Michael and George, our good friends who together form the band Lost and Found, have been working for a few years on the Luther500 Project. And they have an invitation for the Network.
Get more information on the special invitation by clicking here.
Luther500 will bring folks to Germany to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the reformation, and will bring pilgrims from the United States to Wittenberg in 2017 to experience and learn together. I’ve spoken with George and Michael…I’ve read the materials about the experience…it sounds awesome.
In 2015, they are bringing two groups of congregational leaders to Wittenberg for a “Familiarization” trip. It will prep people in what to expect, how the trip will go, and what will happen. The Leader’s trips could be ‘stand alone’ events; fantastic continuing education for congregational leaders. But they’re really designed to help you in discerning whether to bring a congregational group in 2017.
Luther500 wants to invite members of the Network to participate in these Leader Trips. The dates are April 24-30, 2015 and October 9-15, 2015. (The identical trip, repeated twice.) I’m not sure, but I’m guessing because of the ELCA Youth Gathering happening in the summer, many more of the Network folks are going to want to go in October rather than April. (That’s when I think I’m going to go.)
And here’s the cool part: The Luther500 Festival wants to encourage Network members to go on the trip, and so if you register prior to November 1, 2014, they are going to give members of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network a 10% discount. How cool is that? That’ in the vicinity of $100 bucks off!
And, if you then bring a group from your congregation to the 2017 event, they will refund back to you at that time, 50% of the cost of your trip in 2015.
So I think I’m going to Germany. I’ve never been there and I want to walk in the places Luther walked, and experience the places of the reformation. It will help me understand. It will help me teach. It will help me communicate the transformational (reformational) nature of God’s grace with those in my congregation.
And hey, I want to invite you to come on the trip too! I know that Paul Amlin is going…and others. Join us! I think it’s going to be amazing.
Networked in Christ,
Todd
Network is a Verb 
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