For a complete list of Musicians from the Gathering, click on http://www.elca.org/YouthGathering/GatheringDetails/SpeakersMusicians/Musicians/
For a complete list of Speakers from the Gathering, click on http://www.elca.org/YouthGathering/GatheringDetails/SpeakersMusicians/Speakers/
For all of the videos about the Gathering, click on https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD2BE6D47D7169CB5
For all of the nights from Ford Field on one page, click on http://livestream.com/elca/gathering
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Saturday - Proclaim Community
Saturday was a fun (and HOT!) day at the Youth Gathering. Temperatures reached 104°! Good thing we were indoors for much of the day :-)
Saturday was our Proclaim Community Day which means the day was designed to be a day of interactive learning in the Convention Center. Since we already covered much of the COBO Convention Center on Thursday due to our service day debacle, we took advantage of the opportunity to go and explore the Arab American National Museum.
It’s an open-air art environment in the heart of an urban community on Detroit’s East Side. Tyree Guyton, founder and artistic director, uses everyday, discarded objects to create a two block area full of color, symbolism, and intrigue. Now in its 29th year, the Heidelberg Project is recognized around the world as a demonstration of the power of creativity to transform lives.
The director, Tyree Guyton, took time talk to our whole group about how God inspired him to do this! It was an amazing one-on-one time with him. Matt was particularly inspired and if you would like to know more about that conversation, please see Matt Pittman.
The Dome experience was ROCKIN' as Skillet took the stage for a fantastic performance! To watch the replay from the Saturday night dome experience, click play below.
Veronika Scott is the founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan in Detroit. The organization began with a single idea: design a coat specifically for people who are homeless. That idea has now transformed into a system of empowerment for people who are homeless to learn how to produce coats, giving them an opportunity to earn money, find a place to live, and gain independence for themselves and their family. Veronika is the youngest recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University. Veronika has been named one of CNN’s 10 Visionary Women in the World and is the winner of the 2014 DVF People’s Voice Award. She has also been named a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur.
Rozella White is the ELCA Program Director for Young Adult Ministry. She is a trained and certified youth director and chaplain. Rozella is also a disaster chaplain with the National Interfaith Disaster Network and is a 2014-2015 fellow with the Beatitudes Society, a national leadership development organization that identifies, resources and connects young entrepreneurial faith leaders who are creating new models for vibrant church life and the pursuit of social justice. Rozella blogs and speaks about her experience with depression as a young black woman of faith with the hopes of encouraging others to seek radical self-love and embrace their whole selves.
Marian Wright Edelman is the founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund and has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans her entire professional life. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss. She has received over a hundred honorary degrees and many awards, including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian award), and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings. She is married to Peter Edelman, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center. They have three sons and four grandchildren.
The musicians included...
Trip Lee is an acclaimed rapper, author, pastor and Brag Ministry founder. In 2013, he formally became a pastor after years of interning, and the experience proved to be creatively and personally driving for him. He uses his various platforms to point to and honor God, while spreading heartfelt messages, relaying invaluable lessons, and celebrating life in a palatable, potent form.
Skillet was originally formed in Memphis, Tenn., when two of the founding band members took the advice of their pastor to form their own band as a side project. Coming together from separate bands and different styles of rock, they decided to name the experiment Skillet. The name is still somewhat of a joke among the band members. With a blend of heavy electric guitar, keyboards and strong melodies, Skillet resembles a heavy-metal band but has a Christian message. The band's musical style has been described as a fusion of rock, Christian rock, Christian metal, alternative rock, hard rock, nu metal, and symphonic metal.
Saturday was our Proclaim Community Day which means the day was designed to be a day of interactive learning in the Convention Center. Since we already covered much of the COBO Convention Center on Thursday due to our service day debacle, we took advantage of the opportunity to go and explore the Arab American National Museum.
From there we went to the Heidelberg Project.
The Heidelberg Project is art, energy, and community.It’s an open-air art environment in the heart of an urban community on Detroit’s East Side. Tyree Guyton, founder and artistic director, uses everyday, discarded objects to create a two block area full of color, symbolism, and intrigue. Now in its 29th year, the Heidelberg Project is recognized around the world as a demonstration of the power of creativity to transform lives.
