Title: ELCA Youth and Social Ministries
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

November 6, 1997

NEW PLANS FOR ELCA YOUTH AND SOCIAL MINISTRIES
97-31-089-MR

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The youth ministries team
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will
work to "offer hope and promise" for youth and
young adults in the church based on a new plan.
The board of the ELCA's Division for
Congregational Ministries "affirmed" the team's
plan when it met here Oct. 17-19.
       "Our goal is to fully utilize the power and
influence of the church to stimulate both the
spiritual growth and mental and physical health of
youth, and to encourage and support life-long
partnership between congregations, families,
schools and communities," said the Rev. Kelly
Chatman, ELCA director for youth ministries.
     "For the church to truly impact the lives of
today's youth, the challenge is to influence the
places where youth invest time and experience
relationship," said Chatman.  "The team will work
to communicate to youth and young adults that, as
they journey through life, the church journeys
with them," he said.
     According to the plan, the ELCA promises to
be a "safe place" where young people can
experience a sense of belonging through worship,
Sunday school, after-school programs and day
camps.  The ELCA will offer opportunities for
youth to experience and explore relationships with
God and others will through retreats, youth groups
and youth gatherings.  The church plans to
encourage young people to participate in service
projects and leadership functions by serving the
Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO), the youth
organization of the ELCA.
     The youth ministries team will develop
practical and effective print and multimedia
resources, as well as human resources that will
explore ways to connect youth and young adults
with congregations as places of safety and
belonging, experience and exploration and
actualizing potential, said Julie Sevig, associate
director for resources of the youth ministries
staff.
     "By the year 2000, the ELCA youth ministries
team will exhibit growth in three specific and
measurable areas," said Chatman.  "The first is to
create a functioning young adult network.  The
second will be to use the Internet and computers
as a primary means of resource connection and
communication with congregations and youth
ministries.  The third area includes a 20 percent
increase of youth serving congregations, ELCA
synods, ELCA division boards, schools and
communities," he said.
     "The plan developed by the youth ministries
team illustrates the church's passion for
uplifting, supporting and empowering young
people," said congregational ministries' board
member Beth Ann Lechtenberger, Trinity Lutheran
Seminary, Columbus, Ohio.
     "The team has heard the needs of our
congregations and will continue to make an impact
on the lives of our young people today and for the
future," said the Rev. John B. Mawhirter, Zion
Lutheran Church, Sandusky, Ohio.
     The division's board heard a report about the
1997 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans July
23-27.  "River of Hope" gathered more than 37,000
senior high school-age people, adult sponsors and
volunteers.
     "The youth served the whole church as they
came to the Gathering," said the Rev. William H.
Kees, youth gathering director.  "Over 25 tons of
food was given to the New Orleans' Second
Harvesters food program at a time when their
shelves were almost empty.  Youth served the
community through 50,000 hours of community
service and collected $360,000 for twelve domestic
and global ministries," reported Kees.
     "The city was delighted with our presence.
We were told that the economic impact upon New
Orleans was in excess of $33 million," said Kees.
     The Social Ministries for Congregations
program of the ELCA will focus on "ministries of
hope, reconciliation and transformation" for the
next three years.  The board "affirmed and
commended" the program's plan to "address the most
crucial social issues of our time."
     "Support and resource materials for
congregations will address criminal justice, the
role of the church in welfare reform, chemical
addiction, families, women and children living in
poverty, racism, hunger, domestic violence and
AIDS" said Loretta E. Horton, director for social
ministries for congregations.
     The plan calls for the involvement in the
ELCA's Women and Children Living in Poverty
strategy and the Multicultural Mission Strategy.
     "Leadership training events and resource
development will equip ... leaders with the
necessary tools to develop effective social
ministry programs in the congregation.  Training
events will focus on Bible study, community needs
assessment, program planning, fund-raising,
volunteer recruitment and nurture and more," said
Horton.
     "We hope that through this plan more ELCA
congregations will open their eyes to the needs of
their neighbors and recognize how God's given
gifts will help to respond," said Lechtenberger.
     "We do not operate like a secular social
service agency.  We have a Biblical mandate to do
service, justice and witness," said Horton.  "The
ELCA's social ministry for congregations program
is Christ-centered service ... it begins with the
Gospel and ends with the Gospel," she said.
     "Social ministry enables congregations to
live out the Biblical mandate to feed the hungry,
welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit
the sick and imprisoned.  Christian social
ministry is an essential part of the total mission
of the church," said Horton.  "It can be social
service, community education or social action.  As
Christians, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit
both individually and congregationally to serve
all those individuals whom Jesus called, 'the
least of these,'" she said.
     The Rev. Nancy I. Amacher, Mount Calvary
Lutheran Church, Rothschild, Wis., was elected
board chair.

For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773)380-2958 or
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