Day Two at Senior High Conference

Had another great day at LCLC!

Our schedule was the same as yesterday with Chaplain's time, classes and our afternoon recreation.  Lots of us got to go out on the lake today.

Some of us went on the catamarans

And some of us went on the kayaks

We're still enjoying our classes (although Liz's Poverty Game is really hard!)  The meals have been good too.  

We've had hamburgers and grilled cheese and tomato soup and chicken patties and pizza.  We've also learned to be careful with our bacon when Jay is around.

Last night was supposed to be our campfire but it rained just enough to make that a bad idea.  So we stayed inside and played some games.  And found a way to make s'mores inside!  So it was a good night.

Tomorrow is our service project day.  

Day One at Senior High Conference

Yesterday was unbelievably hot and humid but today is a little better.

Getting a feel for our routine.  Almost everyone got up on time (we would never rat out our chaplain) for morning worship.  Madre Liz did a great job with the chaplain's time after breakfast.  We're looking at the lyrics of some great music and comparing it to some of the words in the Bible.  "Stand By Me" echoes one of the Psalms.  We're going to spend the week working on some pieces for the closing worship on Friday.

Classes were a little disorganized because some of us forgot which classes we signed up for!  We got that straightened out and had some great discussions.  Mother Ellen is leading a class on relationships, Giselle is doing one on that's looking at drinking in the Bible and how it gives us direction in how to behave (and NOT), Paul's class is about what it means to be an Episcopalian and Liz is doing the Poverty Game.  This is a role playing game where we get a taste of trying to live at the edge of society.  It's complicated and pretty tough.

At the middle of our day you'll find the Eucharist.  Then we go to lunch.

After lunch it's rest hour, our second class, then swimming/sailing, a free hour then dinner.  The water felt pretty good today.  It's not as humid as yesterday but it's still pretty hot.

After dinner we work on music with Chuck.  We're learning things for each day's worship plus things for our Friday closing worship.  Maybe we'll post a sound clip later in the week.

Our evening program for tonight is game night!  We start off with bingo, then played board games and some outdoor games too.

Finally we spend a little time with our conference director Jay going over the day, followed by Compline and our closing song with the words of St Julian of Norwich.

"All will be well, and all will be well and all manner of things will be well"

Well of course they will.  We're at Senior High.  (Jean says hi)

From This Week's Newsletter

From this week's leader's e-mail newsletter.  Plus links to upcoming events, calendar and useful articles for people who minister to youth and their parents.  Do you get yours each week?  

Link to sign up at www.eyouthwny.org

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One of the great resources in our region is Chautauqua Institution. If you've never been there let me recommend it to you. Their (nearly complete) schedule for 2013 just arrived and there are several notables -

Week 2 (June 30- July 6) The afternoon lecture series (begins at 2 PM) will examine the future of faith for those currently under age 25. Included in the speakers list are:

Monday July 1 - Bishop Eugene Sutton, Episcopal Diocese of Maryland and

Friday July 5 - Shane Claiborne, Founding Partner of The Simple Way

(Both worth hearing but I'm really excited about Claiborne)

The chaplain for Week 5 (July 21-26) is The Rev. Tony Campolo who I have always found to be an interesting and challenging Evangelical thinker and author. He will lead the morning service all week but the chaplain's get highlighted on Sunday (7/21) at the 10:45 AM service.

The chaplain for Week 8 (August 11-16) is The Rt Rev John Chane Retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (DC) Same deal as Campolo

There are many other great speakers, plays, symphonies, dances, operas and other amazing things going on at Chautauqua this summer. Check out the calendar HERE (this is not a paid endorsement of Chautauqua Institution. I will note that 3 generations of my family have worked there over the years. :) )

Thoughts on Boston

From the EYouthWNY Facebook page:

"It's easy to react with anger and revulsion at what has happened in Boston. At the moment we don't know what has happened. Our best response at the moment is be calm and wait. Prayer would be useful.

But there is one other thing I want to remind everyone. IF this was done by a person they represent the smallest portion of humanity. We are surrounded by people who are basically decent peaceful people. WE are the majority. Let us not cut off our noses to spite our faces. We are called to meet anger with love."

It seems like the world spins ever more out of balance every day.  The media shows us more and more insanity until we believe that we may be the only sane people left in the world.  I think there's a couple very important points to be made.

