Camp Photo albums are up!

Trying to get caught up and get our media posted from this summer.  So far I've got photo albums for each of our camps.  Check them out below.  More photos and videos over the next couple weeks!

Senior High Conference

Junior High Camp

Sleep Away Camp

Newsletter August 1

Some interesting things going on.  In order to be more transparent and help people stay informed and involved we will be posting Happening Board minutes just like we've been doing with Youth Commission minutes for many years now. (You can find the Youth Commission minutes on the Youth Commission page at www.eyouthwny.org.  Happening minutes will be posted on the Happening page very soon).

In the meantime we are in  need of a nurse for Sleep Away camp.  If you have any ideas please contact me.

Plus coming up:

"The Western New York Happening Board is excited to announce the Second Meeting of Blue Ribbon Commission! This is an opportunity for teens and young adults who have participated in the Happening ministry to come together in order to take a fresh look at the ministry and set new goals to achieve as we begin a new journey with Bishop Franklin.

  

This youth ministry offers a life changing event to all teens, from other teens in the diocese. The weekend experience is only the first step in a spiritual walk that will last throughout our lifetime! All present Happening Youth are invited to define the next phase of Happening experiences for upcoming teens in Western New York.

  

The entire faith community benefits from youth being engaged spiritually, and growing in their walk with the Lord!

  

Come join us on Saturday August 13, 2011 at the new Ministry Center for the Western New York Episcopal Diocese, located at 1064 Brighton Road Tonawanda, NY 14150. We will tour the new facility and meet from 10:00am - 2:30pm. All participants are asked to bring a snack to share and $3 so that lunch can be provided.

  

Contact Giselle Jackman, Happening Board Chair at g_jackman@hotmail.com or the Happening Spiritual Advisor, Rev. Harry Grace at (716) 875-8374 for more information.

A Retreat for Adults Working with Adults

Adult Youth Leaders Retreat 

Tuesday, September 27 to Friday, September 30
Led by Jennifer Gamber and Fran McKendree

(I spent part of my sabbatical last year at Holy Cross Monastery.  It is an amazing place and this retreat is led by a couple of really wonderful folks)

For the past four years, youth ministers from across the country for a time of worship, prayer, study, and fellowship within the sacred rhythm of the Benedictine monastic community at Holy Cross.  This year, we will explore our baptismal waters made alive with the current of God’s blessings.  To what unexpected places have we been taken?  What blessings have we poured into the lives of others? How have these blessings washed back on our shores seeking to be gathered and given out again?
In the morning, we will gather in song and begin our program together with study, sharing and reflection.  In the afternoon, participants can choose among several options including personal reflection, praying the labyrinth, walking, and time for rest.  Each evening, we engage in a guided meditation that participants can bring back to the youth at their churches.
Singer/songwriter Fran McKendree leads the group in song throughout the day and into the evening.  This retreat offers a time of restoration and contemplation for youth ministers who seek to fill their wells in preparation to feed the souls of the teens they serve.  Come be refreshed by God’s living water on the banks of the Hudson River.
Fee: $320, Deposit: $80
 Reservations

After a busy time!

Back in the office after three weeks away (EYE, Senior High and VACATION!).  We are working towards Junior High and Sleep Away camps.  Junior High looks OK but we could really use some more slots filled at Sleep Away.  Don't forget you can register online at WWW.EYouthWNY.org.  Just go to the Camps page and you'll find everything you need.


Also important to note that my cell phone number is changing.  The old number 432 1946 will go off line in the very near future.  The new number is 320 0733 (area code 716 ).  You can use it starting immediately for phone and texts.

I will be bouncing around this week quite a bit.  I'll be in Buffalo twice this week (Tu and Th) so that new phone number will be important!

Senior High Conference Day Five

Last day of our program here at LCLC.  It has gone wonderfully well and the camp has been a wonderful place for us.  So I was very happy when it was agreed to continue our relationship!  We WILL be back at LCLC for Senior High Conference in 2012 this same week (June 24-30)!  Get that date on your calendars today.

