26
Jul '19
Real. Present. God.
26
Jul '19
by Halle Randall and Ava Blankenship
As we heard from the High School youth on Sunday about their experience in Minneapolis at the 2019 National Youth Gathering, we know they had a great time. Lots of fun was had, but most importantly they saw God at work. They learned God is a Real. Present. God. Halle Randall, a leader for our youth at NYG and Ava Blankenship, a High School youth, share with us some of their personal experiences and take-away from the event.
Halle’s account:
The 2019 National Youth Gathering was uplifting, refreshing, and eye-opening. Every time I attend a gathering, I am always blown away by how many people are there for the same purpose. It was much different than past gatherings I have attended in that we had to travel much farther to get to the Mass Event and Convention Center. Minneapolis is a much smaller city, so it seemed a little cramped at times for so many people. However, the message of Real. Present. God. could not have been better portrayed. The speakers did an amazing job of getting this message across by using the Psalms as a tool to do so. It was different for me to be on the adult leader end rather than the participant or volunteer end, but I loved watching the kids and listening to their takes on different topics and speakers throughout the week. The NYG was different than I expected, but different was a good thing.
Events like these will always be worth my time and money. Not only am I giving my time to these kids to make sure that they have a great experience, but I feel as though this is also me giving my time to God. I definitely grew in my faith throughout the six days of the gathering, and I look at it as a time of prayer and presence. It is the perfect break from the craziness of everyday life to remind yourself to slow down and be with God. Each gathering I have attended has had a positive effect on my faith, so that makes it a great use of both money and time.
My takeaway from the gathering was that you never know what a person is going through, and that was obvious even just within our small group. But God is ever present through it all both at your highest high and your lowest low. I have always known this, but it was great to hear it and feel it be reaffirmed throughout the week of the NYG. I am so glad I got to spend this time with the kids and other adults in our group, and again I am just so thankful to Zion for giving me a church home. I am looking forward to what the 2022 gathering in Houston will bring!
Ava’s account:
I had an amazing experience at the National Youth Gathering. It was cool to visit the city of Minneapolis and get to try new restaurants, meet some locals and see the city.
While in Minneapolis there were a few instances where we got to see the gathering theme Real. Present. God. firsthand. One instance that particularly stood out to me took place on the lite rail. It was around midnight and we were headed back to our hotel. A homeless man entered the train and started to get overwhelmed by the hundreds of people crammed on the train. A lady attending the gathering knelt down and prayed with him. It was amazing to see God’s presence through His people. The gathering taught me about our Real. Present. God. through speakers, breakout sessions, and firsthand experiences.
Another thing I loved about the gathering was getting closer to my fellow youth. My favorite memory was one night after dinner we had leftover tater tots. We approached other youth groups, offering them tater tots if they answered a question correctly. We decided to ask them, “What is the capital of Ohio?”. People struggled to find the answer, but it was fun to interact with people from around the country – people I typically wouldn’t get the chance to talk to.
All in all I loved going to NYG and can’t wait to attend the 2022. NYG in Houston!
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10
Jul '19
Looking Forward to the National Youth Gathering
10
Jul '19
by Halle Randall and Ava Blankenship
After months of preparation, the 2019 LCMS National Youth Gathering (NYG) will be in full swing tomorrow night. NYG provides thousands of youth and adults the opportunity to come together as a community of God’s people to learn more about Jesus Christ, the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity. Our youth and leaders will meet at the airport at 7 a.m. for their flight to Minneapolis, where they will spend the next six days together. Two of our own who will be attending, Halle Randall & Ava Blankenship, each took a few minutes to share some thoughts about their expectations. While they each have varying perspectives, one being a leader and one a student, both have made some sacrifices in order to attend and both are looking forward to the upcoming trip.
