by: Bishop Ann Svennungsen

I’m so excited that the Minneapolis Area Synod will host the 2021 ELCA Youth Gathering. Minnesota, home of 10,000 lakes and more shoreline than California is filled with Lutherans – nearly 700,000 to be exact. We have 300 congregations within an hour drive of the Convention Center – each one eager to welcome you with a ready smile.

The Dakota people were the first to live here along the banks of the mighty Mississippi, with sacred sites dotting our landscape. Now we have 11 federally recognized tribes in Minnesota and one of the largest urban Native populations in the country. Minneapolis is also the largest Somali city outside East Africa. Liberians fill several of our ELCA congregations and we have churches worshipping weekly in Lao, Hmong, Swahili, Spanish, Oromo, Amharic, Norwegian and American Sign Language.

Minneapolis is the proud hometown for Prince, Lizzo and Bob Dylan. We don’t just love this city for the music. We love it for the food too – not just hotdish and Jello, but also Juicy Lucys and cheese curds, freshly-caught walleye and wild rice, pho and injera bread. 

Even more than the Mall of America, our 22 metro lakes with their sailboats and paddleboards; our 100 miles of bike paths and abundance of rental bicycles; our countless outdoor cafes, including many global markets, and beautiful 80-degree temperatures will welcome you here. We’re really proud of our city and understand why it’s one of the most popular for young adults. 

We’re ranked first in the number of volunteers per capita, which excites us to partner with you as we follow Jesus together in meaningful service in our neighborhoods.

We can’t wait to see you in Minneapolis. Even more, we look forward to gathering with you in 2021 to hear anew the good news of Jesus’ love for all creation, including you and me. See you then!

Re-elected to a second six-year term on May 5, 2018, Bishop Ann Svennungsen was the first woman to serve as bishop in any of the ELCA’s six Minnesota synods. Today, she lives in Minneapolis with her husband Rev. Dr. William Russell.

by: Bishop Abraham Allende

In my time as bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod, I have been blessed to attend two ELCA Youth Gatherings – Detroit in 2015 and Houston in 2018. On both occasions, we worshipped, rejoiced, served, and celebrated God’s wonderful gifts of love, grace, and hope.

Each night at Mass Gathering, we heard powerful messages from a wide variety of speakers and sang a dazzling and diverse array of music from contemporary musicians. During the day each synod either gathered to worship together, went out into the community to serve in different sites around the city, or learned of the many ways the church serves around the world in Interactive Learning. 

The members of the communities where our young people carried out their service projects couldn’t stop thanking them, which was affirming for the youth. And it is through that service that they go out before others and proclaim God’s mercy and grace. 

In both Detroit and Houston, I came away with a renewed feeling of hope for the church. Being around these young people keeps me young. They are eager to serve and demonstrate the love of God by loving their neighbor. The many outreach ministries they performed brought glory to God. 

When we agonize about why young people are leaving church, we need to ask ourselves, what opportunities are we giving them in our congregations to offer their boundless energy and enthusiasm, their passion for the gospel? As adults, we are sometimes unable and often unwilling to give up control. God’s invasion of this world in Jesus is resisted by those who hold power, those whose lives are dedicated to keeping boundaries intact. The challenge is to avoid the temptation of refusing to let go of our sense of authority and denying youth of their willingness to serve.

by: Brittany Horton

Psalm 139:14 says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

This verse is a constant reminder that God makes no mistakes. We are all made in the image of God just as He intended for us to be. As someone who has 50% hearing loss in both ears, I often thought people were staring at my hearing aids or making fun of the way I talked even though my disability was not as visible as others. When I got older, I became more comfortable with who I was and my growing faith played an important role in that.

Being a part of the tAble planning team was an amazing experience. Not only was I able to be a part of something bigger than myself but I was able to empower, motivate and love on others that may have experienced some of the same things I went through as a youth. When I was invited for the tAble I was not prepared for the life changing experiences and many friendships I would soon develop. I was excited to help others shine despite their differences. 

