Outside organizations don't always have to be Lutheran. There are also national groups like Youth Specialties, Vibrant Faith, D6, and others, some of which have resources online or signups for additional content.

Informal solutions including finding a mentor, mentoring someone else, working together with others (who don't have to be Lutherans), pool resources with other organizations (like books or games), and meeting with other local youth ministers.

National Youth Gathering is coming up this year. Thane is working with other youth leaders to pool resources. A ballroom will be available the entire week. There will also be a fake campfire and a portable S'mores maker. Registration closed once the National Youth Gathering hit their goal of around 38,000 youth, but it may still be possible to register through the end of May. Must have completed the 8th grade year.

Through the NTNL website, one can sign up for an email list that has some announcements on upcoming events.

[LIVE BLOG] ELCA World Hunger Panel

2:16
World Hunger: Root Causes of Hunger and Poverty
Sharon Magnuson (Associate Director for ELCA World Hunger)
Galleria Ballroom III

ELCA World Hunger is part of the greater work of the church. $19.2 million received last year, which makes all the programs happen. About 91.5% of funding goes to food and development; about 8.5% goes to structural and fundraising costs.

According to a video shown during the panel, 14% of families in the US struggle to put food on the table. In terms of poverty, people know their own issues best, and it is up to us to listen for how to partner to bring communities out of poverty.

ELCA churchwide recently reorganized as Global Mission, Congregation and Synodical Mission, and Mission Advancement (where ELCA World Hunger resides).

Advocacy is a big way to change some of the big issues impacting hunger and poverty. Access to water is very important for everything from food production to hygiene.

[LIVE BLOG] Radical Hospitality Panel

1:21
Radical Hospitality
Bjorn Peterson (The 99 Collective)
Chagall Room

Transformational leadership revolves around the idea of who we are as informed by the Gospel. Radical Hospitality aims to give something concrete to the "accompaniment" lens presented by Pr. Rafael Malpica-Padilla.

What leads to feeling welcome? Concepts like "compassion, acceptance, at ease, happiness, humbled, heard, and understood".

What leads to feeling unwelcome? Concepts like "excluded, uncomfortable, shunned, hurt, difficult, isolated, ignored, unseen, and unimportant".

Often when we feel unwelcome, the person doing it did not intend it. Out of love, sometimes we go and make a mess of things. Some ministries leave people unknown and hurt. A model for thinking in terms of Radical Hospitality is comprised of Values, Capacity, Equity Areas, which provide "a way to be" as we try to love.

Accompaniment Values: Mutuality, Inclusivity, Vulnerability, Empowerment, Sustainability. These values start to create a way of being, but how do you put them into practice? Decision-Making, Resource-Sharing, Story-Telling, Network-Building, Expertise-Recognizing. We must remember "nothing changes till it changes". In other words these values look nice, but until they are put into practice they are toothless.

Traditional hospitality maintains a power imbalance - I give to you, I have this to share with you. It's one way and not sought. Radical Hospitality values gives a way of being when we are in our equity areas. Any time we make a decision about the way to do things, we privilege a certain set of people who think that way.

Some questions to consider:
Decision-Making: Who makes the decisions? Who sets the agenda? What ways of making decisions are used or not used?

Resource-Sharing: Do we create hierarchies of gifts?

Story-Telling: Whose story is untold? What gates kept closed to story-telling? What kinds of story-telling are allowed?

Network-Building: Who gets to network? What access issues stand in the way? Who do we believe is worthy of our relationships?

Expertise-Recognizing: Who is an expert? How is someone designated an expert? What ways of knowing are privileged (i.e. mind or heart or body)?

Expanding Our Capacities: Empathy Skills (e.g. silence), Asset Based Thinking, System Thinking (e.g. connect the dots, connect all the separate issues, otherwise make decisions in isolation), Formation Disciplines (e.g. prayer, dancing, etc).

[LIVE BLOG] Business Session II Reports

8:50 AM: 2011 NTNL finances ended with a surplus of about $11,000. The full details of the narrative can be found in the documentation handed out at the Assembly. The strategy for 2012 is the same as was voted on last year at Mission Assembly.

8:55 AM: Lutheran Seminary of the Southwest is located on the Episcopal campus in Austin. Incorporated a program for Hispanic applicants throughout the country to attend the seminary. Served 200 MDIV students over the 30+ years of history. Will soon reinstate the MDIV program and will be back in business with that program. Asked to teach programs for several neighboring schools of theology.

9:00 AM: Bishop Ray from Southwestern Texas Synod brings greetings from southwest Texas. They had a Glocal Mission Event last September that was very well received. The 3 synods withing TX and LA do a lot together and get together at the Tri-Synod Conferernce. June 7-9 will be a worship event. The website has registration details. Bishop Mike issued a challenge to make a huge difference with the malaria campaign.

And the new Bishop of the NT-NL Mission Area is...

A BIG congrats to the Rev. Dr. Kevin Kanouse as he was just re-elected to another 6-year term as Bishop of the North Texas-Northern Louisiana Mission Area on the 1st ballot with 190 votes! Congratulations and God-speed!

Affirmation Goes a Long Way

It was lovely to hear Bishop Kanouse's words of affirmation for newly re-elected Vice President Stephanie Varnum. In a way his strong appreciation for Stephanie applied to all those helpful volunteers and hard-working staff whose efforts make the mission of ELCA/NT-NL function smoothly.

A good team that works well together can be a real joy, and how much more delightful when that work is in service to our most gracious God.

So thanks - to the facilitators who are distributing materials and picking up ballots, to the video support team, to those who manage the nomination process, to those who keep good relations with the hotel and keep the coffee coming, to those who handle a million details that no one will ever see. A wise man (my boss) used to say, "If we're doing our job right, no one notices."

But let's notice and say, "Thank you! Gracias! And God bless us everyone."

[LIVE BLOG] Celebration Moment #1 - The Hay Lift

04/27/2012 5:12 pm: The Chair is returned to Bishop Kanouse and he introduces Stephanie Varnum. Stephanie introduces those involved with the hay lift. The hay lift was conducted between the Rolling Plains Conference in NT-NL and the Shepherd of the Hills Conference in Iowa. A video is shown (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwF97FqU59A&feature=plcp). Comments are offered by those involved. "Who would have thought that some hay would cause such a commotion..." The hay from Iowa helped over 51 families from all walks of life in West Texas. Alvarado received bales that were twice as big as the bales that were being sold for over $160. A standing ovation is offered for ALL involved. Thanks and Praise be to God for these people!