The media makes it seem worse than it is.  I'm not saying that it's a conspiracy but rather that because they focus on the bad it seems like that's all there is.  That perception of the world is wrong.  The vast majority of us will go through the day without a bomb going off in our vicinity.  Most of us will go through an average day with nothing more than annoyances to disturb the calm of our passage.  Some times we want to pretend those annoyances are more than they are but that's on us not the world.  When all seems madness look around and see what's really going on.  Or more likely NOT going on.

And then be calm.

The other point for us to remember is that our belief and tradition tells us that God is with us.  We are also taught that we are to be God's hands in the world that the world might be changed.  Our call then in times like these is to respond not in anger but with love.  To be calm, to be helpful, to be soothing, to be gentle in a world that desperately needs all of that.

Wait.  Watch.  Find the truth and then do what you can do to heal the world.

Peace
Jay Phillippi
Youth Missioner

Weekly Update - Bishop's Ball photos

What a great time we had this year at the Bishop's Ball.  The weather was not real nice and kept some folks away.  But we had 39 young people get together and dance and play games and just have a good time.  Check out the photos HERE

  

Camp applications can now be downloaded on the diocesan youth web page (www.EYouthWNY.org) Check the Camp page or Download page.  Don't miss the Early Bird registration discount.  Get your application AND deposit in by March 1 and save $15!

Happening Weekend #31 still needs team members.  You have to the end of this week to get your application in.  Applications can be downloaded on the web page.

Newsletter Update - January 28

The Bishop's Ball, The Bishop's Ball!

The Bishop's Ball is coming up February 2 (This SATURDAY!) at the Diocesan Ministry Center.  This event is for young people in grades 7-12, admission is $5.  Dress is semi-formal.  The Bishop's Ball begins at 7 PM and ends at 10 PM. 

A PERMISSION FORM IS REQUIRED THIS YEAR!!!

  Right click and save HERE

Camp applications can now be downloaded on the diocesan youth web page (www.EYouthWNY.org) Check the Camp page or Download page.  Don't miss the Early Bird registration discount.  Get your application AND deposit in by March 1 and save $15!

Get your EYouthWNY news in a text!

   It's quick, easy and will keep you up to date on what's going on, right through your phone!  This is a safe and private way for us to communicate with you.  Contact the Youth Missioner for details or check the FB page.

Bishop's Ball!

In line with our new guidelines for diocesan youth events the Bishop's Ball will require a permission slip.
You can get yours by downloading the content at the link HERE

Bishop's Overnight and Bishop's Ball!

Newsletter for January 14

 Wow, what a great Bishop's Overnight!  Bishop Bill joined us Friday night and Saturday morning (even got a new duck present).  There were 24 young people there and we had a great time.  Don't miss the next event coming up in just a couple weeks.

The Bishop's Ball is coming up February 2 at the Diocesan Ministry Center.  This event is for young people in grades 7-12, admission is $5.  Dress is semi-formal.  The Bishop's Ball begins at 7 PM and ends at 10 PM.

  

This month's Youth Commission is this week.  We need youth to come and make decisions for our youth ministry.  Please come!  The next meeting is January 20, 2 PM at St Patricks Cheektowaga.

Camp applications can now be downloaded on the diocesan youth web page (www.EYouthWNY.org) Check the Camp page or Download page.  Don't miss the Early Bird registration discount.  Get your application AND deposit in by March 1 and save $15!

Don't forget there's even more only available in the newsletter!  Get a weekly quick Bible study, weekly quotes to make you think, even a weekly funny!  Want the details on how to get text reminders of upcoming youth events?  All the details on the newsletter!

Sign up at www.EYouthWNY.org

Youth Missioner in Germany!

I am back and adjusting to what time it is here in WNY after an amazing trip to Frankfurt Germany.  I went there at the invitation of the Youth Commission of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe.  Each year they hold a retreat for youth leaders where they can network, learn, share and have some fun together.  This year I was asked to be the leader of the program portion of the retreat.

