{"id":56567,"date":"2024-07-22T18:43:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T18:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/?p=56567"},"modified":"2025-06-03T20:12:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T20:12:56","slug":"the-confluence-2024-is-in-the-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/2024\/07\/22\/the-confluence-2024-is-in-the-books\/","title":{"rendered":"The Confluence 2024 is in the books!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, sans-serif;\">Gretchen Roeck<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, sans-serif;\">, <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: arial, sans-serif;\">Program Director for The Confluence<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Confluence 2024 is in the books! <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-56570 size-large alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Confluence group gathered in a group on a grassy area. \" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/grass-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> Here are the stats:\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 participants<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">12 churches<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Christian faith traditions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Augsburg rockstar student mentors (shout out to Sarah Runck, Liana Whitlock, Marcia Francois, Luke Owens and Stephen Nushann)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 Auggie Alum (the *amazing* <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/immanuel.us\/about\/grace-porter\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grace Porter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 musicians leading worship from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redeemermpls.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9 speakers from around the Twin Cities including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joedavispoetry.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Joe Davis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.justmoveculture.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dave Sherer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/cyreta-oduniyi-mdiv-85747342\/?locale=es_ES&amp;trk=people-guest_people_search-card\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rev. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cyreta Oduniyi-Howard<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Pastor of Christian Education, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Middle School Specialist, Academic Navigator and Lead Teacher at 21st Century Academy, and Young Survivors Lead at Northside Healing Space, all ministries of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/libertychurchmpls.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Liberty Presbyterian Church<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 learn about our other facilitators below<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7 locally owned restaurants \u2013 you should visit them too!<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/taqueriavallarta.us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taqueria Vallarta<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrodeli.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Afro Deli<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.curryinahurrymn.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curry in a Hurry<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mnnicecream.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MN Nice Cream<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theredseampls.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Red Sea Ethiopian Restaurant<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pimento.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pimento Jamaican Kitchen<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soberfishrestaurant.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soberfish Thai and Sushi Bar<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6 Augsburg Staff (Big thanks to our partners in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/campusministry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Campus Ministry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, CCV Staff <a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/2023\/07\/10\/introducing-our-new-congregational-facilitator-brenna-zeimet\/\">Brenna Zeimet<\/a>, Augsburg Events and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/faculty\/myers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professor Jeremy Myers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1 wildly talented translator, Yesenia Morales Bahena, for our 4 incredibly smart and brave English Language Learners<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Week<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-56571 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Group of confluence mentors taking a selfie on a street corner in Minneapolis\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/smiles-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>The week was guided by our understanding of vocation as the place where our Biblical story intersects with our world\u2019s story and personal stories.\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To develop their understanding of the Biblical story, participants spent time each morning with Professor Jeremy Myers where they explored <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburgfortress.org\/store\/product\/9781506457017\/Manna-and-Mercy-A-Brief-History-of-God-Unfolding-Promise-to-Mend-the-Entire-Universe\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manna and Mercy<\/span><\/i><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Daniel Erlander. With Jeremy, participants explored the ongoing arc of our sacred story: God\u2019s invitation into relationship, how that relationship creates and inspires relationships and communities of hope, the breakdown of those relationships and communities, and God\u2019s offer of redemption. Participants applied this arc to their personal story and communal realities. Our goal for participants was for them to ask how they might partner with God and participate in God\u2019s business of mending the universe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To understand the world\u2019s story, participants learned about different ways to see and understand the world. On Monday, they spent the afternoon with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mnchurches.org\/what-we-do\/healing-minnesota-stories\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jim Bear Jacobs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Native cultural facilitator who works to <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">create understanding and healing between Native American and non-Native people through storytelling. With Jim Bear participants learned about the history of indigenous people in Minnesota and how they can play a key role in promoting and experiencing healing by opening themselves to our own history and listening to the stories of Native people. On Tuesday, participants took a neighborhood tour through the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, where Augsburg is located, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/sabo\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jenean Gilmer, Augsburg\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community Engaged Learning Program Manager through the Sabo Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. With Jenean they learned about the rich history of Cedar-Riverside and how world events, cultural dynamics and power structures shape neighborhoods and the people who live in them. On Wednesday participants met with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/2023\/07\/10\/introducing-our-new-congregational-facilitator-brenna-zeimet\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brenna Zeimet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a Christensen Center for Vocation Congregational Facilitator at the Riverside Innovation Hub to map out the assets and challenges of the communities they come from.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally they explored their personal stories by mapping their life histories, charting their gifts, strengths, passions and growing edges, and articulating what they care about by naming what they find beautiful at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/new.artsmia.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minneapolis Institute of Art.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-56572 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Two students on a bench smiling and looking at one of their phones. \" width=\"640\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2024\/07\/Students-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>It was a week of personal reflection and growth, critical learning and inspiring conversations. In the midst of it all, meaningful relationships were built between participants from wildly different backgrounds. Our participants included six recent immigrants and three children of immigrants, folks from Minneapolis and St. Paul, small towns in greater Minnesota, the shores of Lake Superior and even California!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right now participants are working on their final papers, integrating what they learned and articulating how they will partner with God in mending the universe. We\u2019ll be publishing their papers on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/confluence\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confluence website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in September.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Looking further into fall, I will be developing a sustainability plan for The Confluence. Currently the Confluence is grant funded by the Forum for Theological Exploration through the Lilly Endowment. The grant period is ending soon so I will be exploring different funding options and developing programmatic stability. If you, your congregation or organization would like to be a partner in this work, please contact me at: <\/span><a href=\"ma&#105;&#108;&#116;&#111;&#x3a;&#x72;&#x6f;&#x65;&#x63;k&#64;&#97;&#117;&#103;&#115;&#x62;&#x75;&#x72;&#x67;&#x2e;ed&#117;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#114;&#x6f;&#101;&#x63;&#107;&#x40;&#97;&#x75;g&#x73;b&#x75;r&#x67;&#46;&#101;&#x64;&#117;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Gretchen Roeck, Program Director for The Confluence The Confluence 2024 is in the books! Here are the stats:\u00a0 &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":505,"featured_media":56571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[165,181],"tags":[206,279,96,301,176],"class_list":["post-56567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-christensen-center-for-vocation","category-staff","tag-accompaniment","tag-confluence","tag-staff","tag-summer","tag-vocation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56567"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56679,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56567\/revisions\/56679"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}