ELCA NEWS SERVICE December 14, 2004 Lutheran Students To Meet At LSM-USA Gathering In Houston Area 04-233-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Some 350 college-age students will meet in the Houston area Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 2005, for the annual gathering of the Lutheran Student Movement (LSM-USA). The gathering's theme is "Houston, we have a problem: Endeavoring to more fully discover our mission as young adults of faith and challenging the church from within." The gathering will take place at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, The Woodlands, Texas, a northern suburb of Houston. LSM-USA is a national organization of college, university and seminary students who worship in the Lutheran tradition, said the Rev. Richard F. Zawistoski, co-director for campus ministry and assistant director for campus ministry/human resources, Division for Higher Education and Schools (DHES), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Through LSM-USA, Lutheran students promote the active participation of students in the life and mission of the Lutheran churches on their campuses and in their communities. DHES supports LSM-USA as an active voice of students in the larger church through financial and organizational support. The gathering will feature Bible study, worship, prayer, learning opportunities, business meetings, plenary sessions featuring keynote speakers, and an evening at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Johnson Space Center. "The theme emphasizes how young adults can participate in the church," said Rebecca Sorensen, LSM-USA intern. "We have voices to be heard, and we hope to help young adults find their identity." Participants will meet young adults from throughout the country, and some international students will attend, Sorensen said. LSM-USA's national focus this year is literacy. Gathering participants are asked to bring children's books with them for distribution in the Houston area, Sorensen said. Keynote speakers are the Rev. Mary E. Hinkle, associate professor, New Testament, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and the Rev. John Nunes, research associate in urban ministries, Wheat Ridge Ministries, Itasca, Ill. Hinkle's topic is "Vocation and Identity," while Nunes' topic is "Young Adults Can be a Voice," Sorensen said. The Bible study leader will be Dr. Jon Pahl, associate professor of church history, The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP). Luther Seminary and LTSP are two of the ELCA's eight seminaries. Guest preachers will be the Rev. Paul J. Blom, bishop of the ELCA Gulf Coast Synod, Houston; the Rev. Kevin J. Meyer, Lord of Life Lutheran Church, The Woodlands; and the Rev. Jeremy R. Gamelin, First Lutheran Church, Norfolk, Va. Dakota Road, a contemporary Christian band, will provide music throughout the gathering, much of it original. A number of workshops will focus on subjects of specific interest for young adults. Among the topics are "fair trade" coffee, public policy advocacy, environmental advocacy, concerns about the church and its relationship with people who are gay and lesbian, faith-based investing and investing in the church's mission, Sorensen said. Small group meetings will be held throughout the gathering to discuss topics that emerge throughout the meeting, she said. Students will discuss and debate topics in proposed resolutions, amendments, position papers and projects at LSM-USA legislative sessions. Resolutions and position papers that are adopted at the legislative sessions will be forwarded to the ELCA and other church and government organizations. LSM-USA officers for 2005 will be elected. The next LSM-USA Gathering will be held in San Diego, Dec. 28, 2005-Jan. 1, 2006, at a meeting site to be determined. --- Information about LSM-USA, including the 2004 Gathering Dec. 29-Jan. 3, is at http://www.lsm-usa.org/ on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news