Tag: Resources
ELCA and the Network Receive Lilly Grant for Faith Formation
CHICAGO (Jan. 18, 2023) — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), partnered with the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Formation Lab Project. The goal of the project is to help congregations move past prescriptive, outdated models of youth ministry that often separate ...
Network Membership Pricing Changes
Hello friends! I hope your summer is off to a great start and that mixed in with VBS, mission trips, camp, campfires, worship and “all the things,” you also get a chance for some rest and re-creation. The last two+ years have been…something…and taking an opportunity to breathe and rest is a critical part of ...
Changes to the Network’s Facebook Presence
The Network is changing the way we use Facebook, hopefully to make it a more helpful experience for our whole community. Our Facebook group has been our primary presence. This group is now over 6,100 members. We’ve used this group both to communicate Network news and updates to the community, and to encourage conversation, support ...
Creating a Custom Extravaganza Schedule
We figured out a way of creating a “custom Extravaganza schedule” pulling Network information out of our mobile app and importing only the events that you want, directly into your smartphone calendar. It’s really quite easy. Here’s what you do: (Please note that the screen shots on this are from an iPhone. I suspect the ...
Musicians & Artists & Speakers, oh my!
It’s a phone call that comes in fairly often: “We’re planning a big event for our (fill in the blank…congregation…synod…conference…etc…) and we’re looking for a speaker and a musician. We want a (fill in the blank: (soloist…band…loud…acoustic…etc…). Does the Network have a listing, or a directory, or a recommendation or anything that can help us?” ...
So What Would Google Do?
I am more and more convinced that for the church in all its expressions (congregational… synodical…denominational…) is going to grow into the next era, we are going to need to learn to think very differently. The days of working to protect the institution, and to contain decision making, leadership and power, are pretty much gone. ...
Want to Be A Writer?
The Connect Journal is the publication of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. Published 3 (or sometimes 4 if the budget is in an especially good mood) times a year, the journal attempts to put fresh thinking about children, youth and family ministry into people’s hands. ely While there folks who we ask to write articles ...
What’s Up With Our App?
Some of you may have noticed that the Network’s mobile app is having some issues. (I know this because you’ve e-mailed me) It’s pretty disappointing because of the time and energy that went into developing the app, and the important role it has played in our communications strategy. So what’s the problem? The short answer ...
Consider This Your ‘Ask’
I think there is sometimes some confusion about workshops at the Extravaganza. Occasionally I hear stories about folks who think “I would really love to do a workshop at the Extravaganza…but no one has ever asked me to.” I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Pretty much no one gets asked. Sure, ...
Trending
Over time, I’ve noticed that ministry with those in the first third of life seems to be kind of “trend driven.” There are new ministry concepts…thoughts and ideas that tend to bubble up. They become a big deal…they become mainstream…they fade…they are replaced… When I first started doing this work, congregational youth ministry was all ...
Network is a Verb 