CENTRAL STATES SYNOD

YOUTH MINISTRY

Central States Synod
816.861.6584
Toll-free 866-915-3548

Coming up in 2008 …

2nd Annual Central States Synod Sr. High Youth Gathering
'Faith, Love & Service'
Sheraton Sport Complex Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.
July 17-20, 2008

Central States Synod is having its 2nd Annual Sr. High Youth Gathering in Kansas City. The gathering will be held at the Sheraton Sport Complex Hotel, (next to the sports complex).

Who: Youth 14-19 years old

Cost: $150 per person (includes hotel, food, entrance to the waterpark, and local transportation during the event).

During the weekend, there will Bible Study and community service opportunities, plus fellowship and fun in the brand new CocaKey Waterpark, which is the largest indoor waterpark in Missouri. On Saturday, the youth will travel to the synod office where they will meet Bishop Gerald Mansholt, take a tour of the building, have lunch and participate in a neighborhood service project.

Schedule: A complete agenda will be available soon, but please note the following:
Registration at the event will run from 5-7 p.m. on the 17th, with activities beginning at 7 p.m. The event will end at noon on Sunday, July 20.

This event is going to be full of FAITH, LOVE & SERVICE, so you don’t want to miss out on the faith in action this summer!

REGISTRATIONS MATERIALS

Download: Youth Event Print Form (print on your printer, complete and mail)

Download: Youth Event Complete Form (complete on your computer and submit by email)
Please note: using this option you will still need to print the form out and have it signed by a parent/guardian and return the form with your check. Your registration IS NOT confirmed until a signature and payment is received.

Download: CSSYG Release Form (print on your printer, complete and mail)

Download: CSSYG Medical Release Form (print on your printer, complete and mail)

SPECIAL THANKS TO SPONSORS
Our thanks go to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the Central States Women of the ELCA for providing meals during the event.

Youth Opportunity at Heifer Ranch

Heifer International offers many excellent learning opportunities each year at Heifer Ranch near Perryville, Arkansas. Programs are available for folks of all ages, from preschool through adults. However they have tailored one of the programs for a special offering to be held this coming May.

The event is called Global Gateway and it is for 6th through 12th grade youth and accompanying adults. Participants will learn about poverty and hunger in the U.S. and abroad as they face the challenges of a resource-poor family. They will spend a night in one of several places; the bamboo Thai home, Zambian hut, Guatemala house, urban slum or refugee tent. By experiencing a night in poverty, participants build problem-solving skills and move toward the desire to make changes that positively impact the environment and the world.

The dates for this event are May 17 and 18. The fee is $48 per person. The fee includes the Global Gateway program and lunch in the dining hall on May 18. To learn more, visit www.heifer.org/ranch or contact the Ranch Events Office at ranchevents@heifer.org or 501-889-5124.

ELCA YOUTH GATHERING AND OPRAH
A REQUEST FOR HELP FROM THE CENTRAL STATES SYNOD COORDINATOR FOR THE 2009 ELCA YOUTH GATHERING, MINDY TILLBERG

We need your help!
There will be 12,000 people a day providing service in the community of New Orleans during the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering. Those faithful servants need to eat lunch on their day of service; that's 36,000 lunches over three days. It is not possible for the gathering to subsidize that expense, so we are seeking sponsorships and donations. The first person we are asking is Oprah Winfrey. Heidi Hagstrom, director for the Gathering, has written two letters to Oprah already. We need your help to keep this request in the forefront of her mind and heart. If you choose to get involved, please use the text from one of the sample letters, or draft your own, and send it to Oprah by May 1, 2008. You are free to distribute these letters to youth and adults in your synod or ethnic community, and invite them to participate as they are able. Thank you.

Mindy Tillberg, mindy@immanuelsalina.org
Central States Synod Coordinator, 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering, and
Associate in Ministry, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Salina, Kan.

Register NOW for summer camp at Camp Tomah Shinga in Junction City, Kansas. The 2008 Summer Schedule is already out. There are camp experiences for youth in First Grade through High School. Help out at one of the Volunteer Work Days – May 31, June 1 thru 6. Mark your calendar for the annual Quilt Auction on July 12.

Hollis Renewal Center in Bonner Springs will host four weeks of Day Camp this summer: June 9-13, June 16-20, June 23-27 and July 7-11. Youth in Grades 1 thru 6 are invited. For more information see www.holliscenter.org. Celebrate Earth Day by volunteering at Youth and Family Work Day on April 20.

The Global Mission Event will be held this summer at the University of Wisconsin in LaCrosse the week of July 17-20. The theme is “God’s Work, Our Hands.” This is wonderful opportunity to see the world in a new way. There is childcare for children through age two. Children’s programming is available for kids ages three to ten. Youth ages eleven through eighteen have unique programs for their age groups as well. Visit www.elca.org/gme/gme2008 for information or to register.