The director, Tyree Guyton, took time talk to our whole group about how God inspired him to do this! It was an amazing one-on-one time with him. Matt was particularly inspired and if you would like to know more about that conversation, please see Matt Pittman.
The Yellow House Guestbook
While there we found a house that, for a $1 donation, we could write anything we wanted...anywhere we wanted on the house. See what was written and where it was written in the pictures below!
After a great morning we went to Milano Bakery...a FABULOUS place to eat. Many of us had dessert. If you look below, you'll see why :-)
The Speakers from Saturday included...
Kyle Larson is from Denver and tries to spend most of his time outdoors snowboarding, rock climbing, and adventuring with his chocolate Lab, Avery. Kyle grew up attending Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp, was on the summer staff there for a few years, and then transitioned into the role of full-time Site and Facilities Manager a few years ago. He loves the hands-on work that his job provides, as well as being involved in ministry. Kyle spent a year in Mexico City with the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program, which has played a huge role in shaping his faith and his passions.
Veronika Scott is the founder and CEO of The Empowerment Plan in Detroit. The organization began with a single idea: design a coat specifically for people who are homeless. That idea has now transformed into a system of empowerment for people who are homeless to learn how to produce coats, giving them an opportunity to earn money, find a place to live, and gain independence for themselves and their family. Veronika is the youngest recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award from the JFK Library Foundation and Harvard University. Veronika has been named one of CNN’s 10 Visionary Women in the World and is the winner of the 2014 DVF People’s Voice Award. She has also been named a 2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur.
Rozella White is the ELCA Program Director for Young Adult Ministry. She is a trained and certified youth director and chaplain. Rozella is also a disaster chaplain with the National Interfaith Disaster Network and is a 2014-2015 fellow with the Beatitudes Society, a national leadership development organization that identifies, resources and connects young entrepreneurial faith leaders who are creating new models for vibrant church life and the pursuit of social justice. Rozella blogs and speaks about her experience with depression as a young black woman of faith with the hopes of encouraging others to seek radical self-love and embrace their whole selves.
Marian Wright Edelman is the founder and President of the Children's Defense Fund and has been an advocate for disadvantaged Americans her entire professional life. A graduate of Spelman College and Yale Law School, Edelman was the first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar and directed the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund office in Jackson, Miss. She has received over a hundred honorary degrees and many awards, including the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Prize, the Heinz Award, a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (the nation’s highest civilian award), and the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings. She is married to Peter Edelman, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center. They have three sons and four grandchildren.
The musicians included...
Trip Lee is an acclaimed rapper, author, pastor and Brag Ministry founder. In 2013, he formally became a pastor after years of interning, and the experience proved to be creatively and personally driving for him. He uses his various platforms to point to and honor God, while spreading heartfelt messages, relaying invaluable lessons, and celebrating life in a palatable, potent form.
Skillet was originally formed in Memphis, Tenn., when two of the founding band members took the advice of their pastor to form their own band as a side project. Coming together from separate bands and different styles of rock, they decided to name the experiment Skillet. The name is still somewhat of a joke among the band members. With a blend of heavy electric guitar, keyboards and strong melodies, Skillet resembles a heavy-metal band but has a Christian message. The band's musical style has been described as a fusion of rock, Christian rock, Christian metal, alternative rock, hard rock, nu metal, and symphonic metal.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Sunday - Worship with 30,000 people!
What a way to finish our time in Detroit as we gathered together one last time at Ford Field to worship God!
It was quite a service as we celebrated Jesus' resurrection, heard the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton preach, we welcomed and installed a new director of the ELCA Youth Gathering and applauded and celebrated the work of Heidi Hagstrom who has been the director since 1994 and is close to now becoming a pastor in the ELCA!
A highlight of the worship service was also taking Holy Communion. Yes, 30,000+ people taking Communion in 17 minutes. We know it took 17 minutes because Grace timed it...
We also heard during the Communion liturgy these words spoken by Bishop Eaton about all of us gathering at the Lord's Table:
"Let this table be a place where our hopes are forged. Let this community gathered here be a reminder that we are not alone. That throughout the world there are people who are working to throw off the old and seek the new life of Christ as they bring peace and justice to the places where they walk...
