New Plans for ELCA Youth and Social Ministries

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The youth ministries team of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will work to "offer hope and promise" for youth and young adults in the church based on a new plan. The board of the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries "affirmed" the team's plan when it met here Oct. 17-19.
"Our goal is to fully utilize the power and influence of the church to stimulate both the spiritual growth and mental and physical health of youth, and to encourage and support life-long partnership between congregations, families, schools and communities," said the Rev. Kelly Chatman, ELCA director for youth ministries.
"For the church to truly impact the lives of today's youth, the challenge is to influence the places where youth invest time and experience relationship," said Chatman. "The team will work to communicate to youth and young adults that, as they journey through life, the church journeys with them," he said.
According to the plan, the ELCA promises to be a "safe place" where young people can experience a sense of belonging through worship, Sunday school, after-school programs and day camps. The ELCA will offer opportunities for youth to experience and explore relationships with God and others will through retreats, youth groups and youth gatherings. The church plans to encourage young people to participate in service projects and leadership functions by serving the Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO), the youth organization of the ELCA.
The youth ministries team will develop practical and effective print and multimedia resources, as well as human resources that will explore ways to connect youth and young adults with congregations as places of safety and belonging, experience and exploration and actualizing potential, said Julie Sevig, associate director for resources of the youth ministries staff.
"By the year 2000, the ELCA youth ministries team will exhibit growth in three specific and measurable areas," said Chatman. "The first is to create a functioning young adult network. The second will be to use the Internet and computers as a primary means of resource connection and communication with congregations and youth ministries. The third area includes a 20 percent increase of youth serving congregations, ELCA synods, ELCA division boards, schools and communities," he said.
"The plan developed by the youth ministries team illustrates the church's passion for uplifting, supporting and empowering young people," said congregational ministries' board member Beth Ann Lechtenberger, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.
"The team has heard the needs of our congregations and will continue to make an impact on the lives of our young people today and for the future," said the Rev. John B. Mawhirter, Zion Lutheran Church, Sandusky, Ohio.
The division's board heard a report about the 1997 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans July 23-27. "River of Hope" gathered more than 37,000 senior high school-age people, adult sponsors and volunteers.
"The youth served the whole church as they came to the Gathering," said the Rev. William H. Kees, youth gathering director. "Over 25 tons of food was given to the New Orleans' Second Harvesters food program at a time when their shelves were almost empty. Youth served the community through 50,000 hours of community service and collected $360,000 for twelve domestic and global ministries," reported Kees.
"The city was delighted with our presence. We were told that the economic impact upon New Orleans was in excess of $33 million," said Kees.
The Social Ministries for Congregations program of the ELCA will focus on "ministries of hope, reconciliation and transformation" for the next three years. The board "affirmed and commended" the program's plan to "address the most crucial social issues of our time."
"Support and resource materials for congregations will address criminal justice, the role of the church in welfare reform, chemical addiction, families, women and children living in poverty, racism, hunger, domestic violence and AIDS" said Loretta E. Horton, director for social ministries for congregations.
The plan calls for the involvement in the ELCA's Women and Children Living in Poverty strategy and the Multicultural Mission Strategy.
"Leadership training events and resource development will equip ... leaders with the necessary tools to develop effective social ministry programs in the congregation. Training events will focus on Bible study, community needs assessment, program planning, fund-raising, volunteer recruitment and nurture and more," said Horton.
"We hope that through this plan more ELCA congregations will open their eyes to the needs of their neighbors and recognize how God's given gifts will help to respond," said Lechtenberger.
"We do not operate like a secular social service agency. We have a Biblical mandate to do service, justice and witness," said Horton. "The ELCA's social ministry for congregations program is Christ-centered service ... it begins with the Gospel and ends with the Gospel," she said.
"Social ministry enables congregations to live out the Biblical mandate to feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. Christian social ministry is an essential part of the total mission of the church," said Horton. "It can be social service, community education or social action. As Christians, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit both individually and congregationally to serve all those individuals whom Jesus called, 'the least of these,'" she said.
The Rev. Nancy I. Amacher, Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Rothschild, Wis., was elected board chair.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773)380-2958 or
NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html