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2009 ELCA
Youth Gathering E-News |
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This is probably the
last E-News you'll receive before the Gathering. Our apologies if you receive duplicates of this particular E-News. It is being sent to both the general E-News list and the list of adult leaders that have been receiving the Getting Ready resource e-mails. |
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Some items for your last minute check-list: |
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 Don't forget
to bring these forms |
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Make sure you have copies of the
following forms with you before you head to New Orleans:
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Your
Final Registration Confirmation letter |
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There's
important information in there! Go to your
online Congregational Registration Record, scroll down to
your Final Confirmation Letter, and print the document. The
Final Confirmation Letter contains your group's ServantLife
assignment and other important information. You'll need to bring
this document with you for on-site registration in New Orleans.
Your Confirmation Letter contains:
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Send
us some video clips and photos |
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| We invite
you to send us the following "scripted" video clips and photos...
right away. If your group is interested, we need videos or
photos for: 1. Shout Out videos: We want to show youth group video clips to introduce the live Web broadcasts and to use on the big screens. You can use either of the following simple scripts for your video clip:
2. Photos: Send us any and all photos of your group's preparation for the Gathering (preparation, fund raisers, prayer time, group photo, meetings, Bible study, commissioning service, etc.). The photos must be tagged or identified with:
Bring your photos and videos to our Media Booth in the Interaction Center any time it is open. All video and photo material can also be emailed to media@elca-gathering.org . |
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Donate
musical instruments |
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| Tipitina's
is the New Orleans foundation that will be accepting musical
instrument donations during the Gathering. Congregations can bring
used (or new) musical instruments and drop them off at Tipitina's
office located at: Tipitina's,
4040 Tulane Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70119. Ph: 504-309-7934 Mark Fowler is the foundation's Co-op staff that serves as the Gathering's contact person. He has indicated that donors will be welcomed into the storage area by other staff, who will open a gate for them to enter. For more information go to Tipitina's Web site http://tipitinasfoundation.org/ |
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Join
us on Twitter and Facebook |
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| Have you joined the Gathering Facebook Group? Lots of great sharing going on there! While you're at it, why not follow us on Twitter? @JJJ09 (attendees info) and @elcayouth (home team). | |
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Become a Servant Companion volunteer |
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| Servant Companion registration closes Sunday night, July 12th. There's still time to apply online! Click here. (You must be at least 20 years of age to be Servant Companion volunteer.) | |
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3 Gathering
offering opportunities |
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Do you need a tax receipt for your offering? If you would like to receive a tax receipt letter for your offering, simply write a check and make sure your name and address are on the check. You can also pick up an envelope during Gathering registration in the Convention Center, 2nd floor lobby. Fill in the information completely and place your check and cash offerings inside the envelope. Bring your offering envelope to Sunday morning worship and add it to the offering that will be collected. |
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Be
ready for rain |
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| The heat and humidity in New Orleans gives rise to thunder showers most afternoons -- a normal summer weather pattern. They blow over as fast as they develop, and are mostly annoying and not dangerous. Come prepared with umbrellas, rain ponchos, or rain jackets if you don't want to get wet. | |
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The
Gathering InfoLine number:
1-888-411-3522 |
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| Help is just a toll-free call away when you get to New Orleans. The Gathering InfoLine at 1-888-411-3522 is staffed 24/7 during the Gathering, MYLE, and DAYLE. If you have questions, concerns, encounter a problem, experience an emergency, need assistance, etc., give us a call at 1-888-411-3522. | |
| The rhythm of New Orleans | |
| Last week I
made my final trip to New Orleans before heading down for the
Gathering. I stayed at a hotel I’ve stayed at a few times because it
is reasonably priced. The first time I stayed at this hotel, I
called my colleague Donna after checking in. Donna has negotiated
the contracts with all 75 of our hotels, and she knows them well.
“There were three of us standing at the front desk,” I reported to
Donna, “and the one staff person behind the desk was ignoring all of
us, busying herself with something. How rude.”
When the front desk clerk finally acknowledged us, I let one of the gentlemen go before me. The other man just wanted to buy a stamp. The front desk clerk took his change and went behind a door to get the stamp. There we were, left to make conversation while she, seemingly, took her sweet time. It felt like she was gone forever. I looked over at the gentleman and probably rolled my eyes and snorted some kind of disgust. He then said to me, “I used to get all worked up like that until I accepted that this was ‘The Big Easy.’ They have their own pace down here.” His candor was enough to help me take a deep breath, and become present to the human being who was standing beside me. This was an opportunity for me to learn a bit about him and tell him about the Gathering, about the service and ministry Lutheran youth would be doing here. Some may call that evangelism, but what I know is that when we finally departed I felt like I had made a new friend. We greeted each other at breakfast the next morning -- like friends. Had I checked into my room as I expected, I wouldn’t have met this man, and I also wouldn’t have experienced the beautiful (yet sometimes frustrating) rhythm of New Orleans. I could have been equally as frustrated last weekend as I stood at the front desk waiting to get someone’s attention. In fact, I reached for my phone and was ready to call Donna again, and then I remembered my new friend inviting me to take a deep breath and enter into the rhythm of New Orleans. I literally had to take a breath and settle down physically and mentally. I invite you to do the same. You can make it your spiritual practice to slow down, to adopt a new rhythm. This new rhythm is one of the many gifts that New Orleans can teach us, and the church. This is a place that is shaped by a complex variety of cultures, and they have learned -- because they took the time to relate to each other -- that it is important to understand the people and cultures of a place. God just might be hidden in these experiences and people. We just have to pay attention!
See you in New Orleans!
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 Order Jesus Justice Jazz communion ware This communion ware was created especially for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering. Pre-order your set now. Pick your set up following closing worship on July 26. If you prefer, Old Lutheran will ship it to you after the Gathering (shipping fee added). |
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You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering E-News. Unsubscribe from this list and stop receiving further Gathering E-News. For general questions contact the ELCA Youth Gathering office at gathering@elca.org or 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2100.
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