Welcome to the latest issue of your number one source for all things regarding Virginia Synod ELCA Youth and Young Adult Ministry! 5PF VOLUME TWO ISSUE NINE will magically appear in your inbox on Nov. 22, which is also the first day of Lost and Found! Thanks to all for reading 5PF and if you need to unsubscribe, do NOT hit the tiny unsubscribe button at the bottom! Instead, send a request to our circulation department at delaney@vasynod.org.

In the spirit of Reformation season, last week's Random Debate was "What is your favorite thing to nail to your door?" Coming in with 18%, a sign that says "Bless This Mess" might be the perfect thing to welcome in some playful chaos! Taking after good ol' Luther, 32% of our readers say obviously the 95 Theses are the best thing to nail on the door! But with 49% of the votes, a festive wreath - one for every season or holiday - wins our debate!

Sometimes, the things around us can feel chaotic and out of control. This week's Random Debate is centered around how we feel peace. Peace can feel different for everyone; sometimes it can be having your favorite ice cream or going on a hike, and sometimes it can feel like a hug after a long day. As with *every* Random Debate, there are no wrong answers! What are some of the ways you like to feel peace?

THIS WEEK'S RANDOM DEBATE:

How do you feel peace?

Getting outside to just be in nature

Some form of art: music, painting, cooking, etc.

Being with the people I love

Other

The 5 Petals for Vol. 2 Issue 8 of 5PF:

There is still time (and plenty of space!) to register for

Lost and Found 2024 !

LOST AND FOUND is the name of our weekend faith-sharing retreat for Virginia Synod 7th and 8th graders and the adults who attend with them. It goes from Friday evening to Sunday noon at Eagle Eyrie retreat center in Lynchburg and includes lots of friend-making, song-singing, small-grouping, fun-having, and talent-sharing, and we're sure that's not even the whole list! Starting Nov. 11, please contact event director Dave Delaney (delaney@vasynod.org; c: 540-529-6893) before registering to make sure we have room and supplies.

Here is the link to the Lost and Found webpage (for full info and registration instructions) at the Virginia Synod website.

And here is the link directly to the video that shows a little more about Lost and Found.

And AND here is the direct link to a video tour of Eagle Eyrie, where L&F is held!

Reminders & Announcements

>>> CONGREGATIONAL AND YOUTH LEADERS! PLEASE HELP SAVE OUR SYNOD STAFF SOME SOME TIME BY RESPONDING TO THIS SURVEY (via scanning the code to the right or clicking on this site link.) It's just a quick form to let Synod Youth Ministry leaders know who is the best contact person in your congregation to receive information about Virginia Synod Youth Ministry.

(If you have more than one person, you can do the survey more than once!)

>>> FOR ADULTS WHO PLAN TO BE GROUP LEADERS AT SYNOD YOUTH EVENTS!

Here are links to the essential 2024-2025 forms:

>Cover letter for adults who will be leading at 2024-2025 Synod Youth events

>2024-2025 Opportunities for adults to serve as Small Group leaders at youth events

>Small Group Leader Information Sheet (2024-2025)

>Permission to Conduct a Background Check Form

>What it Means to be an Adult at Youth Events

>>>Winter Celebration Registration is Open!

It's just a little more than a month until the Dec. 16 early registration discount deadline for Winter Celebration, our annual weekend gathering for Virginia Synod 9th through 12th graders and their adult advisors. If you are new to youth events, this is the perfect place to start! Large Group and Small Group experiences with lots of worship, singing, and faith sharing. There is also a big chunk of free time on Saturday when we have our “Open Mic / Talent Show” and time late in the evening to relax and talk with the other youth and adults from your congregation.

Click Here for complete information and links to registration!

VINTAGE T-SHIRTS FOR SALE AT OUR YOUTH EVENTS!

We always have a few shirts left over at the end of every youth event, and over the years we have sent more than 100 of those to our global ministry partners in Africa, Papua New Guinea, and Central America, but we also make them available for sale at Lost and Found, Winter Celebration, Youth Assembly, and Kairos! In general they are just $5 each, but some are on sale for even less! If you're on your way to any of these events this year, bring a little extra cash and take advantage of this chance to represent Virginia Synod Youth Ministry!

The 2025 Synod Assembly and Youth Assembly will be June 13-15, 2025 at Roanoke College.

The annual Virginia Synod Youth Assembly gathers youth in grades 7-12 to learn about and contribute to the life of the church beyond their congregations as well as elect the next year's Lutheran Youth Organization Board, the group that oversees Synod Youth Ministry. It is a rare opportunity to converse with leaders from the Virginia Synod as well as our churchwide offices. It happens at the same time as the Synod Assembly, which includes clergy and lay voting members from every congregation in the Synod. Generally each congregation can send 2-3 youth to the Youth Assembly.

The exact schedule for this event is not fixed yet (it will be either one or two overnights, but the weekend and the location are set. PLEASE PUT THIS ON YOUR CONGREGATION'S CALENDAR, BEGIN THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOUTH MIGHT BE GOOD ATTENDEES, AND PLAN TO INCLUDE COSTS FOR THIS IN YOUR 2025 CONGREGATIONAL BUDGET! (plan for about $285 per participant)

"What Would You Do?"

As congregations work to provide the best possible support for adults who work with youth, the leaders at Safe Gatherings (one of our Virginia Synod partner organizations) have produced a useful video that can be viewed in just a couple of minutes. It encourages adult leaders to think ahead when planning an event or a trip with youth, and to do so without adding unnecessary anxiety. In fact, having plans for the most common of emergencies or unexpected situations - contingencies that everyone on the team knows about - is one of the best ways to generate trust and reduce anxiety for the congregation's youth ministry events.

Safe Gatherings provides many other resources that are available to our congregations because of our synodical partnership. Find more information under the youth ministry link at our synod website.

Keep up with all things VA Synod Youth and Young Adult Ministry by following us on Instagram and liking our Facebook page! Snapshots of each edition of 5PF will be posted there on publication day!

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To provide feedback ... ask questions ... obtain more info on any of this ... contact Dave Delaney, Virginia Synod Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries: delaney@vasynod.org