e-News for
Rocky Mountain Synod's
Gathering Bound Congregations
to learn to live like Jesus by practicing discipleship through peacemaking that works for justice
|
|
|
In This Issue
|
Greetings
- Trainings - Registration
- Housing
- T-Shirts
- Give Aways - Getting Ready
- Synod Day
- The Dome
- Facebook
|
|
RMS REGISTRATION
|
645 Registered
from 50+
congregations in four states
|
|
|
Greetings!
Hey friends! We am getting even more excited about the ELCA Youth Gathering! We just spent a week in New Orleans, with a few more of you from the RMS, and we had the pleasure of actually staying at the Sheraton, our housing assignment for this summer! It's a great hotel, only a 10-15 minute walk from the convention center, 15-20 minute walk from the dome, and at the center of all the night life! You will love it! It even has some pretty crazy elevators...but you'll have to hear about them in person at one of our synod training events. So check out all the latest, up-to-date news below! Kristen - Rock On! Linda  |
|
|
|
|
|
TRAININGS COMING TO YOU
| Linda
| |
In addition to the high quality online webinars, a series of on-site, face-to-face trainings are taking place throughout the RMS as part of the ELCA Youth Gathering's Practice Discipleship: The ELCA Youth Ministry Training Project.
These special trainings are FREE to all youth and family ministry professionals and volunteers, whether you are or are not attending the ELCA Youth Gathering. These workshops will strengthen your ministry with young people wherever and whenever it happens. Our goal for every caring adult and youth registered for the Gathering from the RMS to participate in one of these trainings; as we connect youth and adults and build a network of congregations committed to effective youth and household ministry.
The focus of the Sunday afternoon gatherings is leadership skills and practice for traveling and living in a cross+generational community that honors our gifts and lives out our baptism each and every moment. Plus sharing ideas, answering questions and having fun. View the photos from our time in Albuquerque.
COMING UP:
Pueblo, CO, King of Kings - March 18, noon-3pm Casper, WY, Prince of Peace - March 25, 2-5pm
Salt Lake City, UT, Zion - April 15, 2-5pmFt. Collins, CO, Shepherd of the Hills - April 29, 2-5pm
Grand Junction, CO, American - May 6, 2-5pm.
Respond on our Facebook page that you are coming or email Kristen. Let us know how many to expect so we will have enough toppings for the ice cream.
|
Don't forget that final payments for registration are due May 26! Please make note of this and organize your paperwork and fundraising to be ready to send your check before the deadline! NO PAYMENTS will be accepted on site. Many blessings to you as you wrap up your fundraising efforts!!!
|
TODAY is the day you can begin sending in your housing confirmation letter and deposit! Please log in to your congregations account, scroll to the bottom of the page and hit the "Print" button. This will bring up your official paperwork that you need to print and send to the hotel with your deposit.
DO THIS NO LATER THAN MAY 15. Send this to: Sheraton Hotel, 500 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130, ATTN: ELCA Youth Gathering Reservations.
Call me if you have any questions.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE HOTEL DIRECTLY.
As of this point, housing assignments are made at the corporate level and the sweet hourly staff that works the front desk probably doesn't know what is going to hit them in a few months. If you have specific requests like for adjoining rooms, roll aways, etc., you can do that AFTER you send in your deposit and receive confirmation of your room assignments. Don't call the hotel now, please. If you have a questions please talk to me!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND PATIENCE!!! Remember, it's still early.
We have plenty of time to work out the deets.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have space in your rooms for more students, please post it on our Facebook Page or let me know. We do have congregations that have added a student or two and would like to share rooms. If you are in need of room, please post it on the Facebook page or call me as well!!! Let's "BE CHURCH" and share what we have in common (Acts 2:44) including our housing space.
|
ORDER CUSTOMIZED T-SHIRTS: This is a great time to make sure you order your ELCA Youth Gathering bling. Old Lutheran is the official store for the Gathering, and the staff there is ready to help you design a shirt just for your congregation! Go to Old Lutheran and follow the links for custom CWTS stuff. ADDITIONALLY, OUR SYNOD HAS A T-SHIRT! THIS IS OPTIONAL. If you would like to purchase a synod shirt for everyone in your group, order directly from the Old Lutheran site. We'll wear them together on Saturday, our Practice Discipleship Day! Click here to order. |
Start planning/ordering your SWAG!
This is the "give away" item that is fun to trade all along the journey.
Bracelets, pins, decorated clothes pins, custom beads, etc are all super cheap and easy to give away. Is there something that is unique to your congregation/location/state or city? Mark your "give aways" with your congregations name and city/state and you will be remembered! I still have a stack from 2009's Gathering on my sink at home and remember that time together every time I am there. It's worth it! |
|
GETTING READY RESOURCE
|
Linda
| |
The "Getting Ready" materials are on-line and available for your group's use now! This six-session resource offers an amazing opportunity to dive deep into the Gathering themes, the Bible and the lives of our youth. The months and weeks of preparation spent preparing will help deepen and extend your experiences and learning - during and after the Gathering - into your home, community, and for life! I have heard many personal testimonies from past participants, adults and youth, that time spent with the Getting Ready materials made all the difference - it made the entire journey a positive experience.
|
|
PRACTICE DISCIPLESHIP
|
Linda
| |
The Practice Discipleship Day of the Gathering will be spent together as a synod with worship, small groups centered on articulating one' faith and other focused activities in the city of New Orleans. Our Bishop is invited to preach and your youth will be invited to share their gifts as musicians, worship leaders and group facilitators.
Your Core Team for planning this July version of a RMS Senior High Youth Gathering includes Ben Larson from Rainbow Trail, Andy Sprain from Sky Ranch, along with me, your Gathering Coach. We will need more than 100 volunteers to make this time together a success. More details to come! |
She was homeless. She thought she was going to die from AIDS. She NOW is an ELCA pastor and AIDS activist who will be sharing her story as one of the keynote speakers in the Superdome. Meet Rev.Andrena Ingram, a citizen with the saints! Pastor Andrena will inspire and ignite us to practice justice every day. God is at work through her life and ministry!
The ELCA Youth Gathering is excited to announce -- singer, songwriter, guitarist, wife, mother, sister, our RMS friend, daughter, speaker, leader, and artist Rachel Kurtz will be preforming in the Mercedes Benz Superdome on Opening Night [Wednesday, July 18th]. |
|
JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE!
|
Kristen & Linda
| |
UP-TO-THE-MINUTE CONNECTION AND INFORMATION: In addition to this email which only comes out once a month, we are using the ELCA Youth Gathering Bound RMS Congregations Facebook page as a means of connecting and communicating between email newsletters. It's a fast and easy way to stay up-to-date.
PLEASE MAKE SURE that at least one member of your adult leader team is in this group. In order to get in the group, they must first friend me (Kristen) so that I can invite them to the group.Missed the first issue of this newsletter? Let Linda know. |
|
|
