wfn.org | ELCA Young People Will "Dance at the Cross Roads" this Summer

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

May 31, 2000

ELCA YOUNG PEOPLE WILL "DANCE AT THE CROSS ROADS" THIS SUMMER
00-147-MR
     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) will bring together about 40,000 high-school-age 
and adult Lutherans in two back-to-back events this year: June 28-July 2, 
and July 5-9.  The gathering, "Dancing at the Cross Roads," will
take place at the America's Center in St. Louis.
     "More than 22,000 young people, adult participants and couselors,
volunteers and others are registered for the first event.  Most of the
young people are in the 10th grade," said Donna Wiegel, registrar, ELCA
Youth Gathering.  "More than 16,000 people are registered for the second
event," she said.
     The ELCA Youth Gathering is an event held every three years where
youth and adults from Lutheran congregations around the world will
gather to "invite, grow and nurture faith" in the lives of all who
attend.
     Archbishop Desmond Tutu will address the gathering June 30 and
July 7.  Participants will focus on forgiveness and reconciliation those
days.  Tutu is the Robert W. Woodruff visiting professor at Emory
University, Atlanta.  From 1978 to 1985, Tutu served as general
secretary of the South African Council of Churches.  In 1995 President
Nelson Mandela appointed Archbishop Tutu to head the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission and chair the Human Rights Violations
Committee.  Tutu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.
     Other keynote presenters at the Youth Gathering include the Rev.
Pamela R. Fickenscher, pastor of The Spirit Garage, Minneapolis, an ELCA
congregation of people between the ages of 20 and 35; and Mike
Yaconelli, Yreka, Calif., co-founder and owner of Youth Specialities, an
international organization that trains and provides resources for more
than 100,000 youth workers worldwide.  Yaconelli is also a lay minister
for Grace Community Church, a small church "for those who don't like
church much," he said.
     Young Lutherans from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Cuba,
El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq,
Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Palestine, Papau New Guinea,
Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe will attend "Dancing at
the Cross Roads."  ELCA congregations from across the United States will
host international guests.
     Each day of the gathering will begin and end with a mass gathering
at the TWA Dome, part of the America's Center.  Morning mass gatherings
will feature Bible study, evening gatherings will feature guest
speakers, and both will include music, dance, drama, video,
storytelling, audience participation and worship.
     Afternoon activities at "Dancing at the Cross Roads" are organized
under four categories: The Beat, Two Step Service in St. Louis, Hip
Hoppin' Around St. Louis and G2K Learning Community.
     "The Beat" is an interaction center where young people can
participate in the largest indoor adventure course ever built at a youth
gathering.  Located at the Cervantes Center in the America's Center, The
Beat will also feature sports, an indoor garden, dance and lessons about
music such as swing, simba drumming, rock and country.  At The Beat,
young people will have the opportunity to build walls for four Habitat
for Humanity houses.
     Thousands of youth will participate in "servant opportunities" on
three of their five days in St. Louis under "Two Step Service in St.
Louis."  Projects include cleanup and rebuilding in several of the
city's parks and neighborhoods, and participating in four Habitat for
Humanity projects.  Other servant opportunities include visiting
shelters for homeless people, playing with children in day care, and
helping deliver meals in "senior service" centers.  Participants will
also have the opportunity to bring "in-kind gifts," such as canned foods
or children's books, to donate to agencies in the city.
     "Hip Hoppin' Around St. Louis" is designed for participants to
learn about the history of St. Louis.  Activities include trips to the
city's cathedrals, botanical gardens and museums.
     G2K Learning Community is organized into six "Hoods" designed for
participants to share and exercise their God-given talents and gifts.
Prior to the gathering, young people will have the opportunity to
complete "Dancing with Your Gifts," a "spiritual gift-assessment
inventory."  Participants plan their participation in the G2K Learning
Community accordingly.  Activities in the Hoods include workshops,
keynote presentations, Bible studies, music and writing opportunities.
     Breakfast, worship, exercise and dancing are some of the special
activities being planned for young people in St. Louis' hotels and the
America's Center.
     More than 500 volunteers will secure the safety of and
transportation for "Dancing at the Cross Roads" participants.
     A leadership event for "definitely-abled" young people will take
place June 25-28 at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, Ill.
The event, "Here I am Lord, With My Dancing Shoes On," is open to all
Lutheran young people with physical, visual, auditory, mental or
learning disabilities.  Participants will contemplate the theme through
Bible studies, small group activities, workshops and worship.  The Rev.
Lisa T. Cleaver, ELCA director for disability ministries and deaf
ministry, Chicago, will lead a general session.
     The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) will take place
June 25-28 at Southern Illinois University.  African American, American
Indian, Arab American, Asian American and Latino young people will come
together with some international guests and White youth from
multicultural congregations to celebrate the ELCA's commitment to
embracing cultural diversity.
     The theme for MYLE is "Let the Spirit Move You."  Participants
will gather for Bible studies, leadership development, small group
activities, workshops and worship.
     The Fifth Triennial Convention of the ELCA Lutheran Youth
Organization (LYO) will be held July 2-5 at Southern Illinois
University.  Hundreds of Lutheran youth delegates from across the
country will conduct the business of the organization.
     LYO is the "umbrella" organization for youth in the ELCA.  It
represents the voice of more than 500,000 young people in the church.
LYO is housed in the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries,
Chicago.

Editor's Note: More information about the ELCA Youth Gathering can be
found at the gathering's Web site:   www.elca.org/gathering/main.html .

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