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Youth Nexus Helps Students Explore Faith Issues
CHICAGO, IL (July 23, 2004) - A dozen Evangelical Covenant Church high school
students and their youth pastors had the opportunity to consider their
Christian faith in a new way, thanks to a first-ever event offered by
North Park Theological Seminary and funded through a Lilly Endowment grant.
This week's Youth Nexus was part of the seminary's Making Connections
initiative, an effort to communicate North Park's ministry vision to
church communities around North America. Students were chosen by their
youth pastors as potential ministry leaders of the future. They received
instruction from seminary professors on various topics, participated in
service projects and experienced Chicago cuisine and the city's unique
culture during free time.
Students and youth pastors included:
- Kelsey Neil and Eric Johnson of Oak Hills Covenant Church in Vista,
California
- Sarah Ladew and Bruce Baehr of Grace Evangelical Covenant Church in
Clay, New York
- Thomas Kenyon and Sara Hammersborg of Harvard Evangelical Covenant
Church in Tacoma, Washington
- Hart Olson and Drew McFarland of the Evangelical Covenant Church in
Moose Lake, Minnesota
- Melissa McBride and Eran Wade of Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant
Church in Chicago, Illinois
- Mike Bergstrom and Jeffrey Keyser of Community Covenant Church in
Eagle River, Alaska
- Ariana Easterly and Charissa Carroll of Emerald City Bible
Fellowship in Seattle, Washington
- Kristin Stevens and Dave Ahrens of First Covenant Church in
Rockford, Illinois
- Matthew Peterson and Evan Dewald of Hope Community Covenant Church
in Strathmore, Alberta
- Chris Malbraaten and Randy McKain of the Evangelical Covenant Church
in Bemidji, Minnesota
- Aaron McCain and Terance Gadsden of The House in Chicago, Illinois
Each day of Youth Nexus was marked by a different theme, which directed
the events that took place. Five North Park Theological Seminary
professors agreed to lead morning seminars, including John Weborg (The
Spiritual Journey), Paul Koptak (Wisdom for Life), Kazi Joshua
(Justice), Mary Chase-Ziolek (Body and Spirit), and Todd Johnson
(Community and Communion).
Following lunch, participants engaged in service projects designed to
help them reflect upon, and to put into action, what they learned each
morning. Students and youth pastors were given time to dialogue about
the issues with which they were grappling and North Park provided four
counselors –- Tyler Erickson, Carolyn Poterek, Angie Wysocki and Gavin
Dluehosh - to provide assistance and insight when needed.
Each day, participants had an opportunity to eat dinner at one of many
inner-city neighborhood ethnic restaurants in Chicago. North Park also
tried to give the group a
host of "only in Chicago" experiences. For example, on Wednesday the
team went to the Cook County jail for a service project and then headed
to the Great America amusement
park in nearby Gurnee.
To learn more about Youth Nexus, call North Park's Center for Youth
Ministry Studies
at 773-244-5207.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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