STL Pre-Gathering Event "Jazz" (6/28)

The STL coordinators for the Gathering planned three area-wide events, named "Jesus", "Justice", and "Jazz."  We missed the first two because of scheduling conflicts.  The third one we're all planning to attend.

The specs:

• Date/Time:   Sunday 6/28, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm
• Place:  Unity Lutheran in Bel Nor, 8454 Glen Echo Dr, Bel Nor, MO 63121
• Who's invited?  Youth and adults... that includes all parents (even if not chaperones!)
• Agenda:  Cajun style dinner, making a MSLC-Youth Banner (that's Metro St. Louis Coalition Youth), swaps, Cajun are projects, and if you bring your instruments, you can have a jam session with a jazz pianist, followed by worship.
• Cost:  $3 / person
• I need to have a final headcount by 6/14 (our pool party) so I can meet the RSVP deadline of 6/15.

Gathering Prep: Pool Party (6/14)

From the Backyard Bonfire to the Pool Party, our group certainly loves alliteration...

The second summer planning event will be a Pool Party!

• Sunday 6/14 -- 2:00 - 5:00 pm
• At Ted and Emmy Meiners' house, 6235 Waterman, University City.  (It's right up the block from Karl and Lilly's house.)
• Will focus on Covenant Planning
• Will get final head count for the STL-area (MSLC-Youth) "Jazz" Event on 6/28

Our Covenant Planning...

Pastor Todd will be leading our Covenant discussion at the Pool Party.

He will provide a starter covenant, some of the major topics to consider for group discussion and approval, and the enthusiasm to drive us to a final draft of the covenant.

What is a covenant?  As Lilly pointed out at the Backyard Bonfire, it's a promise.  Just as God promised us new life in Christ, we will make promises to each other as we journey to New Orleans and back.  It will include what we will do for each other -- on the bus, in New Orleans, at the Gathering, in the hotel -- like always travel in threes, be respectful and so on.  It will also include what we promise not to do to each other, like not keeping someone up late who prefers to go to sleep on the early side.

Eventually we'll post our Covenant to another entry on this site.

Decisions about Food/Budget

One of the myths about Lutherans is that whenever they gather they have good food.  And all myths are grounded in some truth...

Here's a rundown of the meals during our trip, and whether we're bringing our own, buying onsite, etc.:

• Tue 7/21 -- Breakfast: before/during the bus ride -- Each person to bring their own
• Tue 7/21 -- Lunch:  Stierholz-Websters to provide individual lunches for bus ride, in coolers
• Tue 7/21 -- Dinner:  Fast food on the way to New Orleans

• Wed 7/22 -- Breakfast:  eat what we bring, or try the hotel-supplied breakfast for variety, quality and most importantly speed of service.  [Sherman will be in the pre-registration line getting our Gathering packets]
  
• Wed 7/22 -- Lunch:  bringing our own lunch in coolers for our trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast
• Wed 7/22 -- Dinner:  Mulate's Restaurant for authentic Cajun cuisine and entertainment

• Thu/Fri/Sat  7/23-7/25 -- Breakfast:  eat what we bring, or the hotel-supplied breakfast
• Thu/Fri/Sat  7/23-7/25 -- Lunch:  grab lunch onsite at/near Gathering events.  For the one day of our Servant Project, lunches from Subway Restaurant will be supplied.  (In case you're wondering, the owner of Subway hails from New Orleans.)
  
• Thu/Fri/Sat  7/23-7/25 -- Dinner:  grab dinner onsite at/near Gathering events.

• Sun 7/26 -- Breakfast: eat what we bring, or the hotel-supplied breakfast
• Sun 7/26 -- Lunch:  will be supplied to us for the return bus trip as part of the STL bus contingent (we've already paid for this)
• Sun 7/26 -- Dinner:  fast food restaurant

Other notes:

• I'm pretty sure we said we would buy cereal, milk and other breakfast stuff in STL to bring down to New Orleans. 
  
• Stierholz-Websters will prepare lunch for our outbound bus trip AND will buy lunch supplies for our Wednesday lunch, if we give them a shopping list.  (Probably the easiest thing is double up whatever they buy for the Tuesday lunch.)
• Snacks (for the bus ride, hotel life and day trips) are to be brought by each individual.
• Everyone should bring their own water bottle / canteen for the trip.

We're scheduled to return Sunday night / Monday morning around 2:00 AM.