The tAble brought about a spiritual awakening that I did not even know I had. My only mission since then has been to do God’s work the best I know how and to love everyone the same. No matter what we are facing, God always finds several ways to show you that you are exactly where you are supposed to be in that moment. The tAble was an experience of a lifetime and I am glad to have been a part of it. Just like we encouraged these young people to be their true authentic selves, I want each of you to understand that God loves you just the way you are. 

Brittany Horton is a Detroit native and have been doing youth empowerment and advocacy work for the last seven years. She has a strong background in mentoring and community involvement. Brittany enjoys reading, swimming, listening to music, spending time with her family and friends as well as sharing her gifts through various ministries in her church.

by: Sophia Behrens

The ELCA Youth Gathering is an excellent resource for youth to explore their vocations. After attending the 2018 Gathering, I had a better understanding of how big our church was. I also realized that youth can have an empowering opinion about their faith life and how to carry that voice out through our vocations. The Gathering gave me a space to further explore my vocational call of social justice.

I’ve been involved in social justice issues since middle school, beginning with learning about women’s rights and later expanding horizons to be more involved with social justice issues relating to world hunger and diverse representation. The Gathering aided me in finding a way to better connect these issues to my faith life. During my Interactive Learning day, I was able to explore and talk with different organizations and ministries of the ELCA in the social justice space from immigration law to advocating for a better life for farmers across the globe. Along with my peers, I learned how I can get involved with these organizations. 

For me, the speakers at Mass Gathering emphasized the importance of faith communities and the support they give in relation to an individual’s vocation. We heard from strong speakers about a range of subjects, but the one that still sticks out to me over a year later is Maria Rose Belding. Maria founded and directs MEANS database, which helps distribute food across the country. Her words about the struggles of being a teenager and finding a way to fix and advocate for a unique problem inspired and reminded me of my vocation and how to find parallels with faith life and vocation instead of keeping them separate. 

While these were the areas of the Gathering that inspired me personally, there were countless other activities and speakers that could speak to other youth which is what creates the vast outreach of the Gathering.

Sophia Behrens is a freshman at Valparasio University. Throughout high school, Sophia was active in the ELCA Youth Core Leadership Team, her home congregation, and supporting ELCA World Hunger. Sophia was also a part of the 2021 Theme Discernment team for the ELCA Youth Gathering. 

by: Kyle Lefler

Jesus walked. Miles & miles across the hills and valleys of the Holy Land. He and his disciples traveled great distances with little comforts to be with, among and beside the people.

While we need not always travel great distances to be of service to others, we are called to be out among our neighbors. We are called to listen for where there is a need, to pay attention to injustice and to respond in ways that further God’s vision of justice on earth.

My own faith journey has been deeply strengthened by participating in acts of service, both in giving and receiving. As a young person, my youth group served through acts of generous charity and our leaders helped us understand how that charity could move into justice work through education and systemic change. Any work of service is best done in mutuality, where we are listening and responding to a need, rather than offering our own solution. The Gospels provide us with dozens example of that mutuality, through Christ’s society-shaking, humble actions.

When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering in San Antonio and saw service in action on the largest scale I had ever witnessed. There were dozens of organizations educating young people about needs in the world and empowering them to participate in advocating for and serving those in need. Many of us had never had the opportunity to learn and grow in such a way. We saw the Gospel being acted upon in tangible, accessible ways and learned about the calling we have as Christians to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly. 

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading groups through their Service Learning day at the Gathering. We have WALKED  the streets of cities from New Orleans, Detroit and Houston, listening and learning from those communities, and serving in ways that respond to their needs. I have seen young people’s attitudes transform from tiredness and disinterest to excitement and desire to do more in the course of just a few hours. Together, we become better disciples when we humble ourselves to listen and give of our own gifts of time and privilege. I believe Service Learning can be the most powerful moment of the Gathering for many of the attendees, as they experience a new place and find God’s calling within themselves… then take that calling back home to their own community.