What I discovered is that we share many challenges with our brothers and sisters in the various congregations scattered over Europe.  There are 8 parishes (Paris - the Cathdral, Waterloo Belgium, Frankfurt, Munich and Wiesbaden in Germany,  Florence and Rome in Italy and Geneva in Switzerland) plus another 7 missions (Clermont-Ferrand, Rennes and Gironde in France, Nuremburg, Augsburg and Karlsruhe in Germany and MŸhlbach am Hochkšnig in Austria).  So that's 15 churches in 6 countries.  Makes our drive times between congregations look pretty easy, doesn't it?  Most of them are fairly small with volunteer youth leaders.  Some have active youth ministries, others not so much.  Again lots in common with us here in WNY.

On the other hand they have multiple languages to deal with routinely.  Not everyone who is a member of a Convocation church is a U.S. citizen (If you remember the it used to be the "Convocation of American Churches in Europe" I think that is part of the reason for the change) but they are Episcopalians.  They may speak any of several languages (in Switzerland there are no less than 3 official languages - German, French and Italian, plus one unofficial language Romansh!) and come from very different backgrounds.  Imagine trying to create a "diocesan" youth event when you have to coordinate school calendars from possibly 6 different countries!  Because many of the folks involved are there as part of the American business, military or diplomatic connections they often are around for only limited amounts of time.  Consequently leadership roles are much more fluid than we usually deal with here in the States.

With all that said I met a wonderful group of Spirit filled, dedicated people who want the best for the young people in their congregations.  They laughed and prayed and sang and kept me on my toes.  We shared learning and ideas, hopes and dreams.  Their dreams include increasing the number of youth events in Europe to 5 per year in the very near future.  It was wonderful to be around the energy and excitement that they have for what they're doing.  They also kept me up way past my bed time almost every night I was there!

The cultural experience for me was profound as well.  It was my first trip to Europe and only my second trip out of the United States beyond trips into Canada.  Being in a country where I was almost totally reliant on other people to deal with day to day details because I speak effectively zero German was awkward.  It makes you feel incompetent and less than adult because you can't "take care of yourself".  Meanwhile it seems that large portions of the German population would be able to come to the States and not have this problem because they have at least a working understanding of at least English.  I heard of many people over there who were competent in more than two languages including at least one who spoke 5!  I need to think about how that makes me feel about some of the decisions we make in educating ourselves in this country.  Things in Germany were both very familiar (McDonald's, Coke, Burger King) and unfamiliar (there were these crazy green signs with a running man on them all over the place.  Turns out those are the emergency exit signs.  Where ours designate ways to get away from danger theirs are about how to get to safety.  Two sides of the same coin results in two very different images). In the midst of it all I got the chance to worship at Christ the King Episcopal in Frankfurt.  As it so often is for those of us born and raised in this tradition it was coming home.  Familiar prayers, familiar hymns, a familiar rhythm of worship.

It was a great experience and one that I will remember for the rest of my life! 

DeVeaux Scholarships at Niagara University

 

Recommendations for a DeVeaux Scholarship at Niagara University is open to all present Niagara University students and high school seniors who meet the following requirements:

The scholarships are restricted to full time students at any undergraduate level at Niagara University and to high school seniors who are considering entrance to Niagara University for the fall of 2013. Students must be residents of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York and have their clergy or church warden submit a short letter of recommendation to the DeVeaux Commission.

Any interested high school senior should have a recommendation sent to this Commission even if they have not finalized Niagara as their university choice. They can always decline a grant if they choose to attend a different university.

Scholarships to be awarded in the academic year 2013-2014 are:

• Three three-thousand dollar ($3000) tuition scholarships.
• Judge DeVeaux Endowed Tuition Scholarships. The number and amount of these grants depend on the number of applicants and the interest available in the fund.

 Clergy letters of recommendation should contain the following:

•  Student's name, address, and phone number.
• Present high school/present year at Niagara University ( Freshman, Sophomore etc.).
• Attributes that make the student a worthy candidate for the award.
• Contributions the student has made to their school, church, community.
• Parent's name, address, and phone number.

Letters should be e-mailed to lgondree@hotmail.com or mailed to the DeVeaux Commission at 1088 Delaware Avenue 1E, Buffalo 14209. If you use the USPS to send your recommendation please advise me by e-mail or a telephone message (716-885-4169) that I should be expecting a recommendation.
 
The deadline for all recommendations is January 15, 2013. When all procedures are completed awards will be granted by this commission through Niagara's Financial Aid Department and Admissions Office.

So What's A Standing Commission?

