ELCA NEWS SERVICE July 17, 2003 DAYLE Spotlights Definitely Abled Youth in Atlanta 03-YG-01-JB ATLANTA (ELCA) -- About 40 participants, parents, caregivers, volunteers and staff gathered to celebrate the talents and abilities of youth with disabilities at the Omni Hotel here July 13-16. The Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event (DAYLE) preceded the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Youth Gathering. The 11 participants, all with physical and developmental challenges, met for worship, singing, small group and plenary sessions, and social activities all aimed at encouraging their full participation during the ELCA Youth Gathering and in the church. Parents and caregivers met with them and in their own group sessions. The ELCA Youth Gathering is meeting at the Georgia Dome and Georgia World Congress Center in two back-to-back events: July 16-20 and July 23-27. The Gathering, "Do Life! Ubuntu," is bringing together some 40,000 high-school age Lutherans and adults who are engaging in worship, Bible study, community service and fun. About 23,000 are participating in the first week. DAYLE is one component of the entire gathering. "These kids are hungry to serve their church," said the Rev. Lisa Thogmartin-Cleaver, director for disability ministries, ELCA Division for Church in Society, Chicago. "Their quickness in 'bonding' is amazing. Some have said they are more accepted here than anywhere else." Calling the experience "joyful," Cleaver said that numbers are not that important to DAYLE's success because the participants get more personal attention during the experience. "I'd like them to go home from this with a better sense of their giftedness," said Cleaver, who also serves on the church's youth ministry team. "I think we help them in some small ways to use those gifts." DAYLE is also intended to help the whole church give greater attention to ministries among people who are "differently abled," she said. DAYLE 2003 surpassed expectations, said Sarah Flatt, St. Clair Shores, Mich., outgoing chair of the Definitely Abled Advisory Committee (DAC) of the board of the Lutheran Youth Organization. Flatt, 18, graduated from high school this summer and will attend Saginaw Valley St. University, Saginaw, Mich. She is a member of Bethel Lutheran Church, St. Claire Shores. "There's no doubt in my mind that persons here with the least ability connected with youth with the most ability at least 10,000 times," said Flatt. In remarks to DAYLE participants July 15, the Rev. William "Bill" Kees, director of the ELCA Youth Gathering, reflected on Psalm 22 from the Christian Bible. The text reflects on Jesus, while hanging on the cross asks God, "Why have you forsaken me?" "I think about those disabilities that you live with every day of your life," Kees said. "I understand why you would ask, 'Where is God? Why have you forsaken me?'" "Asking, 'Where are you God?' leads us to God," Kees continued. DAYLE is a place where participants can fully become what they can be, he said, adding that no one can look at another person without seeing the "face of God." The DAYLE participants elected new DAC members, which will plan the 2006 DAYLE event preceding the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering. Emily Schmidlin, 16, a high school junior who attends Trinity Lutheran Church, Kent, Ohio, was elected chair; Rebecca Rogers, 18, high school senior, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Frederick, Md., was elected secretary; and, Dayle Kitch, 16, high school junior, St. John Lutheran Church, Carroll, Iowa., was elected liaison to the board of the Lutheran Youth Organization. "I want to provide others with the same experience I got here," said Schmidlin. "DAYLE is an excellent way for other people without disabilities to understand the gifts we have they may not realize we have." "Sometimes I feel like I don't belong," Rogers said. "When I'm with a group of people like this, I don't feel bad. This has made me fit in." "DAYLE is great way to make a difference," said Kitch, who noted her name is the same as the DAYLE acronym. "I think (serving on DAC) will be a great experience." Rogers' mother, Lynn, said the DAYLE experience has provided her with a chance to talk with other parents and caregivers. DAYLE is a place "to feel like you belong and that you're not alone," she said. VOLUNTEERS, SPEAKERS PARTICIPATE, TOO Spending a few days with differently abled people "has done nothing but make me a better pastor," said the Rev. Scott A. Moore, First Lutheran Church, Berwyn, Ill. Moore was chaplain for DAYLE. "Being in this environment gives me a 'rejuvenated awareness' of being patient," he said. "There's a place for everyone at the table." Two people who volunteered for DAYLE were Larry Olson, Beresford, S.D., and Hans Peterson, Jordan, Minn., both members of Dakota Road, a contemporary Christian band. Both led the DAYLE participants in singing and worship and featured original Christian songs. Dakota Road is playing at the Youth Gathering's Interaction Center at the Georgia World Congress Center. "There's a spirit here in which the participants have a gift for being able to see one another as children of God," Peterson said. "We all need each other, and we're no different," Olson said. "I can be myself here. That's the gift they give me. The joy here is abounding and it overflows." Both were music leaders at DAYLE 2000, and said they would return again without hesitation. The Rev. Michael J. Neils, bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod, Phoenix, Ariz., was a DAYLE volunteer. Neils explained that the reason he volunteered is that the ELCA Conference of Bishops made a commitment to support youth and family ministry. His wife, Cheryl, is directly involved in special needs education, he added. Neils said he was impressed with DAYLE participants. "The DAC kids are extraordinary, with great gifts of faith," Neils said. He said he would like to explore how the church can organize regional and synodical definitely abled events such as DAYLE. Speakers who met with DAYLE participants were: + Ken Medema, musician, performer and songwriter. He composed the 2003 ELCA Youth Gathering's theme song, "Do Life! Ubuntu!" Medema, who is blind, explained how he got into the music business. "Nobody does life alone," he told DAYLE participants. "We do it together. We are the body of Christ together. This week we will explore what it means to be in Christ together. That's what ubuntu means." + Paula Sturgeon, speaker and educator, who was born with physical abnormalities that affect her bone joints. Sturgeon told her own life story, encouraging DAYLE participants to focus on their gifts rather than their disabilities. "By the grace of God, I'm here and God's grace is sufficient for me," she said." If you can impact one life, you will live in the power of God's love." + The Rev. Mark B. Brown, Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs, Washington, D.C. Brown spoke to DAYLE parents about advocacy with schools and government on disability issues. He reviewed numerous ELCA Churchwide Assembly actions in which the church has advocated for disabled people. One DAYLE parent, Darryl Harvey, Aurora, Colo., said the church needs to produce or provide resources to address a variety of disability needs. Such materials could be placed at resource centers, he said. Information from the ELCA Youth Gathering can be found at http://www.elca.org/gathering/home.html on the Web. Photos from DAYLE can be found at http://www.elca.org/gathering/med-gallery.html on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://elca.org/news