From all corners of the earth, Jesus invites everyone who hungers to this table. So come to this table, you who have much faith and you who would like to have more. Come to this table, you who have been to this meal often and you who have not been for a long time. Come to this table, you who have tried to follow Jesus and you who feel you have failed. Come to this table for Jesus, the Christ, invites us to meet God here."
In the great tradition of youth gatherings of the past, we learned where the next youth gathering will be held...
From Ford Field we left to have some lunch. We stopped at the Olive Garden.
And as we attempted to dodge rain drops on the way home, we played card games and slept.
We had such a fantastic time...experiencing God in new ways...growing together as a group...welcoming new faces...renewing relationship with familiar faces.
Thank you to everyone who helped get us to this gathering. Thank you for every prayer prayed, dollar donated, encouragement given, and for every picture and sentence read on this blog.
As we close this blog, we close with the words we were sent from worship with...
People of God, you are called to follow Jesus.
Whatever you do:
Bear Burdens
Build Bridges
Break Chains
Bring Hope
You do because Jesus did it for you.
Almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Amen.
 |
| To see a 360° view of where we were sitting click on the picture above! |
It was quite a service as we celebrated Jesus' resurrection, heard the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, Rev. Elizabeth Eaton preach, we welcomed and installed a new director of the ELCA Youth Gathering and applauded and celebrated the work of Heidi Hagstrom who has been the director since 1994 and is close to now becoming a pastor in the ELCA!
Watch the Sunday service from Ford Field by clicking on the video below:
A highlight of the worship service was also taking Holy Communion. Yes, 30,000+ people taking Communion in 17 minutes. We know it took 17 minutes because Grace timed it...
We also heard during the Communion liturgy these words spoken by Bishop Eaton about all of us gathering at the Lord's Table:
"Let this table be a place where our hopes are forged. Let this community gathered here be a reminder that we are not alone. That throughout the world there are people who are working to throw off the old and seek the new life of Christ as they bring peace and justice to the places where they walk...
From all corners of the earth, Jesus invites everyone who hungers to this table. So come to this table, you who have much faith and you who would like to have more. Come to this table, you who have been to this meal often and you who have not been for a long time. Come to this table, you who have tried to follow Jesus and you who feel you have failed. Come to this table for Jesus, the Christ, invites us to meet God here."
In the great tradition of youth gatherings of the past, we learned where the next youth gathering will be held...
If you couldn't read that very well, then perhaps this will help...
From Ford Field we left to have some lunch. We stopped at the Olive Garden.
And as we attempted to dodge rain drops on the way home, we played card games and slept.
We had such a fantastic time...experiencing God in new ways...growing together as a group...welcoming new faces...renewing relationship with familiar faces.
Thank you to everyone who helped get us to this gathering. Thank you for every prayer prayed, dollar donated, encouragement given, and for every picture and sentence read on this blog.
As we close this blog, we close with the words we were sent from worship with...
People of God, you are called to follow Jesus.
Whatever you do:
Bear Burdens
Build Bridges
Break Chains
Bring Hope
You do because Jesus did it for you.
Almighty God, Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Amen.
For more pictures and videos from our group at the gathering click on: http://bit.ly/RiseUpAdventELC
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Proclaim Story: Friday, July 17, 2015
Click below to see the program from Friday Night at Ford Field
Friday was a great day! We went to COBO (the convention center) for our day with the Southern Ohio Synod. After experiencing the convention center and all it had to offer with games, experiences and THOUSANDS of people.
While going from one end of COBO to another, we stopped and took an official group picture. It was pretty funny because our shirts were very close to the color of the green screen so it took some extra editing. You can see the difference below :)
From early afternoon until early evening we met with over 800 youth and adults from our Synod in a HUGE room at the convention center. There we heard personal faith stories from Pastor Lorne Hlad and Bishop Suzanne Dillihunt. We dug into our journals complete with a personal timeline and talk about baptism.
One church brought numerous flexible frisbees and let them fly as high as our spirits as we sang with Epiphany Lutheran Church's (Dayton) praise band and worshiped God together!
Our youth took on leadership roles as well in the worship! Mallory read the Gospel and Morgan, Berit and Alessia all helped with distribution of Holy Communion.