Bethel NYG 6/3 Update (Post Backyard Bonfire)

Although Pastor Rebecca took notes, she's been really busy prepping for and attending the Synod Assembly... so I've cobbled together what I can from my hazy memory from our Backyard Bonfire (5/31).  Here are the high points:

1. Next Bethel Youth event is the Pool Party, followed by the STL-Area Pre-Gathering event called "Jazz."  You can always see the latest Bethel Youth Schedule at Upcoming Bethel Youth meetings
2. We made decisions about food/budget.  Each person is to bring their breakfast for Tuesday 7/21, the Stierholz-Webster family will pack lunches for the 7/21 bus ride and purchase lunch supplies for the Wednesday 7/22 day trip to Mississippi.  We'll also bring our own breakfast supplies as a group.  More details are at Decisions about food/budget
3. We need to draft and finalize a group Covenant for the Gathering and for the bus.  More details about our planning are at Covenant Planning for the Gathering

Even though I hit the high points above, please be sure to traverse all the above links for details.

*** Update!  We have some fine marshmallow roasting devices left over at our house.  We also have some leftover tupperware.  Please help us reunite these wayward kitchen thingies!

The List of Lists...

We're officially about two months from the Gathering, and our planning will kick into high gear at a Backyard Bonfire on 5/31.

This blog entry is a brainstorm (or perhaps simply a brain dump) of ideas, tasks and concerns prior to leaving for New Orleans.

1. Communications -- The primary means for conveying information is at this blog site.
2. Notifications -- The primary means for informing folks about new information is by email and Facebook email.  The content of those emails should be recorded at this blog site.
3. Meetings and Scheduling-- We'll need to have several in-person get-togethers as we prepare for the Gathering itself.  While there will always be 'logistics' to take care of, we'll make sure there's lot of fun stuff at our get-togethers.
4. The 'Logistics' --  The most important part of our logistics is our study of scriptures and the other lessons from the Gathering's preparation guides.
5. Forms and Legal Stuff -- Another big part of our preparation are the forms required for our trip.  There's one for Bethel (for anyone traveling as part of a Bethel activity), and two from the Gathering (one is for medical emergencies, the other is for photo/video release of your image for official ELCA Youth Gathering publications)
6. The Costs -- We're in pretty good shape for the big bills (registration, hotel, bus costs), but there are quite a few details regarding food...
7. Food/Meals -- We can save a lot of time and money by bringing ice chests of groceries for meals and snacks.  In fact, there are at least a couple of occasions on the bus where we're expected to bring our own meals.  More details about this during our planning... 
8. Planning -- We'll be away for less than a week, and that time will fly by like the blink of an eye.  The better we plan for it, the deeper our experience will be.  Please note the emphasis on we/our:  everyone is expected to take ownership in the planning.  Our Gathering experience breaks down into three distinct phases:

• Traveling to and Getting Settled in New Orleans -- this includes a stop at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis on Tuesday, Wednesday's trip to the Mississippi Gulf and then dinner at Mulatte's in New Orleans.
• The Gathering Proper -- Three full days (Thu/Fri/Sat) of programs and events, bookended by Opening Worship on Wednesday evening and Closing Worship on Sunday morning
• Return Travel -- Immediately after the Closing Worship, we'll board our buses and head back to STL in a mostly straight shot.

Miscellaneous Items:

1. Bethel Youth are to bring DVDs for our bus (shared with 3 other congregations).
2. Bethel Youth are to think of at least one activity for the entire bus to do.
3. Bethel Youth are to consider having one activity with the St. Mark's Youth Group.
4. What cereals/sandwiches/drinks/snacks do people like?
5. Who wants to do the shopping and/or meal preparation?
6. And much, much more...

Summer Gathering Schedule

Here's a list of Gathering dates... please keep this post bookmarked.  Bold-faced means confirmed:

• Sun 5/31, 7:30 -- Bonfire at the Lees house
  
• Sun 6/14, 2:00-5:00 -- Pool Party
• Sun (6/28) -- STL-area youth get-together at Unity Bel-Nor
• Sat (7/11) -- Canoe Trip?
• Sun (7/19) -- Auto Baptism Car Wash and Lemonade Stand Fundraiser

• Tue (7/21) 5:45 AM -- Participants meet at Hope-St. Charles for bus for Gathering
  
• Mon (7/27) 1:30 AM -- Participants return from Gathering