The 5 Petals for Vol. 1 Issue 6 of 5PF...

Announcements & Reminders

--> Information and forms for adults who will be leaders at Youth Events:

-Opportunities for Small Group Leaders in 2023-2024

-2023-2024 Small Group Leader Information Sheet

-Permission to Conduct a Background Check

-What it means to be a (Young) Adult at a Synod Youth Event

--> REGISTRATION FOR THE ELCA YOUTH MINISTRY EXTRAVAGANZA (aka,"THE E", aka, the annual gathering of adults who work with youth for fellowship, inspiration, and education) - Jan. 18-21, 2024 - IS OPEN! ... and the early bird discount deadline is THIS SUNDAY, Oct. 15! All the necessary information and links for registration are available here. ProTip: If you're planning to take a group to the 2024 Youth Gathering (see below ... like right below), the "E" will give you a chance to become familiar with New Orleans, and you can even sign up for a tour of Gathering sites!

-->WINTER CELEBRATION is our faith-sharing event for 9th-12th graders and the adults who come with them (Feb. 2-4, 2024 at Eagle Eyrie Lynchburg). REGISTRATION is open! Go to this link for all the info and registration instructions or go to www.vasynod.org and click on the Youth Ministry drop down menu.

-->Registration is open for The ELCA triennial Youth Gathering (for youth who have completed grades 8-12 and their adult leaders by next July) in New Orleans, July 16-20, 2024. All the information and materials your congregation needs to register as a group, plus lots of other Gathering info, can be found at elca.org/gathering. Questions can be directed to our "Synod Gathering Champion" Pastor Bob Vogl (RevBobStTim@gmail.com)

--> Our Bishop, The Rev. Dr. Phyllis Milton, will be installed into her office on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 1:00pm at First Presbyterian Church, 249 S. Wayne Ave., Waynesboro VA. Bishop Phyllis is a huge supporter of youth ministry in our Synod, so it would be wonderful to see a whole group of youth supporters there! (Doors open at 11:30 and there will be overflow locations!!)

From time to time, 5PF will feature a mostly harmless interview with one of our favorite Virginia Synod Youth Ministry personalities in our "Focus On ..." series.

This issue, we will be hearing all about Roanoke College Student and Virginia Synod Youth Ministry Staff Assistant Lily Harmison! Click here to read!

What Happens at a Lost and Found or Winter Celebration event?

Our weekend faith-sharing retreats for 7th-8th graders ("Lost and Found") and 9th-12th graders ("Winter Celebration") are more inspiring and more fun than most youth expect until they participate! Two good ways to introduce these events to first-timers include showing the video tour of Eagle Eyrie Conference Center and also reviewing the event schedule that is on the front page of the paper registration forms and in the event information link that's available on the online registration But for first timers, here's some of the feedback we get from participants: "A *lot* more fun than I thought it would be!" ... "Best part: my small group and small group leaders" ... "Gaga ball during free time was awesome!" ... "Love the singing and the songs!" ... "It's super fun!" ... "I am 100% better prepared to be a follower of Jesus Christ!"

An October Reflection

October is a fascinating month for the world, for life, and for the church. Some of the excitement that came with September (start of school, church rally day, warm – but not too hot! – days) is starting to mellow into routines with a long timeline, samples of the cold days ahead, and scheduling conflicts that cut into our church event participation levels. But the transitions of this month can remind us that life is always in motion and that God has a future for us: the turning of the leaves is a beautiful thing, the festivals that are on their way (Reformation, Thanksgiving, Christmas) remind us of God’s goodness and providence, and just being with people so much can inspire us to nurture the relationships we have that are so essential to our lives. It’s well-known now that the tragic loss of life during the COVID pandemic was not the only result of that lockdown; it was also the lack of human interaction that is having a terrible lasting effect even on those who never got sick. Can we make October into a month where we dedicate ourselves to reflecting God’s generous love in every aspect of our lives?