If you haven’t heard of Winter Celebration, you could ask one of the 470 high school students who attended the event in January at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center in Lynchburg. Initially they would probably squeal with excitement before raving about songs, the funny skits, and making new friends. Then the conversation would turn to faith.
Winter Celebration is a weekend event run by the Virginia Synod that is intended to provide an intentional time for high school students to explore their own faith in God. To accommodate for the hundreds of youth that come from all over the state, participants have the option of choosing between two weekends.
“The goal is faith formation for high school youth and we do that by building relationships with faithful adults,” said The Rev. Dave Delaney, assistant to the Bishop and director for youth and young adult ministries.
The model used for this and other youth events in the Virginia Synod is one that incorporates both large and small group settings. Each year a planning group of high school seniors is in charge of designing a theme for the event that surrounds a biblical text. This winter, the six high school students chose 1st Timothy 1:3-5 as their passage and as they worked with Pastor Dave Delaney, they choose the theme, “Known by Faith.”
“We live in a world that has a lot of misconceptions about being a Christian,” said Adam Hall, a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Roanoke and one of the seniors on the planning team. “We found that verse in 1st Timothy and we said, ‘that’s it, we have to be known by our faith.’”
The members of the Winter Celebration planning group took a moment to pose on stage after one of the large groups sessions.
Adam Hall served on the planning team with John Dietrick (Epiphany Lutheran, Richmond), Korin Freeman (Lutheran Memorial, Blacksburg), Eric Malarkey (Faith Lutheran, Suffolk) , Rachel Robinson (Ebenezer, Marion), and Mikaela Smith (Faith Lutheran, Suffolk).
During each large group session of the weekend the planning group performed a skit for the crowd that consisted of underlying themes that were connected to being “known by faith.” The skit was set in a radio station during the Great Depression and each of the senior leaders took on roles as radio show hosts, producers and other employees of KBF Radio. After the presentation one of the seniors had a chance to sit on stage and share a testimony of their own faith.
“It’s neat to see how these youth grow while they share their faith,” said The Rev. Ken Albright, the chaplain for Winter Celebration 2015 and pastor of Grace and Glory in Palmyra.
“The fact that six youth have the opportunity to write and share their own faith journey is a huge tool for helping them become leaders in the church.”
At the end of each faith testimony the senior who spoke ended by declaring, “Small Groups.”
This was the first year that Morgan Meredith, a 9th grader from Good Shepard Lutheran in Front Royal, was old enough to attend Winter Celebration and she said that small groups were her favorite part of the weekend.
“We made a lot of new friends and we had a really great small group leader,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about sharing my faith.”
Joseph Bolick, associate pastor of Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Richmond, is another new face at the youth event and in the Virginia Synod. Pastor Bolick accepted his first call in Virginia at Epiphany in November.
Pastor Joseph Bolick was one of the pastors who offered absolution at Winter Celebration, a visible sign of the forgiveness of sins.
“I’ve never experienced any synod with this particular emphasis on youth ministry and that gave such attention to the small group model which is just perfect for these kids to learn to talk about their faith within a supportive community that won’t judge them,” he said. “It’s a safe environment where they can question.”
Many young adults who have returned to Virginia Synod youth events to be leaders attribute much of their own spiritual growth to the relationships and conversations that were fostered through these small groups.
As always, Bishop Jim Mauney made an appearance during each weekend. He spoke to the youth about being Ambassadors for Christ, presided over communion and, as is customary, performed his own rendition of the song “Pharaoh, Pharaoh.”
While he spoke to the youth, Bishop Mauney also lifted up the Virginia Synod’s partnership with the New Guinea Islands District of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea. The offering collected during both weekends was added to money given at Lost and Found, a middle school youth event, and will be used to bring a student from Papua New Guinea to the ELCA National Youth Gathering this summer.
Winter Celebration 2015 was filled with laughter, worship, good conversation and deepened faith.
“I hope that everyone came away with a renewed sense of who they are in Christ, a stronger relationship with Christ and with each other, and a better understanding of what is means to be known by your faith” said Adam Hall.
View pictures from Winter Celebration on the Virginia Synod Flickr account.
If you have questions about Winter Celebration or any other Virginia Synod youth event, contact Dave Delaney by email at Delaney@vasynod.org or by calling 540-389-1000
