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READ THIS!

If you're a parent - READ THIS! If you are a young adult - READ THIS! If you are an aunt, uncle, friend of a young adult - READ THIS!

my blog: Letter to my daughter ( in the wake of senseless t...: "Hello my girl, I wanted to say hi and tell you how much I miss you and that I hope your classes are going well and that you are having fun ..."

Wow - it's been a LONG time since I've updated.

Most of the information has been going out on Facebook and email, but I'm going to try and update this blog as well.

First up, Winter Weekend planning meetings have begun and YOU are invited to join us. Please email me at Kristinlyo@gmail.com if you'd like notice of future meetings. We've been meeting on Sunday evenings, but are struggling with finding a time that works for everyone.

How about 3 pm on Sundays - how does that sound?

Next - there is a great training opportunity at LCLC in October.

Join us for a Youth Worker Training event at LCLC, sponsored by the Niagara Frontier Conference and LCLC – on October 29-30. The cost is only $25.00 and a great deal – PLEASE consider sending a volunteer or staff from your church. We are willing to carpool from the Rochester area.

More info here: http://www.nfclyo.org/youthworkertraining.html and registration form here.

And SAVE THE DATE! for a return of Captive free East Lakes on November 20 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairport. More details to come.

Food News

KITCHEN
I am pleased to be able to announce that Ken and Leslie Schwartz from Immanuel Webster are heading up our kitchen team this year. Ken and Leslie are veterans of Winter Weekend and have wonderful kitchen experience as well. Gunnar Antell and Bill Santangelo are back as well. I’m told that we can look forward to Real Homemade Italian Meatballs. Yum!
Don’t forget that each Family Group will be assigned to help in the kitchen for one meal, either to help serve the meal or to help with clean up - yes, that means dishes!

COOKIES! CANDY!
Each church is asked to please bring in 2 dozen cookies and one bag of individually wrapped candy or one bag of bulk popcorn to share as a part of the snack for Friday and Saturday nights.
Thank you!

CUPCAKES
Check out Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe on Facebook and their website. They are donating gourmet mini creme-filled cupcakes for the weekend! They are awesome!

FOOD ALLERGIES
If you or anyone in your group has food allergies or dietary restrictions, please let us know asap so we can take that into account when ordering food. In particular - let us know of any dairy, nut or wheat allergies and vegetarian needs.

2 more Weeks!!!!

Winter Weekend is a short 2 weeks away!

Are you excited?

Have you submitted your videos yet?

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If you were unable to attend the Advisor and Chaperone meeting on February 6th, please contact Kristin at office@atonementrochester.org to get a copy of the materials for Winter Weekend.

Kristin Romell and

Brother Christopher Cleveland

WW Coordinators

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Weekend Emergency Contact Information:

Kristin Romell cell 585-748-2464

Christopher Cleveland cell 585-355-1406

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UPCOMING DATES

February 28 Planning Committee Meeting

March 5-7 Winter Weekend!

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COOKIES! CANDY!

Each church is asked to please bring in 2 dozen cookies and one bag of individually wrapped candy or one bag of bulk popcorn to share as a part of the snack on Saturday night. Thank you!

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KITCHEN

I am so pleased to be able to announce that Ken and Leslie Schwartz from Immanuel Webster are heading up our kitchen team this year. Ken and Leslie are veterans of Winter Weekend and have wonderful kitchen experience as well. Gunnar Antell and Bill Santangelo are back as well. I’m told that we can look forward to Real Homemade Italian Meatballs. Yum!

Don’t forget that each Family Group will be assigned to help in the kitchen for one meal, either to help serve the meal or to help with clean up - yes, that means dishes!

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PREPARE FOR IMPACT

Our theme is “Prepare for Impact”, and we want to know,

“How has Christ/ church/ your pastor/ Winter Weekend impacted your life?”

Choose one (or someone else who has impacted you) and make us a video! You can make an individual video or work with your Youth Group. Have fun with it!

You can use a flip video, I-phone, webcam, or a video camera and show us your stuff, YouTube style. (They will NOT be shown on YouTube, but may be a part of WW slideshows). You can send videos to office@atonementrochester.org.

Prizes will be awarded! But we don’t care if it’s interview style, movie style, simple or creative, we just want to hear YOUR stories. Deadline has been extended to February 21, 2010.

There will also be an opportunity to make “video diaries” during the weekend - your chance to tell your story (3-5 minutes) about the impact of Winter Weekend.

Don’t be shy!

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CALLING ALL MUSICIANS!

Do you play an instrument? Guitar? Tambourines? Trumpet? Spoons? Flute? Anything else? Have a beautiful voice?

We’re looking for youth musicians to play with our musicians during large group worship and praise time at Winter Weekend.

If you think you might be interested, please contact Will Daubney at wilbercss95@hotmail.com or Dennis Paulhamus at menace7208@earthlink.net. See info form on the back of this page.

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MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!

Every youth is encouraged to submit at *least 3 song requests for the DJ to play at the dance on Saturday night. Suggestions can be emailed to Brother Christopher at yfm@atonementrochester.org

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Planning Committee:

Laura Kaminsky, Ben Osenbach, Brittany McIntee, Carrie Bartlett, Rainer Schmidt, Ben Specht, Vanessa Tassone, Ben Thompson, Dennis Paulhamus, Will Daubney, Patty Chaffee, Rev. Imani Dodley, Ed Huehn, Stephen Newbury, Joey Rieger, Bill Santangelo, Gunnar Antell, Leslie and Ken Schwartz, Kristin Romell and Brother Christopher Cleveland.

“See you soon!”

