Detroit will receive more than 28,500 youth and their adult leaders this July at the ELCA Youth Gathering.
By Erin Strybis
Called to Detroit F
or some, Detroit calls to mind an image of despair. A steady eco- nomic decline since its heyday in
the 1950s triggered a host of troubles that garnered national attention in 2013 when the city was declared bankrupt. Although it has since emerged from financial ruin, the neg- ative press caused many to question why Detroit was cho- sen as the host city for the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering. It was a decision
Detroit is reinventing itself. For us to be able
that Heidi Hag- strom, ELCA Youth Gathering director, describes as an act of faith. Te leadership team, made up of some 30 adult volunteers from across the church and five churchwide staff members, is adamant that God has called the ELCA to “show up” in Detroit. And show up they will. More than
28,500 youth and adults are regis- tered for the event, which will take place primarily in Detroit’s Cobo Center and Ford Field July 15-19. Teaching and music will center on the theme “Rise Up Together,” grounded in the Gospel of Mark. “I can think of no better place to
explore the theme of dying and ris- ing than Detroit,” Hagstrom said. “It has known death and resurrection throughout its history but now sits at a critical and pivotal point. Many people have written off Detroit, but we [will] have the unique opportu-
to walk alongside them at this time in our his-
tory is such an amazing opportunity.
nity to see firsthand the resiliency of the people of Detroit.” Youth will arrive in Detroit aſter
months of preparation. “While we have been very busy with fundrais- ing over the last year, the ‘Getting Ready’ materials helped [our youth] stay focused on our faith and how we can use our faith to serve those in need in Detroit,” said Jessica Brown, a senior high youth leader from Advent Lutheran Church, Harleysville, Pa. She says the 10 youth she’s accompany- ing to the event are most looking
forward to their day of service. Detroit, which has 65,000 aban-
doned properties within its 142 square miles, offers myriad opportu- nities for the youth to lend a helping hand. Seventy-five percent of the service projects will focus on beau- tifying areas plagued by blight, said Lisa Jeffreys, coordinator of service learning for the event. “I can’t imagine a better time for
the Gathering to be held in Detroit. Detroit is reinventing itself,” said Jeffreys, a native of the city. “For us to be able to walk alongside them at this time in our history is such an amaz- ing opportunity for our participants.” At many of the service sites
youth will work alongside and learn from Detroiters who are taking time out of their regular activities
Follow the Gathering
Visit
www.elca.org/gathering July 15-19 for a livestream video of events.
Visit
www.facebook.com/lutherans and
www.facebook.com/youthgathering for daily coverage of the event.
Search the hashtag #RiseUpELCA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Look for forthcoming photos and stories on
www.livinglutheran.com and in the September issue of The Lutheran.
to volunteer. Youth will be trained to approach their service projects with a listening posture, something the Gathering’s leadership team has strived for since it started planning for the 2015 event, Hagstrom said. Elizabeth Flores has lived in
Detroit all 17 years of her life and is a member of Grace in Action, a new congregation there. Although she admits Detroit gets labeled, “it’s really a tight-knit community of people who are always there for you when- ever you need something.”
Author bio: Strybis is an associ- ate editor of The Lutheran.
July 2015 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52