“Listening is a deep act of faith.” Meet Emily Brabham, Director of Youth and Ministry Services at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Portland, OR, and ninth grader Margo who serves on their Formation Co-Op Team. Through listening sessions with parents and high school students, they share how St. Luke discovered a deep desire for connection, inspiring new approaches like a Saturday night program to strengthen bonds among youth and families. You’ll also hear how their work has been enriched through the collaborative community and shared trainings of the Formation Co-Op, reminding them they are not alone in ministry.

Meet Adriana Rivera and Jordan Collins-Brown from Edgewater Congregations Together, a joint youth ministry of Ebenezer and Immanuel Lutheran Churches in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, IL. In this episode, you will hear their unique approach to youth ministry, the challenges they face, and how listening has equipped them to move their ministry forward in transformative ways.

The “secret sauce” of the Formation Co-Op is the integral role of Guides assigned to accompany each congregation through the entire process: equipping them to listen to their context, providing feedback and curious questions, and offering encouragement and support along the way. In this episode, Guides from the first cohort share their experience and insights they have gleaned from their congregations.

Episode Guests:

Sal Espino: Children and Youth Minister, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Marietta, GA

Janny Franken: Professional Certified Coach, Frank 'n Sense, Thousand Oaks, CA

Kelly Kehr: Youth and Family Director, Grace Lutheran Church, Mora, MN

Judy Nuehring: Retired Director of Youth and Family Ministry, Glen Ellyn, IL

The Formation Co-Op invites congregations into an intentional listening process that is grounded in emergent strategy and the Co-Op Core Commitments. In this episode, members of the Formation Co-Op’s Design Team and Program Team discuss the development of the Formation Co-Op process, and how this initiative fosters a collaborative community of co-creators and co-learners.

Episode Guests:

Rev. Dr. Colleen Wyndham-Hughes, Design Team: Associate Vice President for Mission and Identity, California Lutheran University

Deacon Jessica Lyles, Design Team: Director for Youth Ministry and the ELCA Youth Gathering, ELCA

Rev. Billie Jo Wicks, Program Team: Pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Meriden, MN and Zion Lutheran Church, Ellendale, MN.  

The landscape of youth ministry has changed significantly, yet many congregations and leaders struggle to adapt their ministries in ways that are relevant to their youth and context. Through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment “Strengthening Congregational Ministry with Youth Initiative”, the ELCA Youth Ministry Network is partnering with congregations to explore innovative youth ministry practices in order to root young people in a lifelong, transformative faith in Jesus Christ.

In this first episode, Rozella introduces you to the heart and mission of the Formation Co-Op. You’ll hear from Todd Buegler, Executive Director of the ELCA Youth Ministry Network, and Catherine Anderson, Director of the Formation Co-Op, as they share how the Formation Co-Op came to be and their hopes for the impact this initiative will have on the church and young people.