ELCA youth hear, share stories of hope at Gathering
Text by Erin Strybis Photos by Chris Ocken
A
t a neighborhood park in Detroit, Callan Geier, 17, and David Philpot, 74, sat side-by-
side on top of orange paint buckets, heads bent in conversation as they applied clay to the backs of painted squares and pressed them on the outside of a baseball dugout. Te brightly colored fragments would eventually complete one of four mosaics designed for the city by local artist Hubert Massey. Tis art installation was one of
many service projects planned by ELCA volunteers and Detroit orga- nizations as part of the July 15-19 ELCA Youth Gathering, a triennial event that aims to enrich youth in their faith journeys through wor- ship, music, presentations, recre- ation and community service. Geier, a member of St. John
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Preston, Iowa, was one of 30,000 participants clad in candy-colored shirts who descended on the city of 688,701, a presence that gar- nered Detroit media coverage and even spawned the hashtag “skittlesexplosion.” Like others, Geier marveled at
seeing all the young Lutherans in one place. “We’ve been fundraising ever since the last Youth Gathering just to make sure we had the funds to come,” he said.
ELCA youth didn’t let a little rain ruin their fun as they met in Hart Plaza prior to departing for their service projects around Detroit during the ELCA Youth Gathering in July.
Callan Geier, 17 (third from the left) and David Philpot, 74 (right of Geier), talk as they place painted tiles on a mosaic on the back of a baseball dugout in the Grandmont-Rosedale neighbor- hood. For three days, ELCA youth and Detroiters worked together to install seven mosaics, each designed by local artist Hubert Massey.
‘It was an astonishing
act of faith and courage to pick this city four
years ago. We are doing good work in a city that is really turning itself around.’
—Donald Kreiss, bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod
Philpot, a friend of Massey, said
he and his neighbors had been preparing for the mosaic installa- tion for months as well and hoped the visitors would see their city for what it really is: “Most people think that Detroit’s a scary place, but it’s a thriving place.” In total, youth and their leaders
worked alongside Detroiters like Philpot to paint 1,847 mural boards for vacant buildings, board up 319 unoccupied homes, clear 3,200 lots of debris, distribute 1,425 backpacks and build 99 picnic tables. With support from their congregations and Women of the ELCA groups, participants also donated 1 million diapers for a Detroit diaper bank.
Youth lent a helping hand and
met Detroit’s people through their service projects, but they also expe- rienced its restaurants and culture, spent time learning and playing in the Cobo Center, and danced and worshiped at Ford Field. “I love it here. So far Detroit is
bringing better experiences to me and opening up my horizons,” said Daquan Baker, 18, from New Hope Lutheran Church in Jamaica, N.Y. Megan Bird, 18, Trinity Lutheran
Church, Boyceville, Wis., said she appreciated the welcoming spirit of Detroiters. On her community service day, “everyone came out of their houses and was waving at us and cheering,” she said. Bearing witness to what God is
up to in Detroit was echoed in the teaching materials for this year’s Gathering, which was organized under the theme “Rise Up Together” and shaped by the Gospel of Mark. It’s a message Geier said his pastor (and father) stressed to the youth before they arrived: “Detroit doesn’t really need to be fixed—it needs people to share its story.” Cassie Mattheis, 16, from St.
Stephen Lutheran Church in Lenoir, 18 September 2015 17
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