Summer of 2001 – A long weekend Mission Trip to Columbia, SC laid the groundwork for a relationship with St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church of Columbia. SJLC youth worked with the youth at SALC on Vacation Bible Study activities. A strong bond was formed that led to future summers of mission work as well as shared TAG and TEC activities.
Summer of 2002 – We had a life-changing mission trip to Wilmington, NC. Nancy Friedrich and Pastor Amy Figg organized the trip. There were eight youth from SJLC joined by eight youth from SALC. Three other faithful adults from SJLC also participated. It was week filled with hot, backbreaking, messy, relationship-building mission work.
Summer of 2003
One week: SJLC only, 24 youth
No WOW staff
Wanting to save money for The Atlanta Gathering (TAG) being held later this same summer, we chose to have an in-town mission trip. Inviting our friends from Columbia SC to Knoxville, we set up a week’s worth of mission activities, evening fun, worship, etc. Again, Nancy was our team organizer (assisted by many wonderful and faithful adults) and Pastor Amy served as the spiritual leader. We had 24 SJLC youth participate in our in-town mission trip. It was an eye-opening event for many of us, as we saw first hand how great the need is for mission work right in our own back yard.
The Atlanta Gathering (TAG) was the ELCA’s national youth gathering, held once every three years. This national event was attended by 19 of the SJLC youth and 10 adults. This was an amazing experience for all who attended. The youth were inspired by the Christ-centered message of Rob Bell, challenging all to follow in the dust of their rabbi, Jesus. They were also inspired by the lyrics of Audio Adrenalin’s live performance of: “I wanna be Your hands, I wanna be Your feet. I’ll go where You send me, go where You send me.” (See wall in senior high youth room.)
Summer of 2004
WOW Wednesdays: 7 Wednesdays, average of 13 youth each Wednesday
WOW Staff: 3 interns (Claire R., Stephen F., Jesse O.)
In an effort to follow in the dust of our rabbi, Jesus, and to go where He would want us to go, and to tie in with the Creating Christ Connections vision, WOW Wednesdays were created. This in-town mission activity built on two of the key mission points of CCC: Mission Outreach and Mission Leadership Development. Working together, Pastor Amy, Nancy, and three dedicated, faithful and talented interns (Claire, Stephen, Jesse), set up a schedule of seven Wednesdays that included worship, a full-day of mission work, and a debriefing/educational time at the end of the day. The success of WOW Wednesdays was overwhelming! (How you define “success” is arguable, but youth showed up and spent full days doing dirty, gritty mission work, working with homeless people and less-fortunate youth, and chose to come back week after week asking for more – we call that success.) God is doing a great thing!
In the midst of WOW Wednesdays, we ventured to Chicago for a weeklong mission trip in the Windy City. We stayed in a low budget hotel on the outskirts of town, and drove into the inner city for true mission experiences. Again, Christ was present. It was a life-changing event for many.
Fall 2004/Winter 2005 – Countless hours of planning, praying, preparing for the next step. Creating WOW – and inviting others to attend. The SJLC youth were passionate and excited about hosting outside groups to come, experience faith formation, leadership development, and urban mission work in our backyard.
Summer of 2005
First team retreat to Kure Beach
WOW Weeks: 2
WOW Staff: 2 interns (Stephen F., Laura S.)
The summer started off with a Team Retreat at Kure Beach, NC for all the SJLC youth that would be participating in and serving as leaders for WOW 2005. In June we held a one day, WOW Wednesday for our fellow Lutheran youth in Conference II. Then, we hosted two WOW Weeks. Groups came in from Hixson, TN and Johnson City, TN. Our two interns, Stephen and Laura, were invaluable! It would have been impossible to hold these events without faithful, Christ-centered, around-the-clock interns. While the stipend they received ($1,000) didn’t adequately compensate them for their investment of time and energy, the gifts they offered and those received … were priceless!
Summer of 2006 “Live Out Loud”
Second Team Retreat to Kure Beach
WOW Weeks: 3
WOW Staff: 3 interns (Stephen F., Claire R., Laura S.); First year for The Crew
WOW 2006 again started with the Team Retreat at Kure Beach, attended by 29 SJLC youth, interns, and four faithful adults. We prayed, played, and prepared for three incredible WOW weeks. The three WOW weeks were attended by youth from five different churches from Tennessee, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. God helped us lay the fundamental pieces of WOW: faith formation through Bible study and daily worship with Holy Communion, leadership development through adventure recreation and service opportunities, and urban ministry with nearly ten ministry partners in downtown Knoxville.
The number of SJLC participants was huge. Just about every youth on “the role” participated at some time, in some way – and the majority brought along a friend or two during the summer. We were blessed with three interns: Stephen, Claire, and Laura; plus we added an additional level of leadership – The Crew (recently graduated high school seniors), along with our weekly HS and MS leaders. A number of adults were involved helping with shopping, meal preparation, transportation, etc.
We added three new, wonderful mission partners: Kiwanis Fresh Air Camp, Project Live, and Mission of Hope. Financially, we broke even (with a few generous donations). God continues to do amazing things through this ministry called WOW!
Summer of 2007 “I Wanna Be Made”
Third Team Retreat at Kure Beach
WOW Weeks: 5
WOW Staff: 4 Interns (Laura S., Ryan P., Andrew G., David H.), The Crew
The summer of 2007 saw significant growth, expanding to five WOW weeks with 150 participants and adding important program components like faith sharing, experiences of intentional affirmation, and “go deep” opportunities for those who wanted to invest additional time during early mornings at KARM and on the streets as the city awoke.