It was a sad day too because we had several more members of our community have to go home.  Sarah V departed on Wednesday so she could attend a gymnastics competition.  Today Kelsey left just before lunch, then Sasynda left after lunch and we said goodbye to Mother Ellen and our music leader Chuck in the afternoon.  It was a rather quiet afternoon and evening here.  To ease our pain from the departure of our friends we all went sailing!

 

Even though it's the last day our class schedule continued. The schedule itself got juggled because of various people leaving. So the Eucharist was right after breakfast instead of just before lunch and Fr. Ethan folded his last chaplain's time into the service as well. Then Mother Ellen and Liz swapped slots with Liz moving to the morning for the Food Pantry Simulation. In the video we asked a couple of the youth to describe the family situation their character had to deal with.

Later in the day we completed the traditions of Senior High Conference with a special event.  Jello Snarfing.  This is an annual and quite messy tradition that involves eating bowls of Jello just as quickly as you can without touching them.  This involves a coach who moves the bowls into range.   Our champion this year was Seth G who consumed three bowls in just 28 seconds.  The resident LCLC Lutheran champion was available and a challenge was issued.  He begged off claiming he had to do some worship leadership for the camp staff.  We have extended the challenge to next summer.

Our day wound down quietly as per usual and we'll get up tomorrow, grab breakfast, pack and then quite reluctantly say good bye.  It's been a great week and everyone is excited about coming back next year.  There are still more things to explore here at LCLC that we didn't get around to.

See you in 2011!

Senior High Conference 2011

Our official photos:

And official silly photo:

Senior High Conference Day Four!

After a very windy, cloudy and chilly Wednesday we got all the beauty of Lake Chautauqua and LCLC lined up for us today!  The day could not have been more beautiful.  This is looking down the hill past St. John's Dining Hall where we eat all our meals.  Directly across the lake from us is Chautauqua Institution and in moments of stillness you can hear the Miller Bell Tower chime.

On the teaching side it was Team Brauza - Liz and Mother Ellen will do the teaching for the end of the week.  Liz is leading another "real life" exercise, this year it's a food pantry simulation.  The youth are given "families" of various sizes and with various circumstances and have to figure out how to feed and clothe those family members.  Inevitably one of the conference members will ask if life is really like this.  To which, sadly, we have to say "No, it's actually a lot HARDER than this".

Meanwhile Mother Ellen is leading the class on issues of sex and sexuality out under the trees where it is traditionally held.  This year LCLC offers more than the usual number of places for class.  This is a great little circle of chairs in the grove just outside our front door.

Of course Thursday night is the Dance Night.  And as usual some very impressive threads were brought out for the event.  I'm not sure LCLC is used to having things rock out quite that much but a great time was had by all.

EYE coverage from Episcopal News Service

Episcopal Youth enriched and empowered for mission

Great story by Joe Bjordal (who was there virtually the entire time) from Episcopal News Service (ENS) about EYE

That's Bishop Brian Prior of the Episcopal Church in Minnesota (do NOT say Diocese of..., trust me on that) doing a blessing of the Habitat for Humanity house that EYE helped to build.  It's designed to have a minimal carbon foot print and in fact should generate more electricity than it uses.  Yes, that's also a bagpiper up there too.  All of EYE was supposed to be there for the blessing but we had to cross a road to get from the campus to the work site.  The local authorities said that when 1,000 people cross a road it's a parade which require permits and two weeks notice.  So only the bishops and two youth reps from each diocese were there.  The rest of us saw it on video delay.

Senior High Conference Videos

Kelsey gives us lesson in torch singing.  What a performance! (Talent Show 2011)













Sarah does a great job with her dance routine.
(Talent Show 2011)

Worship time at Senior High (and yes, the audio is low)

Senior High Conference Day Three!