Winter Weekend Advisor and Chaperone Meeting

Don't forget!
This Saturday, February 6th at 9 AM at Atonement Lutheran Church, 1900 Westfall Road in Brighton.

At least one advisor or chaperone from each church should plan on attending. If you want coffee, come a little early, we'll get the meeting started at 9 AM.

We'll review the weekend schedule, the role of adult advisors and group leaders, go over the theme and the materials for small group (family) gatherings, get familiar with some of the games and ice breakers we'll use for the weekend and more.

"Prepare for Impact!"

Registrations are due February 8th! Don't be late or you'll have to pay a $25 per church penalty. :-(

2010 ELCA Northeast Regional Youth Gathering

Is anyone planning to go to this?

2010 ELCA Youth Gathering

July 22-25, 2010

West Chester University, West Chester, PA

Gathering Theme Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

(The Transfiguration)

Come with Jesus and others at the gathering…be transformed.

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

- Matthew 17:1-9

Nurture faith journeys of all ages so participants will be better equipped the gap between the gathering experience and reality through prayer, sharing of faith stories, worship, learning experiences, building community.

From Pastor Laurie Carson-Nelson, Adult Advisor for LYO:

Walking Together
Many congregations around the synod have small numbers of youth interested in participating in activities such as the Regional Youth Gathering. It's normally more fun and meaningful-and maybe financially helpful-- to attend these things in a larger group.

Let's join forces around the synod to plan for the gathering and travel there together. I'm not sure how this might look; it will depend on where in the synod everyone is coming from and our specific needs.

If you're one of those "onlies" or if you have a larger group and want to incorporate others into the process, please contact me at youthgath@gmail.com. We'll make sure everyone who wants to be gets connected.

Winter Weekend Registration Deadline is near!

February 8th is the deadline for Winter Weekend registration packets - don't be late! Registrations received after that will cost $25 more per church!

Advisor and chaperone training is February 6th at 9 AM at Atonement Lutheran Church, 1900 Westfall Road in Brighton.

Haiti Earthquake - how you can help

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. The quake struck 10 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince, leaving the city and homes in ruins. Powerful aftershocks, some as strong as 5.9 in magnitude, continued throughout the night and into the morning.

Initial reports from Haiti are bleak, and the number of victims continues to rise. With no water or electricity, immediate needs are food, water and shelter. Cash gifts are the most effective way to quickly provide these much needed services to the people of Haiti.

The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is prone to natural disasters and ill-equipped to respond to such disasters. In 2008, the country was battered by four successive tropical storms and hurricanes that flooded the island, destroyed crops, and left thousands homeless.

The United States has pledged its full support to Haiti, dispatching emergency response teams to help with search and rescue efforts. This earthquake is the most powerful to strike Haiti in more than 200 years.

How can you help?

You can donate through Lutheran World Relief -information is on the home page at www/lwr.org or through the ELCA at Haiti Earthquake Relief

You can also help by donating to the Red Cross with a text from your cell phone.
Subscribers of participating wireless carriers can donate $5 to American Red Cross disaster relief efforts simply by text messaging the keyword “GIVE” to “2HELP” (24357). Donations will appear on customers' monthly bills or be debited from a prepaid account balance. Message and data rates may apply. To opt-out, send "STOP" to 24357.

Participating Carriers:

Alltel
AT&T
Sprint-Nextel
T-Mobile
U.S. Cellular
Verizon Wireless

(http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_nolnav_text2help)

Winter Weekend

Hey - Be on the lookout! Winter Weekend registration packets have been mailed out to churches and also sent electronically.

If you don't have a registration packet ask your pastor or church secretary or call 442-1010 and we'll mail a packet directly to your home.

Don't miss out!

Registration deadline is February 8th!

Interfaith Youth Service Corps

Sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, Nazareth College Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue, Commission on Christian Jewish Relations, Jewish Community Federation, and Interfaith Forum.

The Interfaith Youth Service Corps will consist of a core group of young adults—9th-12th graders—who are empowered to plan service and activism projects based on or complementing the existing service programs of their faith communities. They will act as leaders and recruit peers to participate in the implementation of these projects.

The projects will be followed by a group “debriefing” time, during which participants will discuss how elements of their respective faiths are related to the particular project and the larger ideal of service. The discussion should provide a chance for personal spiritual reflection as well as the opportunity to learn why peers of different faiths are driven to serve others.

Our goal is that collective service work followed by interfaith dialogue will allow for community building, interfaith understanding, and personal spiritual growth among young adults.

Read more here.

Check out their Facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/#/event.php?eid=411092760216&index=1

Volleyball

Hey, thanks for coming!

Despite a snowy Rochester night, about 35 youth (and about 6 advisors/ pastors) from 6 churches joined us for volleyball, card games, snacks and devotions on Friday night (Jan. 8th)

In addition to fun and fellowship, we collected food, hats, gloves and mittens to be donated to Maggie Harris at Community Lutheran Ministries.

Thanks for your support!

(pics coming soon)

don't forget! LYO Volleyball and Games Night

Are you coming?

Join us at Reformation Lutheran Church (111 North Chestnut Street in Rochester)
for a night of Fellowship, Volleyball and other games.

We'll meet at 7:30 PM until about 10 PM. Come with your Youth Group, bring a friend!

Catch up with old Winter Weekend friends or make new friends.

Please bring a donation of a canned food item or a warm winter accessory (hat, mittens, scarf) to donate to the Food Cupboard and to Maggie's Kids - a Lutheran Urban Ministry on Joseph Avenue that we support in this conference.

We look forward to seeing you there!