May we always boldly go and do likewise.

Kyle Lefler serves as the year round program coordinator at Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in NW Montana, overseeing year round retreat programming and onsite summer camp operations. Kyle is passionate about working with young people in God’s Creation and striving to create intentional community spaces where they are unconditionally loved & accepted, empowered & advocated for. She loves early morning lake swims, handwritten letters & the Avett Brothers.

by: Rev. Daniel Locke

For years, on the dashboard of my first car, sat a green and blue hacky sack. It looked like a small globe. It was well worn and faded by sunlight. This hacky-sack was a reminder of one of the most powerful experiences of my life – the 2003 ELCA Youth Gathering in Atlanta. GA.

When I first met the Gathering in 2003 (“Ubuntu: Do Life”), I was overwhelmed – not only by the immensity of the Gathering – but by life as well. For starters, I was an awkward, too-often-bullied high school band geek, who also kept the bench warm for two varsity sports teams. I was a thespian and a boy scout. And if that wasn’t enough, my dad was commuting long-distance to seminary, my mom was fighting cancer, and my only sibling was attending college. I was wrestling with my identity, longing to find my place and voice in life, and, most of all, I blamed God for it all.

So, I attended the 2003 Gathering with what I consider to be a reasonable amount of skepticism and disdain for faith, as well as a greenish-blue hacky sack. Every spare moment prompted a game of hacky sack, inviting anyone to join. As the circle grew so did my opportunity to meet my peers from around the world – who were also longing to figure out who they were.

It’s been almost two decades since I attended that Gathering and I am still processing the impact of that experience. The more I reflect, the clearer it becomes that the Gathering had such a positive, long-lasting effect not only on my faith formation and relationship with God, but on my understanding of the Church as well.

Obviously, one week in Atlanta did not resolve my struggles. It is 16 years later and I still wrestle. But now I wrestle with confidence and hope. The Gathering invited me into a safe space to wrestle with my identity, not only in Christ but my place in the world as well. It taught me that I am not alone. I left the Gathering with an overwhelming appreciation for the size of the church and my place in it. Lastly, and most of all, the Gathering taught me about the beauty of God’s unconditional grace; for I am named, claimed, blessed, and sealed, and there is no amount of wandering, waiting, or wrestling that can change truth.

The Rev. Daniel Locke lives in Jacksonville, FL with his wife, the Rev. Sarah Locke, and their 1-year-old son, Bennet. Daniel serves the people of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. In 2018, Daniel served the Gathering as the Technical Manager for the Interactive Learning Center. He is excited to serve the Gathering’s Interactive Learning team once again in 2021.

The Gathering’s mission, faith formation in teens, is the hub from which all things come for the tAble, MYLE, and the Gathering. Our goal is to create environments and opportunities for faith formation through worship, Interactive Learning, Bible study, Service Learning, 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.

There are five core goals that we have for this ministry. We hope that all participants can be both affirmed and challenged in their faith, experience new perspectives, ponder their vocation, bond with their congregational group, and learn more about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

While some participants may accomplish these goals during our two pre-events, MYLE or the tAble, some 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 being God’s hands and feet in the Twin Cities on their Service Learning day. It might even be during Synod Day, where participants are in community with those geographically close to them or it might just happen during 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 than 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.

Greetings from the Churchwide Office in Chicago! You might be wondering, who works for the Gathering? In Chicago, there are three staff members that tend to the Gathering year-round. While they aren’t the ones who plan every single detail about the upcoming Gathering, they do support the 14 different teams that do.

Molly, the Gathering Director, first attended the Gathering in 1997 and has served at the Gathering in various capacities ever since. She’s worked at the congregational and synodical levels in youth ministry before transitioning to the Gathering in 2015.