The week of Nov 12 I spent in St. Louis Missouri (so did Bishop Franklin!) serving on the Standing Commission for Ministry Development.  Folks wonder about  what I do when I go on my various trips so I thought I'd share.

So what is a Standing Commission?  These are what are called "interim bodies", in other words they exist in the "interim" between General Conventions.  While General Convention (GC) is the governing body of our church there needs to be groups who continue the work that GC decides on.  Some of those interim bodies are called for by the canons (The canons are the laws/rules of the Episcopal Church).  A Standing Commission is one those.  So our laws require that this group exist.  The canon also lays out what the membership should look like.  3 bishops, 3 priests/deacons and 6 lay people.  The Presiding Bishop(PB) names the bishops and the President of the House of Deputies (PHoD)names the other members.  For a lay member like me it could be any confirmed member of the church, you don't have to be a Deputy to General Convention (which I have never been).  So Bishop Franklin was named to his commissions (he's actually on TWO) by Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori and I was named by the last previous President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson.  My term is for 6 years and I'm half way through.

So what's the Standing Commission on Ministry Development called to do?  Well the canon that creates us (for the really church geeky out there it is Canon I.1.2(n)(7)) also tells us what we are supposed to do.  In brief we are to recommend to GC ways to affirm, develop and exercise ministry for all the baptized (lay and clergy).  It then gives us specific methods of arriving at those goals.

So once every 3 years all the committees, commissions, agencies and boards created to do work between GCs (those groups are referred to as CCABs) gather together for some basic instruction of new members and to organize whatever work the latest GC has assigned us.  So a whole bunch of folks from all over The Episcopal Church arrived at St. Louis to begin our work.  I'm one of a handful of folks who are continuing members of my Commission.  Some folks terms expired, others resigned for a variety of reasons.  For example if you were a clergy member who becomes a bishop you need to resign.  Our chairperson stepped down because she simply didn't have the time to commit due to a positive but major change in her life.

So what did the group do in St. Louis?  We elected a new chair, vice chair and secretary and took a look at the resolutions from GC that have been referred to us.  They include resolutions discussing the place of confirmation in identifying leaders, a technical question about canonical residency (don't ask), plus a long range plan to try and bring how we train/educate clergy into the 21st Century.  We scheduled a couple more meetings IRL (we will only meet in person three times total in three years) plus schedule a video conference (we will do a LOT of these meetings).

It's also a chance to be with a variety of folks who have become friends over the last decade.  The Episcopal Church is in many ways a very small family.  I saw The Rev. Victoria Duncan who used to be on diocesan staff with me here in WNY and who now works at the Church Center in NY.  Ran into a couple of young adults that I met as members of past GC Official Youth Presence.  Met some new folks as well.  So it was a lot of fun.

I was honored to be named three years ago (and a little surprised.  Didn't know the President of the House of Deputies even knew my name!  The new PHoD, Gay Jennings, made sure to get my name.  Turns out I was the only person on the Standing Commission she didn't already know!) and I am honored to continue doing the work.

So now I'm back.  At least for another ten days.  Then I go to Germany!

What's Coming Up!

Been a busy fall so far but there's still lots going on!

We are in the process of trying to bring the Episcopal Youth Event (EYE) to WNY in 2014.  Had a great prelim visit to the University at Buffalo.  They did a great job of showing why they would be a great site for the event.  Final word will be by the end of the year.  Keep praying!  This would be an amazing and HUGE event for the diocese.  We would be helping the EYE team to run this event with lots of support help.  Watch this space for more news!

Youth Commission is this coming Sunday, 2 PM at St Patrick's Cheektowaga.  Open to anyone in Grade 8 or older who would like to be part of the leadership of the diocesan youth ministry.  We need to start planning things like the Bishop's Overnight and the Bishop's Ball.

Adult Planning Day is December 8, 9 AM to 3 PM at the Diocesan Ministry Center.  This training is REQUIRED for any adult working with diocesan youth ministries in 2013.  This includes camp, Happening, Bishop's Overnight, Bishop's Ball etc.  This training is required for adults once every three years.  There will be another training in the spring.

This training is recommended for youth who want to work with diocesan youth ministries (Junior Counselor etc).  It is also recommended for adults working in congregational ministry.  The training is free.  Please contact me if you are planning on attending.

We are launching a new Twitter feed.  Check us out @EYouthWNY!  #EYouthWNY