After worship and dinner we made our way to Ford Field. What a wonderful night of speakers, worship, and music! The theme of the night was Building Bridges.
Powerful speakers like Rani Abdulmasih who is a respected leader in interfaith dialogue in the Detroit area. Sarah Funkhouser spoke about her year as a full-time volunteer with the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Sarah served at the Helen Keller School for the Visually Impaired and Special Education as an English language teacher’s assistant. The final speaker of the night was Steve Jerbi who is the senior pastor of All Peoples Church, a multicultural ELCA congregation in the heart of Milwaukee. He is a dedicated worker for justice, active in peacemaking initiatives and anti-racism work.
AND WHAT A SURPRISE! The Motown All Stars with members of The Temptations and the Funk Brothers showed up for a 12 song set. From My Girl to Stop in the Name of Love to Shout! it was an UNFORGETTABLE and UNBELIEVABLE night!
More Pictures Are Coming Soon!
Friday was a great day! We went to COBO (the convention center) for our day with the Southern Ohio Synod. After experiencing the convention center and all it had to offer with games, experiences and THOUSANDS of people.
While going from one end of COBO to another, we stopped and took an official group picture. It was pretty funny because our shirts were very close to the color of the green screen so it took some extra editing. You can see the difference below :)
From early afternoon until early evening we met with over 800 youth and adults from our Synod in a HUGE room at the convention center. There we heard personal faith stories from Pastor Lorne Hlad and Bishop Suzanne Dillihunt. We dug into our journals complete with a personal timeline and talk about baptism.
One church brought numerous flexible frisbees and let them fly as high as our spirits as we sang with Epiphany Lutheran Church's (Dayton) praise band and worshiped God together!
Our youth took on leadership roles as well in the worship! Mallory read the Gospel and Morgan, Berit and Alessia all helped with distribution of Holy Communion.
After worship and dinner we made our way to Ford Field. What a wonderful night of speakers, worship, and music! The theme of the night was Building Bridges.
Powerful speakers like Rani Abdulmasih who is a respected leader in interfaith dialogue in the Detroit area. Sarah Funkhouser spoke about her year as a full-time volunteer with the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Sarah served at the Helen Keller School for the Visually Impaired and Special Education as an English language teacher’s assistant. The final speaker of the night was Steve Jerbi who is the senior pastor of All Peoples Church, a multicultural ELCA congregation in the heart of Milwaukee. He is a dedicated worker for justice, active in peacemaking initiatives and anti-racism work.
AND WHAT A SURPRISE! The Motown All Stars with members of The Temptations and the Funk Brothers showed up for a 12 song set. From My Girl to Stop in the Name of Love to Shout! it was an UNFORGETTABLE and UNBELIEVABLE night!
More Pictures Are Coming Soon!
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Proclaim Justice Day - Thursday, July 16, 2015
Jesus is alive and so is Detroit!
After a long day of travel, fun and short night of sleep, we got up in the 6 a.m. hour for hotel breakfast. Dressed in our orange Rise Up ELCA shirts, we boarded a bus and headed off to find out what we were going to do for our Proclaim Justice Day.
Proclaim Justice Day.
Okay...what does that mean?
On Proclaim Justice Day congregations join up and rise up for a day of service learning in the Detroit metropolitan area. All service learning projects are categorized into one of six key interest areas: housing, education, environmental sustainability, cultural immersion/arts,
food/food justice, and care in communities.
Participants serve in a variety of ways, including working side by side with Detroit students in day-camp programs, boarding up abandoned homes to provide safe neighborhoods, creating and maintaining urban gardens, creating murals, and cleaning up parks and vacant lots, all in an effort to beautify Detroit neighborhoods.
Of course when you are putting this many people to work, there are a LOT of logistics involved. We had to wait a while before we got our assignment and the bus came to take us to where we needed to go. But don't worry...we made the best of it!
So what did WE do for our service project? Well...nothing really. You see there was a BIG traffic accident on a highway and none of the buses that were supposed to take us to the service project were able to get through. We made the most of the BEAUTIFUL day by playing games, meeting other people, picking up trash along the riverfront and so on and so forth. But, unfortunately, the day had to be cancelled. We ate lunch (provided by the ELCA Gathering) and went on to the GM building!
