of north central Washington, acces- sible only by boat.
The village, based on the Scandi- navian folk high school model known as Folkehogskoler, helped young peo- ple focus on seeing beyond the obvi- ous in other people and the world. Holden Village became renowned as a place where people could grow and challenge each other theologically, and produce new ideals of mission and theology. Graber’s grandfather, Carrol Hinderlie, was Holden’s first direc- tor. His father, John Graber, was a key educator; his grandmother and mother, Mary Hinderlie and Elise Graber, were co-leaders. Other ministry models include the Highlander Folk School in New Market, Tenn.; discipleship train- ing schools and College of Nations run by Youth With A Mission; and the Tombotsoa School in Antsirabe, Madagascar.
Forming leaders
Such courageous leadership is more important than ever now, said the younger (Josh) Graber, who is called by the New England Synod in part- nership with the Northwestern Ohio Synod and ELCA Congregational and Synodical Mission.
“The way we need to encourage courageous leadership in church and in society is to find ways to call young adults and empower them to lead us,” said Graber, 35, who has devoted the past three years to creat- ing ALT. “It’s about creating this opportu- nity for young adults to gather around topics that matter, and to really care about the world around them and to live into God’s new creation.” The ELCA sees hopeful signs in its other young adult programs and believes that the time is right. For example, Young Adults in Global Mission (
www.elca.org/yagm),
a one-year international mission program for ages 19 to 29, is set to increase its size to 100 participants in 2015 due to a growing applicant pool. This year, 66 young people are set to join the overseas mission program. Further, studies indicate the reces- sion and lack of youth employment have caused more young people to seek “gap year” experiences between high school graduation and enrolling in college.
What it will cost In Toledo, one floor of St. Paul’s five- story building will be designed as a college dorm-style living space for the 12 ALT participants. Because the church needs to install sprinklers as part of the remodeling, housing for the first year will be nearby, possibly in an arts center located in an old convent.
The program’s operating budget of $60,000, including $42,000 in sal- ary and benefits for a three-quarter- time leader, includes scholarship funds as well as the costs of recruit- ment, books and a fee to support the national church budget. Students pay $5,000 for room, board, learning materials and a living stipend. The ELCA is contracting to start the “synodically authorized worshiping community” in Toledo with $12,000 through February 2014—the first year of a three-year proposal.
It also has paid about one-third of
Graber’s salary for the past two years, and intends to do so again when the Toledo program starts up, said Ruben Duran, ELCA director for new congregations.
St. Paul, with a Sunday attendance of 120, has pledged $10,000 a year, and eight nearby ELCA congrega- tions are contributing people and money. Supporters are still raising money and seeking grants.
Lars Olson, St. Paul’s pastor, said the historic church—site of the former American Lutheran Church’s constitutional convention and home to 5,000 members in its heyday in the 1950s through 1970s—hopes to see ALT members gain the tools to reach out to other young adults in the neigh- borhood and beyond. “They need a different model of ministry where they can connect with their faith and still interact with popu- lar culture, movies, literature, music and the greater community,” Olson said.
Marc Miller, director for evangeli- cal mission with the Northwestern Ohio Synod, said ALT is a way to provide “an incredible experience” to “those who have a great call to grow as disciples, those who could be great leaders of the future and those whose voices are already changing the church.
“In one sense, the young adults will form their own, tight-knit com- munity, and they can invite other young adults to participate in their worship services.” Duran said the ELCA’s support shows its interest in exploring new ways of engaging young people. “The first goal is to help young people, regardless of their vocations, live lives of abundance because of God’s presence,” he said.
The second goal is to create new worshiping communities as the young people connect with their neighborhoods, Duran added. Each synod’s bishop would be responsible for approving the worship group and ensuring there is a leader to preside at communion.
“This is about the ELCA’s many
efforts in being made new by step- ping out of its comfort zone to engage people in their daily lives,” he said. “We are being enriched and engaged for good through the faith of our young adults.”
July 2013 29
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