Michael serves as the Assistant Director for the Gathering, where he handles all things housing and registration. Michael began his work with the Gathering as an intern leading up to the 2012 Gathering and has served in various roles ever since.

Justin, the Communications & Administration Program Associate for the Gathering, attended the 2012 and 2015 Gathering and then joined the Gathering staff this spring. He spent the last four summers working in outdoor ministry in various roles.

Molly, Michael, and Justin have a lot in common. Below is a Venn diagram that properly depicts some of their similarities and favorite things. Enjoy–

Lutheran youth have been gathering for more than 100 years. Yep, more than one hundred years. The predecessor church bodies that made up the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (American Lutheran Church – ALC and the Lutheran Church in America – LCA) had a rich tradition of gathering young people and their adult leaders every three years to experience the love of Christ and an opportunity to grow within their faith. Congregational youth groups would spend several days focused on worship, workshops, music, and fellowship.

Before 1988, ALC and LCA Youth Gatherings occurred in cities such as Denver, CO; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; New York City, NY; Seattle, WA; and Miami, FL with various themes such as We Are a Peculiar People and Christ is Lord. Probably one of the most notable keynote speakers was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who preached in front of 20,000 youth at the 1961 ALC Luther League convention in Miami, FL. You could say that Youth Gatherings have always been on the cutting edge, challenging young people to do God’s most righteous work.

After the birth of the ELCA, Gatherings have been held in cities that could accommodate thousands of participants, while providing facilities for experiential learning along with a venue that could hold everybody at the same time for worship and other programming. Here is a list of the ELCA Youth Gatherings, with their themes:

• 1988: San Antonio, Rejoice in the Lord Always
• 1991: Dallas, Called to Freedom
• 1994: Atlanta, 2 Be Alive
• 1997: New Orleans, Rive of Hope
• 2000: St. Louis, Dancing at the Crossroads (40,000 participants)
• 2003: Atlanta, Ubuntu: I am because we are. We are because Christ is. (38,000 participants)
• 2006: San Antonio, Cruzando: Journey with Jesus (37,000 participants)
• 2009: New Orleans, Jesus, Justice, Jazz (36,000 participants)
• 2012: New Orleans, Citizens with the Saints (33,000 participants)
• 2015: Detroit, Rise up Together (30,000 participants)
• 2018: Houston, This Changes Everything (32,000 participants)

In 2000, 2003, and 2006 the Gathering was a two-week, back to back, identical event. This way, the Gathering would be less crowded and more intimate. However, it ended up being not financially sustainable, so in 2009 there was a switch back to a one-week, one event model.

Our demographics have changed, and the overall shrinking of mainline denominations may play a role in decreasing numbers of participants, but the ELCA Youth Gathering continues to capture the hearts and ignite faith in tens of thousands of people every three years. The Gathering has also helped young people discern calls into the Church or in fields of service, where they can carry out God’s work with their hands.

We hope that you will join us in being a part of the Gathering history in 2021!

Welcome back to the ELCA Youth Gathering blog!

It’s been a while since our last blog post, but we are so excited to start it up again for the 2021 Gathering cycle. The blog will serve as a place for those who love and are transformed by this ministry to share their stories, best practices, and insights. It will also serve as a place to be inspired by the incredible impact this ministry has on individuals and communities.

We plan to hear these stories and tips from a wide range of voices including youth participants, adult leaders, Bishops, Gathering staff, team leaders, artists, speakers, learning partners, and Minneapolis leaders within the next two years. If there are specific people you’d like to hear from or topics that you think would make a great blog post, please let us know by email.

We also invite you to subscribe to the Gathering’s blog. This is a separate list from the gNews, which shares important updates about the Gathering. In fact, it would be great for everyone in your congregation or ministry to sign up, so they too can read first-hand the impact the Gathering has on individuals and communities.

We’ll see you next Thursday!