Overview
The Luther500 Festival is much more than a traditional festival. Yes, there is music and celebration and new friends. But there is also European travel, historical sites, cultural exchange, exploration of ideas, conversation, learning, service to others, and recreation. It is the most exciting International event for Lutherans in the summer of 2013, a combination of all the options families, congregations, youth groups and college groups generally have to choose between. Now, because of the Luther500 Festival, you can say yes to it all. There is something for everyone. It’s a bit like Summer Camp meets Youth Gathering meets Music Festival meets University Seminar meets European Vacation meets Mission Trip meets International Ideas Forum. There is a lot of meeting going on!
Speaking of meeting, you’ll meet Martin Luther. You’ll visit the important sites in the life of Martin Luther: the font where he was baptized, the castle where he translated the Bible, the church where he preached, the doors where he began a revolution, the House where he was born and the house where he lived with his own family, the school he attended, the monastery where he took vows, perhaps the forest where he prayed to St. Ann, the place where he is buried. This is the definitive look at Martin Luther’s Germany. You may have been Lutheran your whole life, but during this week you will meet Martin Luther for the first time or greet him again as an old friend.
You will also visit Berlin, one of the world’s most extraordinary capital cities. Over the course of eight days in Germany (more if you decide to add on some days for further travel) you may see more places, meet more people, learn more things, think more new ideas and hear more music than in any week of your life!
You might spend an afternoon canoeing down the Elbe River with some new German friends. Back home, you’ll surprise yourself when you hear yourself say things like, “Rowing past a medieval German town near sunset last summer, I laid down my oar, looked into the sky and reflected on the implications of Luther’s, ‘On the freedom of a Christian’ essay….” After listening to bands and talking soccer with your new friends, you’ll be surprised back home to see how many newsfeeds and postings on your facebook wall are written in German. Five hundred years ago, the Lutheran Reformation broke down cultural barriers between people, created unprecedented interpersonal connections, and ushered in a new era of human understanding. In the summer of 2013, The Luther500 Festival will be doing these same things—and you will be there!
Who is Invited?
Well, presented by LOST AND FOUND, you might have already guessed it—All Are Welcome: individuals, families, school groups, congregational groups, college and seminary students. People of every age are welcome since there will be something for everyone, everyday. At the Luther500 Festival in June of 2011, there were retired people, young parents, college students and young adults, teens and even toddlers. Did we mention that all are welcome? The program includes a few hours a day of dedicated programming for kids under twelve, operated by those experienced in Kinder Care.
The Luther500 Festival is particularly well suited for:
- Youth Groups: a youth event, mission trip, and music festival all in one. Oh yes, and it is in GERMANY.
- School Groups: a learning experience in history, foreign language, arts and music, and theology. Oh yes, and it is in GERMANY.
- Seminary Students: the best way to understand Luther and the Reformation — in GERMANY.
- College Students: a summer trip with purpose and perhaps a few credits for next semester (see FAQs). Oh, and while you are there, why not get a train pass and see a few things, like, say, France, Spain, Italy and Holland?
- Congregational Groups: a chance for members of Lutheran congregations to re-engage with their cultural and theological (and in some cases, familial) heritage and have a great time in the process building bonds that will last and helping to revitalize the congregation back home. We can arrange custom interest centers and tour guides for Pastors who bring groups if desired.
- Families: a great way for mom and dad to bring the kids to Europe in an inexpensive, fun, educational, safe and memorable way. You can choose from Interest Centers as a family, spend some time exploring on your own, and even add custom days to the trip to see a few more places.
Special Notes
To leaders:
If you bring 12 others, your Festival Pass is free. If you bring 24 you get two free Passes for leaders. You guessed it: if you bring 36, you get 3 for free!
To College and Seminary Students:
We will be joined by German youth groups and college students at the Festival. In Germany, the idea of “youth group” is a bit different than in the US, generally including those between the ages of 15 and 25.
About those under 18 years of age:
Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible person over the age of 21 as part of a family, youth group, school group, or congregational group.
Do you need something to show the Elders and the Parents in the Church? Or to raise funds? Download this pdf handout with information about the 2013 Luther500 Festival at a glance!
And don’t miss to have a look into the 2011 Program Book which gives you a good idea about what to expect.