Servant Journey - Cross Lutheran Church

Servant Journey
Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
Why a Servant Journey?
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Follow Jesus- Be a disciple
Live out faith, Grow in faith
Action-Reflection
Give & Receive Healing and Life
SERVANT Journey
• What does it mean to be a servant?
SERVANT Journey
• “Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be first
must be last of all and servant of all.”
(Mark 9:35)
SERVANT Journey
• Luke 1.38:
• Then Mary said, ‘Here am I,
the servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word.’ Then the angel
departed from her.
What does it mean to be a servant?
• "All Christians are called to
servanthood, to help other
people live."
What does it mean to be a servant?
• "Servanthood is an all day,
anywhere and everywhere
being."
What does it mean to be a servant?
• "Servants serve people. They serve
"on the run" in a variety of free
form, spontaneous responses to the
needs of people."
What does it mean to be a servant?
• "In contrast to usual procedure,
the servant does not demand a
position of respect, status, or
strength as a prerequisite for
service."
What does it mean to be a servant?
• Sometimes…
–being uncomfortable
–not getting your way
–having to learn something about
yourself and your expectations
–feeling not very useful
Servant JOURNEY
• What does it mean to be on a journey?
What does it mean to be on a
journey?
• We don’t always know or control
what’s coming next.
What does it mean to be on a
journey?
• Some things need to be set aside
to get to where we’re going.
What does it mean to be on a
journey?
• There is a goal on the horizon
that we are travelling towards
together.
What are the goals?
• To proclaim the Gospel and to
experience the Gospel proclaimed
in word and deed.
What are the goals?
• To learn from another culture:
– In order to better understand ourselves and
others.
– In order to enrich our lives, especially our lives of
faith through learning from and experiencing
another culture
What are the goals?
• To wrestle with and reflect on the issues
of
– Poverty
– Oppression
– Social injustice
in light of their complexity, their human face, and in
the context of faith.
What are the goals?
• Connect with people – their joys
and their sufferings become our joys
and sufferings through Christ
What are the goals?
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Express faith
Discover Jesus in a new way
Stretch and grow
Accomplish good work
Adventure outside regular life
Why Pine Ridge?
What’s it like there?
Information from
www.redcloudschool.org/reservation
Population
• 28,000-40,000 (Census data is not very good)
Size
• 2.8 million acres
• second-largest reservation in the United
States
• larger than Delaware and Rhode Island
combined.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Ridge_Indian_Reservation#/media
/File:Pineridgereservationmap.png
Economic Realities
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80% of residents are unemployed.
49% live below the federal poverty line.
61% of children live below the poverty line.
Per-capita income $6,286.
Health and Well-Being Realities
• The infant mortality rate 5x higher than
national average
• Reservation “Dry”- alcohol still issue
• Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease
• Life expectancy is the lowest anywhere in the
western hemisphere, except for Haiti.
– men =48 years; women =52 years
Shannon County
• Shannon County has the highest population
rate of Native Americans in the United States,
and the lowest percentage of Caucasians.
• 70% high school diploma
• 12.1% bachelor’s degree.
• 13% lack complete plumbing facilities
• 9.2% lack complete kitchen facilities
• 22.8% lack phone service.
Youth Risk Behavior
% High School Students who have engaged in
following behavior at least once:
• 67% sex
• 88% alcohol
• 90% cigarette smoking
• 80% marijuana
• 31 % seriously considered attempting suicide
• 15% attempted suicide in the last 12 months
I came to find out details…
Where is this again?
What is the structure?
• Arrive Sunday before dinner for orientation
• Monday to Thursday:
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interact with local youth and adults,
visit significant reservation sites
listen to Lakota speakers
do construction projects
have recreation time
engage in worship, Bible study, and sharing related
to the group's experience.
• Groups leave Friday after breakfast, clean up,
and worship.
Option 1- When? June 18- 25
• Depart Saturday June 18 Early (6 or 7ish)
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Potty and stretch breaks
Lunch in Sioux Falls
Walk/Driving Tour in Badlands
Late night at Outlaw Ranch in Custer or hotel/church?
• Sunday visit choice of tourist areas
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Morning worship with our group or local congregation
Custer State Park (buffalo, sheep, pronghorns)
Caves (1.5 hr)
Mammoth Site
Mt. Rushmore
Drive to Pine Ridge to arrive around 5
• Program Sunday 19th PM- Friday 24th AM
• Friday drive home after cleanup and closing devotions!
When? Option 2 June 19- 26
• Depart Sunday, June 19- VERY early (4)AM
• (Drive 12 hours w/o stops)
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Potty and stretch breaks
Lunch in Sioux Falls
Stretch at Wall Drug
Dinner in Pine Ridge
• Program Sunday 19th PM- Friday 24th AM
• Friday visit choice of tourist areas
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Custer State Park (buffalo, sheep, pronghorns)
Caves
Mammoth Site
Mt. Rushmore
Badlands
• Friday night at Outlaw Ranch or church closer to Sioux Falls
• Saturday drive home (7 hours from Sioux Falls, 12.5 from
Custer)
What might the day look like?
• Morning: Eat breakfast at retreat center,
devotions, pack lunch
• Servant Project: hand-on construction type work
• Lunch
• Bible Study
• Servant Project: work with youth
• Dinner
• Worship
• Games
What will the day look like?
• Servant and cross-cultural learning
sometimes mean that things don’t
always happen the way we expect- a big
learning is in going with the flow, being
open to the opportunities God is
opening for us.
Who organizes our group's stay on the Pine
Ridge Reservation?
