wfn.org | Episcopal Youth Event

[Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>]

For more information contact:
Kathryn McCormick
Episcopal News Service
kmccormick@dfms.org
212/922-5383
http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens

99-063
Episcopal Youth Event gets ready to rock
by Kathryn McCormick
(ENS) Get ready, Terre Haute, the Young Church is headed your way. The
small Indiana city, famous now as the place where basketball legend
Larry Byrd went to college, is only months away from being Ground Zero
for the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE), the exuberant triennial gathering
of teenagers from all of the church's 100 dioceses.

"It's second only to the General Convention in attendance," says Thom
Chu, program officer for the Episcopal Church's young adult and higher
education ministries. A total of 1,600 teens and adults are expected at
this year's event, from July 27 through August 1. "That's a lot of
pillows, a lot of keys to be handed out and lost, a lot of kids to check
in each night."

Each diocese sends a dozen youth and three adults. Dioceses that make a
good effort to recruit and send a diverse delegation are rewarded by
being allowed to send more than 12 youths to the next EYE. "The adults
who accompany the kids can be clergy or lay," Chu said, noting that the
bishop of Eastern Michigan, Ed Leidel, plans to drive the van carrying
his contingent.

EYE is expected to fill a lot of dormitory space on the campus of
Indiana State University, Chu said. The campus, which hosted the 1996
EYE, offers a good self-contained environment for the meeting, which
will be stuffed with activities.

The event's design team met recently at the Episcopal Church Center in
New York City. Chu noted that he came away from its deliberations
impressed by the youth's thoughtfulness.

"That's one thing I've really noticed in the time that I've been at the
Church Center," said Betsy Boyd, who has served as staff officer for
Youth Ministries since November. "I have learned how much the event is
planned by young people for young people."

Part of the design team's preparation for the event was antiracism
training to help team members become more aware of the diversity among
the youth who will be coming to Terre Haute and to help them be
sensitive to the differences among these youth when they planned the
program.

The team "took it all to heart," Chu said, and they began looking for
ways to share their new insight with the kids at EYE. They wanted
something that could complement the church's newly updated antiracism
materials for adults.

The result was the production this month of a 28-minute antiracism
video, to be shown at EYE. The video is to be accompanied by workshops
that will give kids ideas on how to use it when they return to their
home parishes.

Another exciting part of the program, Chu noted, will be the music. At
past events the music was excellent, he said, adding that this year's
program  will be no exception. Some of the songs and hymns to be
performed will be well known; others will be original, written expressly
for EYE. Most of it will be printed in songbooks distributed to all who
attend the event. All the music will be performed by youths, although
some adults are helping to prepare it.

The difference this year, he said, is that much of the music will be
recorded as it is performed, to be packaged in a CD that will be sent to
EYE participants after they return home. The CD will available to the
church at large through Forward Movement publications, a new partner
with the church's youth ministries.

And, Chu said, as if this weren't enough, the kids are looking forward
to spending time with the presiding bishop, Frank Griswold, who is to
attend the event.
--Kathryn McCormick is associate director of the Office of News and
Information of the Episcopal Church.