Every two years, Anglican and Lutheran youth (aged 14-19) come together from all parts of Canada to celebrate their relationships with Christ and forge new relationships with one another. It is a remarkable experience, offering faith, fun and adventure. Of course, I am talking about CLAY: the Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth gathering.
This summer, the event was held in downtown Saskatoon, Sask. on Aug. 21-24 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. Over 350 youths, leaders, clergy and bishops gathered around the theme of “Rooted and Rising.”
Jordan Cantwell, United Church growth animator for the prairie regions, proved to be an excellent keynote speaker during the large group gatherings each day. Using engaging storytelling, humour and parables of Jesus, Jordan called on the youth to consider what roots them in their faith and in their sense of self. And how can they carry these gifts out into the world?
We were fortunate to have several youths from Victoria, BC attend this year’s CLAY: Aanika White (14), Genessa Poilievre (15), Dawn Bradley (15) and Scarlette Allen (15) from St. Luke, Cedar Hill. Sam Sayers (15), joined the group in Saskatoon and attended from Lutheran Church of the Cross. I was pleased to provide the primary leadership for our team, with the support of Tara Poilievre, St. Luke’s youth leader and Lyndon Sayers, pastor at Lutheran Church of the Cross, Victoria.
As has become the custom for our diocesan youth travelling to CLAY, our delegation worked hard beforehand to raise enough funds to include a “pre-trip” in order to explore the wider region in which CLAY was being held. This year it was the prairies of Western Canada. Flying from Victoria to Calgary, and driving on to Saskatoon and back, provided an even deeper experience of God, and enabled us to consider what “rooted and rising” might mean for us.
Our journey began along the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains heading south on the Cowboy Trail, with stops at Christ Church in Millarville (built in 1896); Bar U Ranch, a national historic site in Longview; the Okotoks Erratic; and the UNESCO world heritage site of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump near Fort MacLeod. Further highlights of our trip included visiting the Calgary Zoo; exploring the vast, flat prairie landscape; and a rather hot day in Drumheller to see first-hand the depth and breadth of God’s creation over time at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
During our time at CLAY, we participated in a very well organized and thoughtful program. Overall, our time was divided between three church locations: the cathedral, Knox United Church and Zion Lutheran Church. Approximately 20 workshops were offered, and we encouraged our youth to choose activities that interested them most.
These are just a few of the experiences we shared this summer. More importantly though, we had a rare moment of time that we were able to spend together, knowing God, and knowing that we are loved and supported. For this, I will be forever grateful.
I strongly encourage you to encourage the youth in your parish to attend the next CLAY. The good news is that the next gathering will be much closer to home. On the last day, it was announced that CLAY 2027 will be held on Vancouver Island in Nanaimo. Hopefully, I will see you there.