• Each group's stay is planned, staffed and coordinated
by a partnership effort of Lutherans Outdoors in South
Dakota/Outlaw Ranch and the Lutheran-Lakota
Shared Ministry, a year-round ministry of the South
Dakota Synod of the ELCA on the Pine Ridge Indian
Reservation.
• Partners line up specific service projects for each
group as well as speakers to share with each group
about Native American/Lakota culture and life on the
reservation.
• LOSD provides two to three staff members on-site at
Pine Ridge as programmatic guides and counselors
and to help facilitate your time there.
Who is taking care of my youth?
• LOSD are the primary leaders once we arrive
• They are trained camp staff who know the
projects and people
• Pastor Elizabeth will be the primary adult
companion from Cross; other adults will also
companion the youth and model servant
leadership
Accommodations
• The Pine Ridge
Retreat Center has
five sleeping
rooms, four
bathrooms with
showers, a large
well equipped
kitchen, computer
lab, wireless access,
recreation area and
lounge.
What about meals?
• On the road, we can both pack food & go out
• LOSD provides Sunday Supper/Monday Bfast
• We prepare food while on Reservation,
purchasing as much as possible on the
Reservation to support the economy
• Lunch out 1-2x while on Reservation
What is the weather like on Pine Ridge?
• In June, Pine Ridge has variable weather.
Daytime temperatures are generally in the
70s and 80s, but can vary from the upper 50s
to almost 100 degrees. Nights are generally
in the 40s and 50s. June can also be a time of
cool days with storms, rain, hail, or strong
winds. You will need to be prepared for
changing weather.
What else will we do?
• Work together to take care of our “home”
and each other- prep and clean from
meals, etc.
• Get to know each other, LOSD counselors,
Lakota people
• Visit historic and cultural sites
• Learn from Lakota elders
• Bible Camp Type Activities
Learning from elders
Red Cloud Indian School, Cemetery and Heritage
Center Museum
• This one stop is an occasion to learn about
Red Cloud and history surrounding this great
Lakota leader. The school gives us the
opportunity to examine the history of
education on the reservation (from
enculturation to current education that
incorporates Lakota culture). Their museum
includes prime examples of both traditional
artifacts and contemporary Native art.
Sue Ann Big Crow Center
• Sue Ann was a teen-age basketball star who
spoke out against drugs and alcohol and for
positive youth roles on the reservation. One of
her dreams was the establishment of a recreation
center for teens and others. After a tragic fatal
automobile accident, in her memory, this dream
became a reality. This is a chance to learn about
youth life on the reservation and perhaps have a
burger and a malt (or Indian Taco) at the soda
shop.
Wounded Knee
• A very significant historical and symbolic location. A
massacre of men, women and children happened here
over 120 years ago. In 1973, this was the location of a
well-published occupation by the American Indian
Movement (AIM). It is symbolic of a time of violence on
Pine Ridge and other Indian lands and an element in the
resurgence of cultural pride among Native peoples all
over North America. This occupation was featured in a
1994 TV movie "Lakota Woman." This time period on
Pine Ridge is also dealt with in the movies
"Thunderheart" and "Incident at Oglala." While Pine
Ridge is not now experiencing the violent conflict it did in
the 1970's, this period of history has had a lasting impact.
Fun Options
• Custer State Park/Black Hills: Hiking &
wildlife (buffalo, sheep, pronghorns)
• Caves: Jewel & Wind
• Mammoth Site
• Mt. Rushmore
• Crazy Horse
• Badlands: Hiking & Wildlife
Cost: $750-900
• Dependent on people registering –
Group cost for program includes up
to 12 people, can have 15
• Program, Food, Transportation, Fun
Fundraisers
• Inform
• Motivate
– 4 weeks of inform and motivate, then ask
• Ask
– We need a gift of $10,000
• Thank
– Postcards while on journey, celebration
before/after journey, sharing in worship afterwards
Fundraisers
• Popcorn fundraiser last fall
• Spaghetti Dinner Oct/Nov
• Journey with Us!- Van moves along with
donations. Gas envelopes get it moving- each
envelope has $ amt to be filled.
• ?Gift Wrapping?
• Raffle at Pork Chop Dinner (split with other
youth)
• Glen’s Brat Fry (split with other youth)
• Paint Night, Mystery Dinner, Chili Cookoff, etc.
Fundraisers
• In the spirit of Christian community, we
fundraise together and share what we
have
• Adults partner with youth to lead/plan
specific event, and then all serve together
• Expectation that you’ll do what you can
• Our theology is not one of earning, but of
sharing abundance in grace
Collecting items to bring
• blankets/quilts, basic toiletries, kid’s
shampoo, combs and brushes, hair ties and
barrettes, books for all ages, balls, toys,
games, cleaning supplies, basic first aid
supplies, fly swatters, fly strips, light bulbs,
washcloths and towels, umbrellas, laundry
soap, kid’s flip flops, caps & hats & visors,
sunglasses, individual juice containers,
healthy snacks, pickles, jam, arts & craft
supplies, paper
What Do I Need to Do?
• Prayerfully consider if you will commit to
this servant journey
• Confirm with Pastor by Oct 18
• Registration Form & deposit of $125
• We will meet semi-monthly to learn about
Lakota culture, team-building, check in
with fundraisers, and prepare for our
journey
Up next
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Sign in on sheet
Volunteers to head up Spaghetti Dinner
Spaghetti Dinner is next event
Check out schedule of team-building,
fundraising, and preparation!
Other Questions?