by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service
Officials from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Minneapolis,
presented an $80,000 grant Jan. 13 to Bethany College, Lindsborg,
Kan., to help teach youth to be leaders in church and community.
The grant is part of Thrivent's Youth Leadership Initiative grant
program and will be used to support Bethany College's "Learn,
Serve, Lead" project. Bethany College is one of 28 colleges and
universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
"Learn, Serve, Lead" will enable more than 302 youth and young
adults to explore ways people of faith can work together to
confront challenges facing youth, families and communities. The
project involves two stages of service education. In stage one
college students and youth workers will be trained through the
Bethany College Youth and Family Ministry Certification School.
The school is a three-week certification course incorporating
theology, service, practical ministry, adventure education and
faith development, as well as new paradigms of youth and family
ministry. In stage two those who have completed the
certification school will use their new skills to train high-
school youth, who will be encouraged to start service-learning
projects in their communities.
The two-year project will culminate in June 2007, when area youth
will be invited to campus for the Bergie Memorial Bus Tour, a
service-learning event that will take participants to service
sites in three states. The event is named in honor of Shawn
"Bergie" Bergstrom, a Bethany alumnus and youth worker who helped
envision the project before his death in a 2005 car accident.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans: http://www.thrivent.com
Bethany College: http://www.bethanylb.edu
28 colleges and universities:
http://www.ELCA.org/colleges/college.html
Bethany College Youth and Family Ministry Certification School:
http://tinyurl.com/8ou67
Shawn "Bergie" Bergstrom:
http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article.cfm?article_id=5491
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
