Global Young People Blog

Hey everyone, so sorry if you missed the last day of the Global Convo. I (Mighty) was supposed to post some last few updates on the Global Convo but our internet connection became intermittent at the Retreat Center we went to in Woltersdorf so I had to wait until I got back to Manila to post the last few insights and blogs about the Global Convo.

And yes, I did serve as the M.C. on the cultural celebration on the evening of July 25th. What a blast that was! I had a great time!

If you are interested about the results of the legislations, RelevanceOnline published a neat summary of the legislations.

Barbara, Katie and Emily all shared last few thoughts about the Global Convo at their Yellowstone GYPC Blog. Here’s an excerpt:

It is sad to see GYPC come to end so soon, but we will remember the great and life-changing memories we shared in the wonderful city of Berlin. Friendships were made which will never break, and legslation accured which will change the United Methodist Church for the better. We were reminded in a video was saw this evening of the German bishop who said, ” The youth are not just the future, they are the present.” It is important we remember our youth and keep them involved, for we can make positive, important and wonderful changes not only to the church, but to the world and ourselves as well.

Michael Grout did several great videos about his experiences in Berlin. Check out the Asbury University website for the article about him.

At this Global Young People Convocation, Grout and other young people from around the world looked at legislation on political issues, financial decisions and church policies and decided which proposals to send to the General Conference for voting. “Our convocation basically wanted to give the younger demographic a united voice,” Grout said.

Grout was chosen to attend the conference because of his background with the United Methodist Church. He served as Kentucky’s youth president and young adult pres for two years. He also been heavily involved in general board meetings for the past two years and will continue his involvement for the next two years.

Grout stuck around in Berlin for a few days to enjoy the local art scene and learn more about Berlin and it’s people. Grout is a media communications major and the son of Asburians, David ’80 and Pam Ritchey ’79 Grout.

Here are several more Methodist bloggers sharing their experiences at the Global Convo and Berlin:

Miriah Anderson
Melissa Rynders
R. Warren Gil III reflects on the legislation process on a sensitive issue at the Global Convo.

If you know of any other Methodist blogger talking about their experiences in Berlin, please share the links in the comments section.

Hey guys,

Michael Grout posted a Facebook video of his experiences on Day 3 of the Global Convo. Go to Michael’s Facebook Page to view it.

From the Blogs, check out the thoughts and reflections from our delegates:

Nico of Pacific Northwest wrote:

This afternoon I had the opportunity to visit the Jewish History Museum here in Berlin. Unfortunately because we were running quite late we only had time for the architectural tour and then about 30 minutes of free time to look at the actual exhibits, but that was fine with me. It turns out that the architecture of the new building (designed by the architect David Childs who is also working on the new building at Ground Zero New York) of the museum is in itself a fine piece of art, and a memorial mostly to the lost history of the many Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust. The building itself zigs and zags in no particular shape, but the shape was formed from a map of stories of people in Berlin around World War Two. All three floors of the building have a black strip running all the way through them, also commemorating those lost in the Holocaust. This section is interrupted by the zigs and the zags of the building to create voids of emptiness; bare cement three floors high, often with almost no lighting. The basement has three axis at odd angles. One is the axis of the Holocaust, black at both ends and narrowing as one approaches the end, at which one finds a door. When one goes through the door, he or she will find a sound-proofed, bare cement, black room 48 meters high, with only one sliver of light (during the day) from a small window. The next axis is the axis of exile, while ends with a disorienting, uneven garden, where the plants and the light is out of reach, but at least there is light. The final axis is the axis of continuity, which ends in a long staircase – itself symbolic – that leads to the permanent exhibit. In short, it is a powerful place, and if you find yourself in Berlin, it is worth a visit.

Here’s also a news item from the California Nevada Conference website:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. | GBOD – The future of The United Methodist Church is being represented in Berlin, Germany, this month as the Global Young People’s Convocation and Legislative Assembly brings together young United Methodists from around the world to share their life experiences, struggles, gifts and realities.

About 350 youth and young people representing 32 countries – from Angola to Zimbabwe –registered for the July 21-26 event, which is sponsored by Young People’s Ministries, a division of The General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.

And finally, from our faithful bloggers from the Yellowstone Conference:

Hello readers! This morning we attented the legislative assembly. So far, two legislations referring to Church and Society were passed on to the General Conference and one piece of legislation was put on the table for further translation due to revising at the committee meeting. After that, we broke off for lunch then went off to do more excursions in and around Berlin. Today we went to the GDR Stasi prison. It was a very interesting tour with an extensive history. It was a interigaton prison by the Soviet Ministry of State Security (MfS). We walked through the cells and the interigation rooms and the grounds of the prison.

That’s it for now, I’ll be posting the videos from yesterday later today.

-Mighty