Again, the summer started at Kure Beach for a week of Team Training, home one day, before our first group arrived. Susan B.C. provided summer-long meal preparation for us and organized kitchen volunteers. New legal requirements were investigated and the first round of liability forms was required of our guests. The last week was the “Amy Ankle Tragedy” event – God-willing, that will never happen again!
Summer of 2008 “Love ‘Em Like Jesus”
Fourth Team Retreat to Kure Beach
WOW Weeks: 6
WOW Staff: 5 Interns, The Crew
1st year for Beaman Building
WOW 2008 began with the Team Retreat with 27 individuals attending. The internship program has been expanded to include five interns, two of which are “non-SJLC” youth. We also reached out to Crew Members from other churches and states. We held six weeks of WOW.
This was the first summer for utilizing the Beaman Building to house guests. Bunk beds were purchased and built. We started out with two, and ended up having access to five apartments. Guests could shower at the Beaman Building, rather than traveling to the YMCA. New mission partners included: Angelic Ministries, Mobile meals, and the KARM Thrift Store. A new Water Wagon was purchased! Faith formation flourished and leadership development was built on Blind Initiatives.
Other areas of growth: Nancy was out of town for two WOW weeks and intern Ryan kept the logistical part of the program going; Susan B.C. organized all the kitchen activities, but relied on volunteers to organize and do all the work; countless SJLC families and adults volunteered to support WOW – everyone in the congregation seems invested; using the Beam Building; Nancy turned over the financial accounting of WOW to SJLC; Amy continued to build amazing relationships, and added a new level of faith building activities, and leadership skills in and amongst our youth leaders; new med forms, liability forms, photo waivers, and background checks went into affect. WOW is operating in the black.
Summer of 2009 “A Beautiful Mess”
Fifth Team Retreat to Kure Beach
WOW Weeks: 6
WOW Staff: 4 Interns – (Adam L., Jenny W., Will W., Aaron D.) plus The Crew
Received non-profit status
We raised our prices to help cover our expenses more faithfully. ($185, still the best deal in weeklong mission ministry!). We received our non-profit 501(c)3 status, set up a Board of Directors, and became a separate financial entity. St. John’s Lutheran is still our home; the congregation and WOW work together in harmony.
We held the Team Retreat at Kure Beach, came home and the next day began our first of six weeks of WOW. Again, the Beaman building was used, providing sparse, but convenient housing and showers for our guests. Four interns, six crew members, and over 54 SJLC youth and friends helping to provide leadership. Over 200 participants donating approximately 3,611 mission hours in the downtown Knoxville area. WOW is operating in the black.
Ja
nuary 2010
We are planning on 6 ½ weeks of WOW. The weeks are filled with congregations from across the southeast. Pastor Amy and Nancy continue to be the glue keeping the program running with youth leadership. With the growth, we have found a need to hire an executive director and are seeking funding sources to kick-start our funding for this key position. God is up to something good! We are thrilled to be a part of this amazing ministry called WOW.
April 19, 2010
Jesse O’Hatnick came on board as our unanimously board-approved Executive Director
Summer 2010 “Revolution”
6th Team Retreat – at Garden City, SC this year
WOW Weeks: 6 ½
WOW Staff: Executive Director Jesse, 4 Interns (Jake M., Sam M., Zane D., Jenny W.), The Crew
This was a huge summer of growth for WOW. We had two weeks back-to-back with over 60 participants. Though we had a large group, the staff developed small groups for Bible Study and activities to maintain the personalized WOW experience. Over 300 participants donated over 9,500 hours to our community. The 4 interns were “specialized” and provided specific gifts to the summer program. The Crew was stable and consistent providing on-site leadership. Jesse’s gifts of leadership and programming were used daily to maintain a strong program.
Fall 2010/Spring 2011
WOW Staff: Executive Director Jesse, 2 Interns (Zane and Liza)
As a sign of continued growth and need, WOW hired Zane Dukes as a semester intern for the fall of 2010. Liza Hawkins was hired additionally for the spring of 2011. These semester interns worked on special projects along with doing task assigned by Jesse to prepare for our summer programming. These semesters were a significant time of change for WOW. We transformed our office into a more efficient workspace and acquired more equipment and technology for various uses.
Summer 2011 “Cross the Line”
7th Team Retreat – at Myrtle Beach, SC this year
WOW Weeks: 6
WOW Staff: Executive Director Jesse, 4 Interns (Rachel G., Sam M., Jeremy R., Liza H.), The Crew
WOW just keeps getting better and better. With six filled weeks, we were learning how to function at a gloriously higher capacity. The staff and team dynamics created a fantastic atmosphere. This was a summer team motivated to improve the quality and efficiency of WOW. From creating new mission site protocol, to new Bible study organization, this summer was one for the books!
Fall 2011
WOW Staff: Executive Director Jesse
As a wrap-up for the amazing summer, WOW had its annual presentation to the congregation of St. John’s Lutheran in August. We also planned and held our first annual “Gratitude Project” at Remedy Coffeehouse in Knoxville’s Old City. It was an evening of food, celebration, and fellowship. We spent our time sharing our joys from the summer of 2011, dreaming dreams for the future, and enjoying the company of WOW-lovers. Look for dates for the 2012 Gratitude Project!
Summer 2012 “I Am”
WOW Staff: Interns (Jeremy R., Liza H., Emily B., Jonathan B., Emilie C.), the Crew
Come and see!!