Getting Ready Resources

Getting Ready for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering

 
Welcome to the Getting Ready resources and what we hope will be an exciting and transformative journey for you and your group. The getting ready process of prayer, study, reflection, and discussion is the most important aspect of preparing for your Gathering experience. The months of preparation will help deepen and extend your experiences and learning... during and after the Gathering, into your home community, and for life!

A team of people has helped prepare Getting Ready resources that we hope everyone will adapt and use. Here is a quick overview:
    1. These materials have been written with an awareness that one piece of curriculum will not work perfectly in all places. Therefore, please tweak these materials to fit the culture and needs of your group. Trust that the Spirit of God is present and at work where you are!
    2. You will receive six months of curriculum. Each month will have a different theme:
      • January introduces you to New Orleans.
      • February introduces you to the theme Jesus Justice Jazz.
      • March introduces you to vocation and service-learning.
      • April will introduce your group’s Interest Area (Health & Wellness, Literacy, Housing, The Environment, Arts & Culture, or Wealth & Poverty).
      • May will help your group plan how to celebrate and continue the growth and transformation you experience in New Orleans upon returning home.
      • June will cover covenants and the small details we often overlook before a trip like this.
    3. Each month’s curriculum, except for June, consists of three components:
      • The description will help you understand the month’s subject in relation to New Orleans.
      • The reflection will help you think theologically about the month’s subject. These first two components are meant to be used by the group leader for background information but you are welcome to share them with your entire group.
      • The lesson is the component you will use directly with your group. We have created the lessons assuming you will use one lesson per month leading up to the Gathering. Each lesson should take you no more than 90 minutes to complete. Again, feel free to tweak it in any way that might make it more suitable to your group.
      • Most months will include a special downloadable video segment to use with the lesson materials.
    4. To print any of the Getting Ready resources, click on the "print" button/icon at the bottom of each Web page.

God's blessings in your preparation and ministry!

Take the time to share ideas with one another and feedback with the authors. We want to know how you are using the curriculum and how you are changing it to make it work better. What works well? What fails miserably? E-mail us at rod.boriack@elca.org to share your ideas.