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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 13, 2002

ELCA YOUNG WOMEN "SEE VISIONS"
WO-02-13-MR

     PHILADELPHIA (ELCA) -- In a perfume-scented room, 150 young women
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) gathered to curl
and braid hair, and apply body glitter and tattoos while discussing some
of life's tough issues like depression and anxiety, preventing sexual
exploitation and the role of motherhood at "Young Women Seeing Visions"
at the Philadelphia Marriott Hotel here July 8-14.
     Planned by "young women for women" and others who support young
women's ministries, Young Women Seeing Visions is a special track at the
Women of the ELCA Fifth Triennial Gathering here July 8-14 at the
Pennsylvania Convention Center.  Women of the ELCA's three-year theme,
"Listen, God is Calling," is being unveiled at the gathering amid Bible
study, keynote addresses, workshops, field trips, business sessions and
elections scheduled during the week.  More than 3,200 women from across
the United States and around the world are participating.
     "The purpose of Young Women Seeing Visions is to create space to
nurture young women's spirituality.  A sub-goal is to generate ideas on
how to bring young women into the life of Women of the ELCA," said
Dianha Ortega, associate director for youth leadership and spiritual
formation, ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries, Chicago.
     "Some young women tend to feel lonely in the life of Women of the
ELCA, which has organized activities for women of different generations.
Young women strive to be in fellowship with women of all generations,"
Ortega said.
     Women shared ideas in a process called "Open Space Technology,"
which involved creating topics for discussion and assembling small
groups to discuss those topics until a "natural conclusion is reached."
Participants attended discussions that most appealed to them.  Topics
ranged from children's ministry to gang violence, from depression and
anxiety to preventing sexual exploitation.  The outcome of the
discussions will be consolidated to form a "report or resource" for
Women of the ELCA.
     "We hope that the report or resource will be helpful to the
women's organization. We want members of the organization to understand
what is on the hearts and minds of young women," Ortega said.
     Sara J. Humphrey, 17, Joy Lutheran Church, Tulsa, Okla., said she
attended Young Women Seeing Visions and the Triennial Gathering to "keep
her mother company."  Humphrey's mother is participating in the
Triennial Gathering and business sessions.
     Humphrey said she discovered that Young Women Seeing Visions is
important because "women and children are the way of the future."  She
said she formed a special bond with other women her age.
     Women as young as 18 months to 80 years of age participated in
Young Women Seeing Visions.  The average age was 30.  Women gathered in
a room adorned with photographs and lines of women clothing, such as
business suits, jeans, doctor scrubs and "home wear" to represent
"women's diversity."
     In the "Girl Room," participants engaged in activities that
included applying a semi-permanent henna tattoo and storytelling.  "The
purpose of the Girl Room is for participants to understand that women
need women in the most basic human ways of caring for one another.  So
many traditions and rituals, such as adoration, storytelling and the
decoration of our bodies, have been lost throughout the years," said
Ortega.  We hope to revive some of those rituals here, she said.
     Participants also took part in the activities of Women of the
ELCA's Triennial Gathering such as worship, workshops and "Convention
Without Walls" -- experiences designed for women to move beyond the
Pennsylvania Convention Center into the surrounding Philadelphia
community.
-- -- --
Editors:  Photographs from Women of the ELCA's Triennial Gathering are
maintained at http://www.elca.org/wo/events/tg/tg02/connect/photos.html
on the Internet.

News releases and other information about the gathering are maintained
at http://www.elca.org/wo/events/tg/tg02/connect/news.html on the
Internet.

For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez, newsroom manager (215) 418-2045 or mramirez@elca.org

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html