Theological Education With Youth

TEY is Totally Excellent Youth.

TEY is Transforming Events with Youth.

TEY is Thoughtful Explorations with Youth.

The ministry called Theological Education with Youth (TEY) is a creative initiative of two Lutheran seminaries, the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettsyburg and The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. These seminaries are joining with congregations, youth ministries and synods located primarily in Regions 7 & 8 of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to amplify the faith and witness of totally excellent high school youth. TEY is now in its eighth year of offering transforming events with youth in four meeting places:

one day formation events, the Affirmation of Baptism Festivals, which welcome up to 60 ninth grade youth to the campuses of each seminary yearly. Designed to augment the confirmation practices of congregations, and to gather young people for a unique experience of the Body of Christ, the events focus on the personal and corporate dimensions of baptism and on the baptismal callings to serve and witness in God’s world.
a seven day Crossroads Event for up to 25 rising juniors (those who have just completed their tenth grade year), inviting youth to travel to a variety of places where the gospel intersects with and transforms the world. Ministries and ministers of advocacy and prophetic witness, diaconal service, international relief and development are encountered in this pilgrimage, centered at LTSG as host site. Theological foundations, experiential learning, testimonies and dialogue on vocation are at the heart of the event.
a two week Summer Theological Academy for up to 20 rising seniors (those who have just completed their eleventh grade year), hosted at an ELCA college. The Summer Theological Academy is an intentional Christian community of worship, high quality theological courses and questioning, vocational conversation, servant learning and arts.
one week biblical and theological conversations with high school-age Counselors-in-Training and other youth leaders, held at outdoor ministry centers (church camps) of Regions 7 & 8, ELCA.

Our mission:

Theological Education with Youth (TEY), a joint initiative of two
Lutheran seminaries, creates meeting places for theological and
vocational discovery with high school disciples.

The vision for Theological Education with Youth:

We intend to cherish, respect, dwell with and learn with high school youth as practicing theologians and dynamic disciples of Christ.

We seek to amplify in young people a passionate, reflective and constructive love of theology in service to the gospel, and to invite young people to express that love in leadership, including leadership in God’s church.

We are committed to cultivating a growing corps of theologically articulate and engaged young Christians, who delight in the practice of theology as they live out their baptismal callings and participate in God’s reign.

We anticipate that contemporary understandings of ministry with youth, and seminary formation and training of leaders (lay and professional, of all ages) will be transformed by the distinctive practices of Theological Education with Youth.

Chandler Carriker, Director

(717)338-3038, ccarriker@ltsg.edu

Sherry Rippman, Coordinator

(717)338-3005, srippman@ltsg.edu