wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] 2,200 young people perceive 'Faith in 3D'

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #9079 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

06037
Jan. 30, 2006

2,200 young people perceive 'Faith in 3D'

3 days at Disney World, 3 denominations, 3 perspectives on faith 

by Barbara A. Roche 
and Jerry L. Van Marter

ORLANDO - More than 2,200 young people, including more than 1,000
Presbyterians, gathered at Disney World for a Jan. 13-16 event called "Faith
in 3D," an opportunity to experience Christian faith through a variety of
cultures.

	Co-sponsors with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) were the Episcopal
Church U.S.A. and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

	"Disney wanted us to come," said Gina Yeager-Buckley, the PC(USA)'s
associate for youth ministry. "My counterparts in the Episcopal Church and
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship accepted the offer, and with the help of
Passport, Inc., an ecumenical ministry organization, we planned the three-day
event for middle school and senior high youth."

	The underlying scriptural text for "Faith in 3D" was: "This faith is
the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our
handle on what we can't see." (Hebrews 11:1b, The Message)

	Using the international resources of Disney's Epcot Center,
participants experienced other cultures by visiting national exhibits of
countries including China, Norway, Germany, Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa.
They dined on ethnic cuisine, while missionaries from these countries talked
about the history of the churches in various places and the current issues
facing them. 

	"I feel that I am stronger in my faith, and I believe God gave me
this experience for a reason," said Jackie Haynes, a senior at Atherton High
School in Louisville, KY.  Leslie Cobb, a junior at Louisville's DuPont
Manual High School, described it as "an amazing experience - really cool."

	Disney's Youth Education Series (YES) provided opportunities for
learning about science, technology and culture. One group explored the
history of communication from the most primitive of symbols to the
technological world of today, illustrating how the people of the Earth are
increasingly interdependent. 

	Senior high school students traveled behind the scenes at Disney's
Animal Kingdom. Middle schoolers took in a program on appreciating animal
behavior.

	Worship was equally diverse, from the free-style expressions of the
Baptists, to the formal Eucharistic liturgy of the Episcopalians, to a
Presbyterian-led service emphasizing the centrality of the Word. Each service
included band music, song, drama and dance. 

	Worship leaders included the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson III, of Memphis,
a Presbyterian whose ministry is among the urban poor; the Rev. Altagracia
Perez, an Episcopal priest known for her justice-related activism in the Los
Angeles area; and Baptist Kyle Matthews, one of Christian music's most
prolific songwriters. 

	Worship offerings of $11,700 were earmarked for drought victims in
Malawi and hurricane survivors on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Barbara A. Roche is a retired editor of  HORIZONS, the magazine of
Presbyterian Women.

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