Conversation and Perspective with Grandma

Alex Clevinger is a fourth-generation member at Advent, Uniontown. His relationship with his Grandma kept him connected not only to his church but to what God is doing in the bigger church. As a child, he may have felt forced to attend church at times, but now as a young adult he appreciates the theological conversations he and his grandma have. “She’ll tell me about when the ELCA was formed and now we talk about where it is going,” Alex shares.

When his grandma needed someone to drive her to Synod Assembly the last two years, Alex volunteered. Alex knew there would be some people there he knew, “Through various work at camp, I had met a lot pastors and I thought it would be nice to see some of them.”

Alex found that being at Synod Assembly was energizing, “having that many Lutherans in one room can make anyone excited.” The worship experiences were engaging, and the storytelling was memorable. Alex also met a lot of new people.

Synod Assembly is a truly relational experience. It is an opportunity to connect with people from other congregations and remember that we are a part of something bigger. Alex also shares that each person’s perspective is important, “We make decisions on the direction of our synod in a way that is guided by the congregations and the Holy Spirit.”

After attending synod assembly, Alex was asked to serve on Synod Council as a young adult representative, and he agreed. “Going to the assembly gets you interested in what is going on at the higher levels of the Church and the impacts it can have on the Church as a whole.” Alex knows that his experience and unique perspective is valuable – and not just to his grandma.
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Synod Assembly is an important opportunity to learn and make decisions about how we share God’s abundant grace and hope with others. We hear the stories of how your generous Mission Support makes an impact in our local community and beyond. Thank you for recognizing the importance of our shared ministry.