This is not the first time Halle has been to NYG. She says, “I am so excited and blessed to be attending the 2019 NYG with Zion. Zion has been such a light to my life ever since I moved to Cincinnati from Akron. I have been a member of Redeemer back home since I was born, so switching my membership to a new church was a big step for me. However, Zion has filled the need for a good church in my life, and I am so thankful for that. I jumped right in volunteering with the youth because that is something I have always been passionate about. Even when I was a youth myself, I was very involved in my church and youth group. I knew that this year was a NYG year, so I applied to be a chaperone and I was ecstatic when I got a spot as an adult leader. I have been to the last three NYG’s (two as a participant and one as a YAV), so it was important to me that I go to this one in some capacity. I cannot wait to experience the growth in faith that I know will take place in the students, other chaperones, and myself as well. There is just something about being together with so many people of the same faith worshiping the same God that makes a person overwhelmed with joy, adoration, and awe.”
Halle views this as an opportunity to build on her relationships. She says, “I am looking forward to being with the kids and getting to know each of them better. I know a few of them well, but most of them I have only met a handful of times. I am a big people person, so getting to know new people is one of my favorite things. I am also looking forward to the mass events. They are held each night of the gathering, and we get to sing, listen to amazing speakers, and connect with each other. They always stand out to me the most from each gathering I have attended.”
Ava is also excited to attend NYG. She explains, “I’m so excited to go to NYG and get closer to my peers and grow in my faith. I know others who have gone to previous gatherings; they have said being together with fellow believers around your age and worshipping together is an extremely empowering experience.”
Saying you want to attend NYG may be easier said than done. Halle explains, “Being able to attend the gathering was quite a process for me. This year, I am an AmeriCorps Member at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. I serve in Public Programs in the Education Department. When I told me supervisors that I would be attending the NYG back in January, they were very reluctant to let me take time off in the heart of summer camp season. That is our busy time of year, and most people are not able to take time off then. They did not approve my time off request form until mid-May, which was stressful considering I was the primary adult leader. I was relieved when my supervisors finally approved my trip, and even though I will miss the craziness of summer camp, I am so excited to be heading to Minnesota with a great group of people for an experience of a lifetime.”
Ava too had some commitments that conflicted with NYG. She explains that her decision to attend NYG did not come easily. She says, “Going to the National Youth Gathering is very important to me. When I was younger, I heard about how older youth had attended NYG, so I have always wanted to go. The gathering only happens every three years, and as an incoming Freshman I know I will be a Senior the next NYG. I know that Senior year may bring with it other conflicts and I may not be able to go. It is important to me to go now – even if it means giving up things like pre-season soccer and it costs a lot of money, that my parents made me earn to pay for the trip.“
For the next six days, as Halle, Ava and the other leaders and youth from Zion and St. John’s come together with thousand from across the country in fellowship, service, worship and time in God’s word, we ask that you pray for them. Prayers are needed – for safe travels, for growing faith, for fun, for fellowship and for blessings of this event.
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02
Jul '19
God’s Intervention in My Life
02
Jul '19
by Jerry Porter
Back in 1962, I was stationed in Birkenfeld, Germany at the 2133 Communication Squadron while in the US Air Force. Like many other Young soldiers I was now on my own for the first time. Being over 21, I could enjoy the nightlife offered by the German people. It became a regular thing to go out after work each night and enjoy a few “nectar of the god’s.”
When I newly arrived at the station the Commander invited groups of us to his house and asked us different personal questions about where we were from and one question ask us about our faith. Nothing else was said about it. His name was Major Lewis J. Colburn, a benched B52 pilot.
After being there for a few months, our party nights got more frequent. Problems in our jobs began suffering. One day our Commander invited five of us back to his house for supper. He brought up our work and then talked to us about our responsibilities. He mentioned if we had forgotten about our church background and if we had ever gone to the base church services. Somehow the conversation got around to attending a service. He mentioned that perhaps we should try attending. He said he would go with us if we might be interested. We knew he was Jewish so we called his bluff. We met him that weekend, and he did show up. They offered some activities that we could attend. I chose to go and got back to going regularly. I still went out at nights but not as often. Problems at work cleared up and I began attending regularly.
I still think that this little intervention returned me to the Christian base my parents had instilled me.
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