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Overview 2023/2024 Youth Night Meeting Schedule Middle School Confirmation High School Night High School Sunday Morning Education 2024 National Youth Gathering

We're jazzed to announce that we’re heading to New Orleans for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering! The Big Easy is filled with rich history, friendly locals, amazing food and great music, and we just can’t wait to go back. Mark your calendars for July 16-20, 2024, to join us for this transformational faith formation event.

Want to learn more about about it watch the short video below! 

HISTORY OF THE GATHERING

Young Lutherans have been gathering for more than 100 years! The Lutheran denominations that made up the ELCA each had rich traditions of bringing their young people together. We’ve gathered in places from Los Angeles to Boston under such themes as “Called to Freedom” and “Jesus, Justice, Jazz,” with speakers from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Bishop Desmond Tutu.

ELCA Youth Gathering (1988 – Present)
1988 – San Antonio, Texas, “Rejoice in the Lord Always”
1991 — Dallas, Texas, “Called to Freedom”
1994 — Atlanta, Ga., “2 Be Alive”
1997 — New Orleans, La., “River of Hope”
2000 — St. Louis, Mo., “Dancing at the Crossroads”
2003 — Atlanta, Ga., “Ubuntu” (Do Life)
2006 — San Antonio, Texas, “Cruzando” (Crossing)
2009 — New Orleans, La., “Jesus, Justice, Jazz”
2012 — New Orleans, La., “Citizens with the Saints”
2015 — Detroit, Mich., “Rise Up Together”
2018 — Houston, Texas, “This Changes Everything”
2021/2022 — Minneapolis, Minn., “boundless: God beyond measure” (Canceled due to COVID-19)
2024 — New Orleans, La., “Created to Be”

 

Mission & Goals

The Gathering’s mission of faith formation in young people is the hub from which all things come for MYLE, the tAble and the Gathering. Our goal is to create environments and opportunities for faith formation through worship, interactive learning, Bible study, service and fellowship. While some of the experiences can be replicated at home, some are unique and special to the Gathering because of the size and scope of this ministry.
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There are five core goals that we have for this ministry:
Some participants may accomplish these goals during, MYLE or the tAble, our two pre-events, while others will at Mass Gatherings, where participants come together for music, speakers and worship. Others might tackle these goals in the Interactive Learning space, where they can experience exciting things that the ELCA and our partners are doing. Or maybe it’s experiencing God’s work already being done in New Orleans, La., on their Accompaniment day. It might even be during Synod Day, where participants are in community with those geographically close to them. It also might just happen during Community Life or the nightly congregational devotion and debrief called Final 15.

Wherever it happens, we know that this is a powerful and transformational ministry if you are brave enough to let your guard down long enough for the Spirit to enter in, if you can be quiet long enough to listen to someone different from yourself, if your prayer is to be open to what God is calling you to, if you realize the strong roots of a community will ground you no matter the strength of life’s storms, if you imagine yourself as part of something bigger than you.
2024 THEME