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The German-American Youth Exchange (GAX) began in 2000 to give high school-age youth of Good Shepherd the opportunity to learn about their Lutheran heritage through inter-congregational fellowship and immersion in German culture. This ministry is also about opening our homes and hearts to our German brothers and sisters in Christ and proudly sharing our American heritage.
Our congregation has been blessed by this program, which was started by Pastor Kenneth Homer, Pastor Heinrich Schleuter, and Christian Hanel. The exchange has grown significantly from the small groups that initially traveled to and from Germany.
More than 150 of our youth have traveled to experience an intense, 15-day period of learning, fellowship, and fun with our sister congregation, St. Pauluskirche, in Lenzinghausen, Germany. During this time, they see and experience first-hand not only the roots of the protestant faith in the homeland of Martin Luther, but also a complete immersion in the daily life of small town Germany.
The exchange has included visits to historical places such as:
- Wartburg, Erfurt and Wittenberg (Martin Luther related sites)
- Berlin
- Bremerhaven
- Cologne
- Potsdam(Sans Souci)
as well as visits to regional centers of German life such as:
- Muenster
- Detmold
- Paderborn
- Bielefeld
- Herford
- Hannover
- Osnabruck
We spend our family time in Spenge-Lenzinghausen, which is located the Nordrhein-Westfalen state of Germany. It is considerably "off the beaten path," and distant from typical German tourist destinations. It is because of this that the program provides such a unique perspective on German culture.
This program is a life-changing experience for all of the participants. We have learned that interpersonal-international relationships are the key difference between this program and regular travel. Our fellowship with the Christian families in Spenge-Lenzinghausen has reaped rewards far greater than we could have imagined and has sparked friendships and relationships between people that are still strong today.
German and American youth who participate must be active in their congregations and must be confirmed or attending confirmation class. Church families volunteer to be "host families" and provide a home environment for the youth and adult chaperones to enjoy.
This is a very structured program that incorporates both historical and fun activities. The youth are engaged in a formal program every day of the trip, except for "Host Family Day," when they spend time with their host family, participating in activities they schedule for them. This may be hanging out at the pool, taking a bike ride, or traveling to a site not on the formal tour, to name a few.
On a program day, the activities generally start very early in the morning and the group travels together by bus, train and/or car to a destination where organized tours are conducted, usually with English and German speaking guides. We visit churches, town halls, and museums, and have walking tours of various towns. We also have days scheduled for fun at places like a climbing park, amusement park, white water rafting, or the local pool. Each exchange features an overnight trip. In Germany, we stay in a youth hostel in Berlin for two nights and in the U.S., we have stayed in Williamsburg for two nights or in a hotel overnight near New York City, or one night in Boston and one night in New York City.
The American youth travel to Germany on even-numbered years, and the German youth travel to Bel Air on odd-numbered years. The German youth try to be in the United States for Independence Day, as there is no celebration comparable to this in Germany and it is a very special experience for them. We also celebrate Thanksgiving during their stay, and share the foods and activities we enjoy as Americans on this fall holiday.
The program has been underwritten by a grant from the German government; however, the funds have begun to shrink over the last several years and the congregation at St. Pauluskirche has started to hold fund raising events to help support the program. When we travel to Germany, the cost is mainly airfare — meals, lodging, and program activities are covered while in Germany and the grant pays the airfare for two American adult chaperones. Additional money is needed for some evening activities, snacks and souvenirs. When the German youth are in the U.S., the grant pays for the German participants' portion of transportation, entrance fees and group activities and allows each person $10 per day for lunch or dinner when we are in Germany; we receive 10 Euros per day as well). When the German youth visit us, the costs for American youth are paid by their families (as is the case for the German youth when in Germany) and include transportation, entrance fees and meals.
As the program has grown, so has our need to provide transportation. Car transportation has become impractical and is a little worrisome regarding safety. When traveling to Washington, DC we will use the MARC train, but for all other trips we need to provide buses. To achieve this goal, we conduct several fund-raising events annually, including:
- German Exchange Ministry Team (GEMT) Bull Roast
- Spaghetti dinners
- LCGS cookbook sales
- Christmas wreaths and greens sale
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