|
For more detailed information, please
e-mail the Campus Pastor or follow the link to the |
|||||
|
Contact Information
913-948-9701 or
|
Passing the Baton In a relay like the 4 x 100, the part that always fascinates me is the handoff. As one runner comes in, the next takes off and starts running before the passing of the baton takes place. When done well, the transition is smooth and little time is lost. I used this as an example in a workshop a couple of months ago, suggesting that as Christian leaders, we need to practice passing the baton onto others, especially young adults. I stressed the importance of involving young adults in the life and leadership of the church, and asking them use their gifts in service to others. None of this seemed especially controversial, at least until a man in his mid 30s yelled from the back row: “That’s all well and good, but how can we pass the baton on to young adults, if the older generation never passed it on to us?” To which a 60ish something woman, also in the back row replied: “We tried to pass it on to you, but you wouldn’t take it.” Apparently we could use some practice with our baton passing. Though he doesn’t
mention a baton, Paul says it well to Timothy: Faith is multigenerational, and involves passing on to others. The challenge of course is that others won’t always do things or see things the way we do. The joy of this whole thing is that we don’t have to run the whole race by ourselves. And so, this is a huge opportunity, to invite young adults (even ones who aren’t part of the church) to help us, to carry the baton. Whether the baton is setting up the altar or serving dinner for the homeless, whether the baton is playing and singing in worship or cleaning the home of an elderly parishioner, faith and relationships may be kindled as we do so. The people we ask to carry the baton may not carry it as we would like, but trust them, and Jesus, and let them run with it. As students head off to college and back to school, this is a great time to practice trusting the faith which has been entrusted to them, and a good time to remember them, in your prayers, your emails, your packages of cookies, and to your local campus ministries. To refer a student to a campus pastor (by name or location and send an email), go to:
http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Ministry/Campus-Ministry/Find-a-Ministry-or-Person.aspx Lutheran Campus Ministry outside of Central States Synod Have a student outside of KS-MO? No problem! You can find the nearest campus ministry on the ELCA website: http://archive.elca.org/scriptlib/DHES/directory/site_list.asp Service
opportunity in NYC Walking through the crisp morning air on our way to the subway station before our flight home, I was trying to think of what I could possibly say to summarize Lutheran Campus Ministry’s mission trip to New York City. As the case was for many of us, this was my first time in NYC. It’s one of those destinations that’s a universal goal to see and explore. The Big Apple. That distant metropolis you see in movies and on TV shows; that dog-eat-dog town, symbolizing hope and freedom for so many. On the way to New York we talked about seeing famous people, randomly starring on television shows like Cash Cab or What Not To Wear, or visiting the different neighborhoods just to say we’ve been there. I was expecting a rough and tumble town with cold, hardened people; a place where it’s normal not to feel safe or secure. Thankfully we were surprised. Not only were we going to fulfill the dream of visiting this landmark, but we were going to serve others through our faith in God.
There was not one person who knew everyone from the beginning, except for maybe Julie, who had the incredible task of organizing the trip. There were so many of us, fresh faces to know and new people to meet. There were almost twenty-five of us on the trip, so I was worried about remembering names. As we traveled, we chatted, acquainting ourselves with the people we’d be spending the next week with. Some clicked right away; others took a few days to discover their friendship. I do have to say, though, of all the many group trips I’ve been on, this group has accomplished the most and grown the closest of any other group I’ve been a part of. Our equal involvement in service helped us break that typical clique pattern to the point where anyone can be with anybody else, go anywhere and have a blast. The people in New York weren’t cold and hardened; actually the very opposite, including the few celebrities we ran into. We had people on various occasions approach us and ask if they could help us find where we were going. None of them ignored us or blew up in our faces; they were all genuine, considerate and helpful. My favorite part about our actual service in New York was the fact that we weren’t just helping one organization or a single cause. We had organized appointments with various Lutheran churches in different locations of NYC, including Trinity in the East Village, Catholic Worker in Manhattan, Salam Arabic in Brooklyn, St. Luke’s in Times Square, and Transfiguration in the Bronx. We did everything from serve at soup kitchens to doing chores around the church to folding clothes at the drop-in centers. Not only did we work at churches and soup kitchens, but we helped at other places, including the Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center. Here we had to check our morals and personal opinions at the door and inform the community of the support and service the center provides and help improve the conditions of drug habits. You haven’t had a refining experience until you witness a syringe exchange and hand out condom packets in the park on a church mission trip. My favorite part was our reflection after every appointment. We had different people lead the discussion, and everyone had a chance to say something by the time it was over, either about their experiences or how their service tied into their faith. This really helped us appreciate our own service, think about why we were in NYC in the first place, and also helped many of us open up to other members of the group we wouldn’t get to know by just touring the city. I realized that morning walking down the now familiar streets that there was no way to single-handedly recap the week. We are all going home with different stories and different experiences. This was a big and important trip for us all, exploring a big city and serving others in a community so different from ours. All of us experienced different things at the different times, and everyone tells each story in their own way, which makes the experience that much more rewarding and eventful. I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I know the friendships I made on this trip will last. From tourism to servitude, meeting celebrities to making new friends, this mission trip was a success on every level. Additional information CONNECT
STUDENTS ON CAMPUS The student referral page: www.elca.org/campusministry/studentref.html If you know incoming freshmen, students who are transferring from one university to another, students who are beginning graduate work, or just someone you think could use a contact from a campus pastor, please use this form!
CHURCHWIDE
LUTHERAN CAMPUS MINISTRY
|
||||
