Just about all the have to's are on the calendar. Otherwise, May is the month Gary begins to place church visits and youth events on the calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. If you have a thought for an event or a visit for the upcoming school year now is the time to mention the idea....contact Gary through the link on the left.
Recently visited Trinity, Versailles. They give each confirmation student the opportunity to decorate one of the cinder blocks in the youth room. It is a way to give students a chance to leave their Faith Mark in the church building.
Recently visited Good Shepherd, West Milton. At the Good Friday Service they whisper the Lord's Prayer. It left an impression!
Recently visited Abiding Christ, Fairborn. As members turn in used greeting/birthday cards they are refurbished and available on a rack in the lobby for $1.25. All proceeds go towards a local social service agency
Also at Abiding Christ, Fairborn there is a large square on the wall in the youth room painted with a special paint called "Digital Imaging" that is designed to be a projector screen. About $100 a pint. No more messing with big old clumsy screens. Pretty Neat!
June 6-8, 2011: Exemplary Youth MInistry Event at Luther Seminary St. Paul, MN. http://www.luthersem.edu/cyf/faith_formation/
October 22, 2011: Abiding Christ, Fairborn. Synod-Wide Youth Event on World Hunger
November 7-9, 2011: Second Annual Youth Directors Retreat at LMC
January 22-24, 2012: Annual High School LYO Retreat at Camp Kern
February 8-12, 2012: ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza http://www.elcaymnet.org/Extravaganza
July 18-22, 2012: National Youth Gathering New Orleans, Louisiana
FYI that the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio Board recently adopted the following policy....Employees may not use cell phones while driving for camp buisness, this includes both camp and staff owned vehicles.
If your congregation has a church handbook or manual consider adding a guideline or recommendation that volunteers and church staff are not permitted to use cell phones while driving church owed vehicles or while driving personal vehicles when transporting children or youth.
Vibrant is offering a set of free Webinars.
For Access click on...
http://www.vibrantfaith.org/webinars.html
The next two are...
Tuesday May 17 at 10am (CST) How to Create a Ministry Plan
Tuesday June 28 at 1pm (CST): How to Communicate Your Vision for Ministry
Yes, the Love Language Guy is coming to Dayton on the evening of Saturday May 21. This will be a Marriage Seminar. There is a message in to his website about doing a teen seminar in our area on love languages. In the meantime, details about the 21st can be found at the following link.
Do you know that we have campus ministers serving four college campuses in the Southern Ohio Synod. As you are making the rounds at graduation parties this month inform your high school seniors going to the following campuses of our ministries.
The University of Cincinnati: Rev Alice Conner: pastor@edge-uc.org
Miami University: Rev Logan Dysart: pastorlogan@woh.rr.com
Ohio University: Rev. Lynn Miller: pastorlynn@clcathens.org
Ohio State University: Rev. Jay Gamelin: jay@jacobsporch.com
A complete listing of Lutheran Campus Ministries can be found at http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Campus-Ministry/Find-a-Ministry-or-Person/Campus-Ministry-Locations.aspx
If so, send your results to Lutheran Youth Organization Board member Laura at tippflutist11@yahoo.com. Laura is gathering net totals from congregations.
All Four Training Events are Identical
April 10: 2pm to 5pm at Christ the King, West Chester
April 17: 2pm to 5pm at Zion, Tipp City
May 15: 2pm to 5pm at St. John's, Zanesville
May 22: 1:30pm to 4:30pm at All Saint's, Worthington
Click on the link below to checkout a one page summary of the book, "The Four Views of Youth Ministry and the Church". Which view does your congregation subscribe to? Which view would you like for your congregation to strive for?
Gary will be hanging around the Synod Assembly all day on that Friday. Feel free to grab him for a youth and family ministry conversation.
Join other Lutherans from our Synod in Charleston, West Virginia for a memorable week of service. There are 8 spots still available! Contact Gary with interest.
Full Week: Grades 7th-12th
Partial Week: Grades 5th-6th
Click on link to get to the Transformation Zone website for details & registration
Join other Lutherans from our Synod in Charleston, West Virginia for a memorable week of service. There are 3 spots still available! Contact Gary with interest.
Our Southern Ohio Synod National Youth Gathering Coordinator is Jen Jarman (Good Shepherd, Cincinnati) Contact information: 513-891-1700 or (jjarman@goodshepherd.com).
Our Southern Ohio Synod National Youth Gathering Coach is Pastor Michael (Mick) Althauser (St. Jacob, Anna) Contact information: 937-394-4421 or (malthauser@woh.rr.com).
Gathering Facebook: Click Here Gathering Facebook page,
Gathering Website: Click Here Gathering web site
Gathering E-mail: Click on Gathering web site then click on "Subscribe to Gathering E-News" (on right side of web page)
Send an email to Gary if you wish to be placed on the Southern Ohio Synod 2012 National Youth Gathering Email Distribution Update List. Emails will be sent to the distribution list with update information pertaining specifically to the Southern Ohio Synod (Pre-Gatherings, Transportation Coordination, etc...). Click on the "Contact Gary" link above on left.
Expect E-Bulletins around the 1st and 15th of each month
Youth & Family Ministry E-Bulletin Now Archived
Hard Copy Mailings
Gary includes a summary of what's happening in the Synod in youth & family ministry in the Synod monthly congregational mailing. Look for the florescent green flier that is included in the mailing. It arrives on or about the 1st of each month. The information is basically the same as what's in the youth & family e-bulletin but can be easily posted around your church building.
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