By Sarah Maslowski
My weekend started at the smallest national park in the United States. Up 630 feet in the air, I leaned forward and peered through one of the small windows in the Gateway Arch. Exploring the city alongside fellow CYF leaders is all part of the Extravaganza experience.
The Extravaganza team describes the event this way, “Extravaganza is a four-day leadership event for ELCA congregational leaders in children’s, youth, young adult, and outdoor ministry. Extravaganza is about faith formation. Extravaganza is about helping you in your ministry. Extravaganza is about renewal, education, and connection.”
Four days is a long time to be away from work and family for an event. This year it felt especially hard to leave our congregations, communities, and some of our colleagues were not able to come as a result. For those who were able to come, the space gave us time to grieve and lament together.
Sarah and several CYF leaders at the Gateway Arch
Renewal
Most of us in ministry settings are in charge of other people any time we travel for work. So, it is a nice change to arrive at an event and have nothing to plan but to feed yourself for a few days. Some ways “the E” provided space for renewal included waking up to hot coffee while walking around the exhibit hall, worship, and speakers at the general sessions. A few surprise guests also showed up throughout the weekend including Rick Steves, Tim Foreman, and Flamy Grant.
Education
One of our first large gathering speakers was Dr. Niki Elliott. She is the founder of the Mindful Leaders Project and an education professor at the University of San Diego. Her project trains leaders to prepare curriculum and activities to be inclusive to all children, youth and young adults. Ideas included checking to see if our lessons contained concrete details for instruction and expectations to making sure our words matched our nonverbal cues. She asked us to take inventory of our lesson speed, our spaces, and how we are providing opportunities to “liberate every child’s potential.” It was a time of awakening. How can CYF leaders reimagine programs so we don’t miss the genius our children and youth have to offer?
Dr. Niki is dedicated to this mission of inclusion and is currently working on an AI program called NILA which will take any lesson and help make it neuro inclusive. To find out more, check out her website.
Pastor John Hulden was asked to join Matthew Lovett in one of the daily devotional times.
Connection
The E is a large-scale event, but the team has worked hard over the years to build in connection opportunities to make it feel small and intimate. Any first timers are invited to a welcome reception and lunch. Evening activities are for everyone and don’t feel exclusive. One example was open mic night. It was a night full of surprises including a first timer doing standup comedy, an oboe sing-along, and a Hawaiian music number and dance.
It’s not too soon to plan for next year’s Extravaganza especially since it will be hosted in downtown Minneapolis. If you or someone in your ministry setting could use a time of renewal, education, and connection in your CYF work, please consider making this weekend a priority.