There we chilled out in the Ren Center and sat in some pretty nice cars...
We found our way unto the floor at Ford Field tonight, which was a blast!
We heard from speakers that spoke about equality, immigration reform, and global missions.
We also heard from a faithfully fantastic artist, Blanca. She had a great set and got our blood pumping!
Tomorrow we look forward to our Proclaim Story day where we will be meeting up with all of the students and leaders from our very own Southern Ohio Synod. Mallory will be reading from the Bible in our combined worship service and others will be assisting with Holy Communion! Should be an exciting day!
As always, we hope you'll stay up to minute with us using the hashtag #RiseUpAdventELC on Twitter and Instagram. Pastor Aaron has also been posting on his Facebook page (facebook.com/laynefamily).
After a long day of travel, fun and short night of sleep, we got up in the 6 a.m. hour for hotel breakfast. Dressed in our orange Rise Up ELCA shirts, we boarded a bus and headed off to find out what we were going to do for our Proclaim Justice Day.
Proclaim Justice Day.
Okay...what does that mean?
On Proclaim Justice Day congregations join up and rise up for a day of service learning in the Detroit metropolitan area. All service learning projects are categorized into one of six key interest areas: housing, education, environmental sustainability, cultural immersion/arts,
food/food justice, and care in communities.
Participants serve in a variety of ways, including working side by side with Detroit students in day-camp programs, boarding up abandoned homes to provide safe neighborhoods, creating and maintaining urban gardens, creating murals, and cleaning up parks and vacant lots, all in an effort to beautify Detroit neighborhoods.
Of course when you are putting this many people to work, there are a LOT of logistics involved. We had to wait a while before we got our assignment and the bus came to take us to where we needed to go. But don't worry...we made the best of it!
 |
| Our group met up with Bishop Suzanne Dillahunt, of the Southern Ohio Synod! |
 |
| Representing O-H-I-O in that state up north (with Canada in the background) |
So what did WE do for our service project? Well...nothing really. You see there was a BIG traffic accident on a highway and none of the buses that were supposed to take us to the service project were able to get through. We made the most of the BEAUTIFUL day by playing games, meeting other people, picking up trash along the riverfront and so on and so forth. But, unfortunately, the day had to be cancelled. We ate lunch (provided by the ELCA Gathering) and went on to the GM building!
There we chilled out in the Ren Center and sat in some pretty nice cars...
Ford Field
Once again the House Band was rockin'!
 |
| The crowd doing the wave |
We found our way unto the floor at Ford Field tonight, which was a blast!
We heard from speakers that spoke about equality, immigration reform, and global missions.
- First was Karis Ailabouni recently graduated from Valparaiso University with a degree in music, psychology and French. Karis served in Madagascar for a year with the ELCA Young Adults in Global Mission program. The year of service helped Karis discern her call to move to Washington, D.C., and intern at various global development nonprofits and take steps to make a difference in God’s world.
- Then we heard from Eric Barreto. Eric is a professor at Luther Seminary and the author of “Ethnic Negotiations: The Function of Race and Ethnicity in Acts 16.” Eric is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post and hosts a monthly podcast of EnterTheBible.org. Eric had a great message that is simple: God does not create generic people.
- We finally heard from The Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, who has been a national leader in areas of poverty and immigration for more than 20 years. She had notable quotes:
- "To have a certain level of privilege in this country is to be able to choose your burdens."
- "When a member of the Body hurts, the whole body hurts. A body fully alive is a body fully connected.
- "Prayer is real. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is a form of action."
We also heard from a faithfully fantastic artist, Blanca. She had a great set and got our blood pumping!
Today was not what we expected.
But all too often...God does the unexpected! :)
Tomorrow we look forward to our Proclaim Story day where we will be meeting up with all of the students and leaders from our very own Southern Ohio Synod. Mallory will be reading from the Bible in our combined worship service and others will be assisting with Holy Communion! Should be an exciting day!
As always, we hope you'll stay up to minute with us using the hashtag #RiseUpAdventELC on Twitter and Instagram. Pastor Aaron has also been posting on his Facebook page (facebook.com/laynefamily).
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