Today was a slightly different day from our routine.  A couple years ago we added a service project aspect to the program.  So none of our usual class time.  Bishop Bill had to turn into Bishop Franklin to go back to the "real world".  He led a special morning worship and thanked the conference for their time and energy and input.  He appears to have had a great time and is talking about coming back for as long as possible starting next year.


We did have our time with the chaplain, Father Ethan.  It was a little tough this morning because the conference has hit the mid-week doldrums.  We had so much fun the last couple days our tails were dragging this morning.  But Fr. Ethan did a great job talking about covenants this morning.

One of the traditions of the conference over the last  five or six years has been rubber duckies at the Kinda Sorta Beach party.  This year, in line with our theme of  "A New Thing" we got baby rubber ducks!  Bishop Bill got the first of what we hope is many, many duckies.  We also gave one to Lee Lindeman the director here at Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center as a thank you for the great reception we've gotten this summer.

 

The big portion of our day was spent at St. Lukes in Jamestown.  We helped them clean out their boiler room, re-organize part of their youth rooms upstairs at the parish house, move some pews in the chancel, and pull some weeds around the Thrift Shop as well.  Then Fr. Eric Williams from St Luke's took the conference out for some coffee and smoothies at a local coffee shop across the street from the church.  We worked hard and had a good time!


Tonight is a presentation from Youth Commission, then the Talent Show.  Then I think we'll all be ready for bed!

Matthew and Quinn doing a comedy piece

Kelsey and Jeff duet

August with a tune he wrote himself

I'll try and get some video up tomorrow!

Senior High Conference Day Two

Got off to a worrisome start with clouds and cool temperatures.  Then it got worse when it started to rain.  However during worship we were singing about the shining sun and whaddya know?  Out came the sun!

Of course class time is a big part of our routine at Senior High.  Casual, relaxed times with the teaching staff discussing a wide variety of topics.  This summer is our first with Bishop Bill (sadly this whole bishop thing is dragging him away from camp after only 2 1/2 days).  He opened his first class time by learning more about the recently ended EYE (Episcopal Youth Event).  If you haven't heard yet the EYE delegation had enormous adventures when severe weather re-routed their flights both to and from Minnesota.  The trip out took 29 hours and involved stops in 5 airports.  Bishop has never been to an EYE and was very interested in the experience.

 In today's class he spoke with the conference about the issue of the state of New York recently passing a Marriage Equality bill.  This is the first of a series of meetings on his schedule this week that will bring the input from a diverse group of people from our diocese.  He then segued the conversation into a larger discussion of the role and duties of a bishop.  Along the way he talked about the symbols of the office and gave the conference a chance to see his pectoral cross, miter, episcopal ring and crozier up close.

 While it was very calm in our protected little portion of LCLC (the retreat center is surrounded by trees) the wind was pretty ferocious today so sailing was called off.  We did get some swimming in.  You can see what a beautiful day it was on Lake Chautauqua and kind of see the big waves the wind was creating.  The water was comfortable once you got in.

Our evening activity was the "Kinda-Sorta Beach Party".  We played music, had a game of Apples to Apples that included almost the entire conference and then sang songs and told ghost stories around the campfire.  We even decided to do Compline (from memory!) at the campfire too.  It was a great end to a great day.

Senior High Conference Day One

We had a great first full day!  Father Ethan Cole is our chaplain and is leading us through our theme "A New Thing" and our worship schedule as well (morning prayer, midday Eucharist and Compline).  Our classes on Monday and Tuesday are with Father John Paul Boyer and Bishop Franklin.

Lots of frisbee being played, KanJam, Ladder ball.  We went sailing yesterday too!  Turns out a lot of the conference wanted to be on boats so we had two catamarans on the water and a bunch of kayaks as well.  A good time was had by all, including Bishop Bill.  The more distant sail seen in the photo at right has him on it.

Our music leader Chuck Basil is working with the youth to on the music and they brought him one that they love.  So here they are working on an arrangement for piano and four guitars.

We ended the day with a little excitement as a bat came to join us but that was resolved very quickly and we all fell asleep.

More to come!