Category: Ministry
Let’s Think About Dreams: Extravaganza 2024
Every Extravaganza has a theme. A theme gives direction and guidance to the planing team. A theme gives context for participants. And a theme gives space for the Holy Spirit to work within us…to move us together. Because we can cover great distance when we travel together. The theme for Extravaganza 2024 is “Dream”. Every ...
Holy Curiosity
In the movie “Jerry McGuire,” the title character, played by Tom Cruise, says at one point “We live in a cynical world.” It was a moment of deep truth in an otherwise funny but pretty forgettable movie. We live in a cynical world. We all see it. Everyday. All around us. In our community, I ...
As We Watch War Unfold
Like many of you, I’ve been watching the updates coming in from Ukraine. And like many of you, my heart has broken, seeing the conflict develop, people fleeing, the sights of bombs going off and images of families being separated. This is horrible. It’s terrible. On so many different levels, it’s just so very wrong. ...
New COVID Protocols for Extravaganza 2022
Dear Network friends, The Extravaganza planning team has updated our COVID protocols for our gathering next month at the Hilton in Minneapolis. We are committed to an event that fulfills our mission and our goals: Powerful spiritual renewal, quality continuing education and great networking. At the same time, we are committed to an event that keeps participants ...
Time to Take the 2021 Salary Survey
It’s time to begin putting together what for some individuals and congregations is the Network’s most helpful tool. We are asking everyone on our mailing list to please fill out the 2021 ELCA Youth Ministry Network Salary Survey. The last survey was completed in 2018. normally we would do the survey every two years. However, ...
Helping Young Adults Find Their Place
Our friends and partners from the Lutheran Outdoor Ministry Network have developed an amazing new online tool, a mobile app, to help our young adults locate an outdoor ministry site where they might want to serve in the summers. The impact of outdoor ministry on the lives of our young people is powerful. A week ...
“I Didn’t Know I Needed This”
I noticed something at this year’s Extravaganza. All of the themes for the different “main stage” sessions were really well received. But there was one that stood out: “Holding Grief.” The live chat during all of the sessions was very busy. But when this session started, and the speakers started doing their work to unpack ...
CROP Hunger Walks Celebrate 50 years, Lutheran Youth Led the Effort!
Walking for a cause. It’s not a new thing, we have all either done a walk to raise money or know about one in our community. The first walk in the US to benefit a charity was 50 years ago and it has some amazing Lutheran youth roots. What soon became a US movement called ...
3rd Tuesday Conversation Relaunches as a Podcast
Next week, 3rd Tuesday Conversation is rebooting and relaunching as a podcast. Every month since March of 2010, the Network has produced 3rd Tuesday Conversation. After the first 3 or 4 months, where we literally recorded a conference call (like…on the phone…) we transitioned to online webinars. 68 episodes later, experts in the field, teachers ...
With Deep Sorrow…
Dear friends, It is with deep sorrow that I write to let you know about the death of one of our network members, and a friend and colleague to many. Rachel Coen-Tuff died on Saturday while with her family at their cabin. The family has communicated that it was the result of a pulmonary embolism. ...
Network is a Verb 