Central Lutheran Church, in the heart of the city, welcomes all people to celebrate, discover and share the love of Christ.

Youth Update Summer 2006

Campfirmation

During the last week of June our eighth grade Confirmation students, who will be confirmed on Reformation Sunday, October 29, participated in Campfirmation at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Campfirmation is a long-standing tradition that gathers Confirmation youth, pastors, youth directors, and lay leaders from various Lutheran churches to live and grow together in an intentional Christian community. Our week was filled with a variety of fun and meaningful activities, and each day focused on a different theme—although all of the themes communicated our belief that we are beloved and forgiven children of God, whose unconditional love for us and the world is expressed in the cross of Jesus. Because of the cross and who we are in Jesus, we are called to live lives that reflect Christ’s love, to “love [our] neighbors as [ourselves]” (Matthew 22.39).

In addition to worshipping together every night, we met in small “care” groups to talk, laugh and reflect; we created worship banners, wrote song lyrics, and choreographed motions for our worship music; we played some wild large group games, like Capture the Flag; we created skits and videos that expressed each day’s theme; we cooled down at a water park, played with water balloons, and tie-dyed t-shirts; we spent time with local senior citizens; and we simply had a blast being with one another and meeting new friends in Christ.

National Youth Gathering

Ten of our high school CLC youth and four adult advisors journeyed in early July from Minneapolis to San Antonio, Texas for the 2006 ELCA National Youth Gathering. It was amazing experience for us to join thousands of other Lutheran youth and adults from across the nation and even the world in worshiping, playing, learning, singing and celebrating together the love of God and our identities as Lutheran Christians in today’s world. The theme of the Gathering this year was “Cruzando: Journey with Jesus.” Participants “cross[ed] every kind of border to be with friends and neighbors who share the same name—Child of God” (www.elca.org/gathering/home.html). In keeping with this theme one of the welcoming signs from the Gathering read “There are no strangers here, just friends in Christ that we haven’t met yet.”

Because of San Antonio's rich cultural heritage and the influence of Mexico, we often worshipped and sang in Spanish, and also learned from Gathering speakers, such as Dr. San Juana Mendoza Bruce, about issues of immigration, poverty, and social justice that are so relevant and urgent in our country today. Many of the speakers challenged us to look beyond seeing people who are different than us as “other,” and instead to see how Jesus himself is revealed in our neighbors. We were inspired to think about how we can use our gifts and passions to love and serve God and the people we encounter.

A few more fun highlights from our trip included watching the Twins beat the Royals in the rain in Kansas City (and the incredible Fourth of July fireworks after the game!), dinner together on the famous San Antonio River Walk, dancing during evening Community Life, playing in the Interaction Center, performing the “ELCA Song” on stage, singing at the Mass Gatherings, serving Communion at the closing worship, cooling off at Hurricane Harbor in Dallas, and, not to be forgotten, our bonding time during those long hours in the vans!

We hope you enjoyed our pictures, and thank you to the youth and adults who made these meaningful experiences possible. Vaya con Dios—Go with God!