July 9Morning outreach at 2-4 Phoenix area churches; afternoon activities
July 10“
July 11“
July 12Early trip to Tucson; morning outreach at 2-3 churches; afternoon activity; drive through night
July 13Oklahoma City outreach; area rodeo (Cushing); drive through night back to Minnesota
July 14Arrive back at Burnsville by noon
We are asking that those youth groups as well as individuals who would like to participate (newly confirmed to 12th grade as well as leaders) would now get their registration forms filled out and back to their youth leader quite soon, and the forms with one check sent this way thereafter. By mid-February we hope to know where we stand for all trips in regard to numbers and then can let all know as to space availability and final cost - this may be adjusted a bit depending on participant numbers. Since we will be out of town for much of March, we also ask that leaders would confirm all bus registrations by e-mail (send list of names) when teen forms are sent back in order to maintain priority seating.
Please make or send copies of this tri-fold brochure, and the bus registration forms (you may request copies by e-mail if this is not available) for the teens and parents of your church shortly. Let’s set a deadline of January 29 if possible to get them back to the leaders; then Feb. 12 for the forms to be sent to the St. Croix youth committee (address below) along with deposits. Priority will be given to those sent earliest, of course. While we may limit the teen applicants for Phoenix from any one church to twelve initially to allow as many groups as possible to take part with truly mission interested youth, additional teens & leaders may apply. We will try to fit everyone in - or to go with one of the alternate trips.
The snow these days reminds all of the passing of another year according to our God’s plan. But warmer weather and vacations will return soon with another plan in place - service to our God in areas of sunshine and warmth. Let’s be thankful for his granting these continuing opportunities!
Write or call if there are any questions.
Rev. A. Lemke
6781 Redwing Ln., Chanhassen, MN 55317 952-470-6245
Also: Rev. Matt Hennig 651-249-1617
URL for updated article on past & future
mission trips:
For rally information:
St. Croix Youth Committee 2012
Knoxville Rally & Mission outreach: June 26-July 1
Phoenix / Tucson Mission trip: July 6-14
To: St. Croix conf. (& district) youth
leaders, pastors, parents, teens
Tennessee & Seattle 2011 It’s always helpful to look back, to appreciate the travel, service, and strengthening that took place in bible study and working together with Christian friends last summer. But now the time has come to refocus on plans to serve our Lord in 2012 along with a new group of teens from Minnesota, looking to a new travel and service experience among churches and people with W/ELS connec-tions in a different part of our country.
Knoxville This city which will be hosting the 2012 WELS Youth Rally, lies about a day’s drive to the southeast.
Knoxville is in one of the lesser known parts of the synod, but where there is an active and growing presence of WELS churches and schools. The actual destin-ation is the U. of Tennessee, with rally
activities June 27-30. Special service and
educational plans along the way will include quick tours of the Luther Prep (Watertown) and Wis.LutheranCollege (Milwaukee) campuses; then stops at Cincinnati with the options of a morning of outreach work - or tour the nearby famous CreationMuseum. Then on to the rally. A second bus may bypass Cincinnati and go directly to the Knoxville area for a day of outreach, while also checking out the GreatSmokyMts.National Park before or after the rally. Bus cost for the trip will be around $170 (rally registration is separate - $325).
Phoenix A second mission trip option will come two weeks later, July 6-14, and features one bus to the Phoenix / Tucson area for days of helping area churches in their outreach efforts. Sites along the way will include Kearney, NE; Durango, CO; Grand Canyon Nat. Park; Kingman, AZ; sites in Phoenix and Tucson; finally Oklahoma City (& a real country rodeo!) on the way home. Lodging will be at Arizona Lutheran Academy in Phoenix (more details below). Estimated bus cost is $255 depending on the number of registrations and whether we can fill this bus.
Important once again to our planning for these summer mission trips is determining the level of interest on the part of the churches and youth groups from the St. Croix conference (as well as others interested as space permits), to arrive at a final number of buses to reserve. The past “first come” approach will be followed in accepting the registrations received. Teens from outside the St. Croix conf. may apply also, although we hope to work with the various conferences in the district to encourage greater local participation by organizing similar bus trips of their own to Knoxville. If necessary, St. Croix could also add an additional bus or two to its Knoxville plans in order to help out with any overflow, and would keep a special listing for such “out state” participants.
Due to the continuing situation at the border in Mexico, the past cross-border trips from Tucson into Sonora for Spanish speak-ers to assist the Mission to the Children efforts are not in our plans for the foresee-able future. But a new and unique mission experience, working with a special Mormon outreach in Provo, Utah, next summer is being organized separately through TILM (Truth In Love Ministry). Teens are also welcome for this, and encouraged to check out the registration materials to find more details and contact information for the individual leading this effort.
Note, we will not be looking for parent chaperones on these mission / rally trips as in earlier years. True church youth leaders including pastors, vicars and teachers, as well as experienced young adults willing to serve as assistants are desired, preferably on a 1 leader to 6 teens basis, male and female. Since these will be long and somewhat stressful journeys, teens with any significant health issues once again are strongly encouraged to consider a local or regional activity instead. Contact Pastor Lemke if there are any questions on this. Newly confirmed to 12th grade are eligible, with special provision for college or young adult level potential leaders willing to accept training responsibilities. A food cost estimate for on the way may be $50 for the rally trips, probably triple that for Phoenix, with other activity entrance fees perhaps $25 or so. An initial schedule for these mission trips would look something like this:
Knoxville Mission / rally trip planning to
Tennessee and return
June 269:00 am - leave from Burnsville; stops at LPS in Watertown & WLC in Milwaukee; night drive
June 278:00 am – Cincinnati outreach / CreationMuseum (or direct to Knoxville outreach); rally registration
June 28Rally activities
June 29Rally activities
June 30Noon – rally close; load buses, head back to Minnesota (activity stop along the way)
July 1Sunday morning worship on buses; back to Burnsville by 9:00 am
Phoenix Plan for Phoenix /Tucson
mission outreach
July 68:00 am - leave from Burnsville; W. Des Moines; Kearney, NE; drive through night
July 7Durango, CO; Four Corners; MonumentValley; Grand Canyon; Kingman, AZ overnight
July 8Sunday worship & outreach in Kingman; travel to ALA in Phoenix