On the last full day of the ELCA Youth Gathering, the daily theme was “God’s Hope Changes Everything.” Synod Day, Service Learning, Community Life, and Interactive Learning were taking place in various locations around the city of Houston.  

 One of the many Service Learning sites was the Houston Food Bank. More than 900 youth participants were hard at work in the facility. They were busy sorting and packing not just food items, but also toiletries and health products. Trini, 16, of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Houston said that the Gathering will leave a lasting impact in the city she calls home. She said, “The Gathering will make Houston a better place by spreading goodness.”  

 Piny, 16, and Joy, 14, from St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin, MN were helping pack food and products at the food bank. With working in the food bank for Service Learning, Piny said she was glad she had the “ability to help others in need. It gives us a chance to stop thinking about ourselves and to help others.”  

 At their Synod Day, youth in the La Crosse Area Synod enjoyed forging relationships, worshiping and connecting in faith under the theme, “God’s hope changes everything.” Sharice, a teen from the synod, shared her faith story, inspiring her peers with a message of hope: “We are the future of this church.”  

 It was also Synod Day for the Delaware-Maryland Synod. Some synod youth groups attended Houston’s “Families Belong Together” rally beforehand to protest the separation of undocumented children and their families. In his opening message Bishop William J. Gohl, Jr., told youth there’s power in coming together for this time of community as a synod and “there’s power in inviting others to come inside (the church).” Throughout the afternoon, youth leaders guided their peers through activities and worship.  

Back in the NRG Arena, youth were having fun playing with inflatables, singing karaoke, dancing, and relaxing. Ojulu Cham, 18, Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Austin, MN, especially liked playing games and meeting new friends in Community Life after a morning spent wrapping and packing beans at the Houston Food Bank.  

Live Bible study at Community Life were “idle tales”; Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, Rev. Jodi Hogue, Rozella Haydée White, and Rachel Kurtz sat down to have a discussion on God’s hope and the Road to Emmaus in Luke’s Gospel. The conversation between these four powerful women today focused on women being the first witnesses to the resurrection, and how the hope of women is how the resurrection came to be known today.  

Mass Gathering was an expression of how God’s hope changes everything. The speakers tonight covered intense topics that need to be discussed thoughtfully and honestly within our faith communities.  

Stephen Bouman, executive director for ELCA Domestic Mission, opened up the final evening of the Gathering with a heartfelt speech on current issues facing the US and this church, including gun violence in our schools, racism, and the ongoing demonization of refugees and immigrants. Bouman shared how he has seen signs of hope in the work of his church, the ELCA, in its advocacy work, fighting hunger in the US and beyond, building peace globally, and accompanying migrant families and children through its AMMPARO initiative. Kelby Anderson, 16, from Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City, IA, said he appreciated Bouman’s timely message of hope and how he connected it to current events. 

Youth were moved when Jamie Bruesehoff and her 11-year-old daughter, Rebekah, shared their story. Rebekah is transgender. “When I was younger, I was worried and confused. Why did I have to go through all of this?” Rebekah shared. “I’ve come to learn that God does not make mistakes. I was created in the image of God to be me.” 

Since claiming her gender identity, Rebekah has went on to speak to lawmakers and others, advocating on behalf of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly those who are transgender. “Transgender kids are just like other kids,” she said. “We need to be loved and supported.” 

 As she wrapped up her speech, Rebekah called on youth to make a difference in their own communities and congregations and show others hope. “I hope for a church and world where people are not only welcomed but they are celebrated,” Rebekah said. “Go out. Start something. Help somebody struggling in their community. Cheer them on. Throw them a party. Paint a giant rainbow flag outside. That’s what I want my church to do.” 

Faye, 15, Atonement Lutheran Church, Rochester, NY, said, “I really liked (Rebekah’s) message no matter how old you are you can make an impact on someone’s life.” 

Maria Rose Belding, executive director of MEANS Database, spoke about her journey to create a national nonprofit database connecting people and organizations with extra food to donate it to nearby hunger nonprofits. She opened up to youth about her anxiety and depression in high school while she was working to create MEANS.  

Belding also discussed her sexuality and past trauma. When she came out to her mentor as queer, he raped her. “What happened to me what not my fault, and if this happened to you, it wasn’t yours either,” Belding said. “God’s hope and love and grace are enough for every queer rape survivor, and every hungry person who has been told to just be more responsible, and everybody in recovery from something, and every child and parent torn apart at our border.” 

Belding’s message deeply resonated with Katie, from St. Philip Lutheran Church, Raleigh, NC. “Being a woman and knowing those types of experiences and being able to hear (Belding) talk and claim that she knew it wasn’t her fault was really powerful to me,” Davidson said.   

Joe Davis, a poet, musician and recent ELCA seminary graduate, inspired youth with a message of hope amid adversity.  “I am a Black man and I am speaking in front of one of the whitest church denominations. My very body is the hope of my ancestors, my very presence is a prayer,” he said. “In a world that speaks death to me … my existence is resistance. I am here for a purpose and a reason.” 

Davis told you they were here for a purpose and reason, and he encouraged them be bold in their faith. “You may have been told to shut up and sit down but I wanna tell you to stand up and speak out,” he said. “We’re no longer in a church building but we are building church.” 

After his talk, Joe Davis said he wanted Gathering participants to remember to “have more reasons to hope than despair. We have to practice hope like a discipline, and it is best practiced in community.”  

Ten Avenue North closed out the evening with a spirited performance of songs that touched on God’s love, grace, and hope. Youth were energized and inspired, and many said the concert was their favorite moment of the evening. Isabel, 18, New Creation Lutheran Church, San Jose, CA, appreciated that lead singer, Mike Doney, “was so in touch with the crowd and brought his view of God into it and explained it and it really made sense.” 

 ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton expressed that she wanted participants to find a way to not just take the hope expressed at Mass Gathering from this one night. Behind the stage, she said she hoped participants would take the entirety of the Gathering experience home with them with them when they depart Houston. Her hope was for participants to maintain the sense of community as they return to their homes across the ELCA.  

Follow the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering on social media:

• Facebook for MYLE, the tAble, and the ELCA Youth Gathering;
• Snapchat (elcagathering);
• Instagram; and
• Twitter for MYLE and the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #ELCAYG2018!

Follow instructions to download the ELCA Youth Gathering app here.

Transformative love was the theme of day two of the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering.

On the first full day of the Gathering, Service Learning, Synod Day, Interactive Learning, and Community Life were in full operation. Makenna, 18, and Cosette, 17, of Mt. Carmel Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, WI were packaging children’s books at Blast off for Books. Makenna said packing the books for the local community was important because “I’m helping get books together so everyone can have access to reading them.” Cosette stated, “This is a good way to give kids an opportunity to gain knowledge and prepare for the future.”

Participants from Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, IL had fun at Community Life. They were anticipating discussions that were taking place for their Synod Day. Their synod, Metropolitan Chicago Synod, were going to talk about current immigration issues in the United States and how the church is called to respond.

The many activities of the day led to the second Mass Gathering. Caroline Meeker opened the Mass Gathering by sharing her battle with anorexia, a disease for which she was hospitalized at the age of nine. 

“I couldn’t stop the voice in my head telling me not to eat,” she said. “I was literally disappearing, physically and mentally.” In the hospital, receiving nutrition from a feeding tube, Meeker felt like she’d lost everything.  

As she recovered, she began noticing God. “God was there in my family, church and friends. God was everywhere,” Meeker told youth. The experience helped her see God doesn’t give us hardships, but “God promises to be there.”  

Grant, 17, from Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Barnesville, Minn., said Meeker’s story made him realize, “God doesn’t judge you by how you look, but how you act, how you feel and believe in him.” 

Meeker’s message also left an impression on Clark Lenczycki, 17, from Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Portland, Col. He was reminded “God is with us through the hardest times, it’s really his love that gets us through the hardest times, it’s always there.”

Other highlights included musical performances from Ryan Brown, Rachel Kurtz and Guardian Drum and Bugle Corps. “I thought the music tonight was phenomenal,” said Luke Thomsville, 17, also from Our Savior’s, Barnesville, Minn. “Each of the individual singers had their own moments. I loved the traditional Mexican dancing and the drumline at the end.”  

Deacon Erin Power spoke about the importance of finding a church home and how we are called to express and embody such a home for a world in need. Power hoped that participants would go home with the realization that “Our call as the church is to embody radical hospitality and we need to proclaim this message.”

Youth were also moved by Reverend Aaron Fuller’s heartfelt speech about his ministry as a wrestling coach and Navy chaplain. Fuller only became a pastor recently, after working as a Naval Officer and struggling with his own demons related to his identity.

“I used to keep people at a distance,” he told youth. “What changed? In my own life, my own dark moments, people walked alongside me. The thing I was going through never scared them.” Today, as a chaplain, Fuller accompanies sailors and wrestlers as they wrestle with life’s ups and downs. 

“The world needs us to be courageous and walk alongside others in [dark] moments,” he said. “What they don’t need us to do is fix their problems and save their world. What they do need is love.” Fuller’s hope was that those attending the Mass Gathering would have the “courage to see suffering in the world, not turn away and enter into it.”

Fuller’s story left an impact on Nicholas Blonstein, 18, from Grace Lutheran Church, Palo Alto, Calif. “This meant a lot to me today,” he said. “People have struggles in their lives that we don’t always realize. People aren’t always what they seem in the outside. Just standing with those people (when they struggle) is enough.” 

Houstonite and storyteller Marlon Hall closed out the evening by blessing ELCA youth with a message of love—and a call to action.  

“You were born to make an indelible mark on the world that no one can erase,” he said. “If you don’t make that mark that mark won’t be made. You make this mark by the love of God.” 

Hall spoke about his and his partner’s hardships during their eight-year struggle to conceive. Then he welcomed his daughter, Phoenix to the stage. He said his daughter is “now and forever a physical manifestation to me that God’s love isn’t earned, it’s welcomed.” 

Hall then shared a story about an encounter with Joe, a man who transformed Hall’s vision of love. Joe took Hall’s phone from a convenience store, then returned it to Hall in the parking lot as though it was a gift. “Joe was trying to give me a blessing that I already had,” he said. “So is true with the love of God.” 

This idea really resonated with Taylor Hohenbrink, 17, from Hope Lutheran Church, Fresno, Calif. She said Hall showed her, “You can’t be given God’s love because you already have it.” 

Comforter Berjbo, 14, who is attending her first gathering, said every speaker gave her goosebumps. Her takeaway from the evening? “God’s love changes the way we look at people, the way we speak of his word . . . it just changes the way we look at life.” 

Follow the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering on social media:

• Facebook for MYLE, the tAble, and the ELCA Youth Gathering;
• Snapchat (elcagathering);
• Instagram; and
• Twitter for MYLE and the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #ELCAYG2018!

Follow instructions to download the ELCA Youth Gathering app here.

The June 27 opening night Mass Gathering of the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering was marked by spirited testimonies of God’s call, fitting with the day’s theme: “God’s call changes everything.” For the 31,000 youth from around the country in attendance, the opening Mass Gathering brought a new sense of belonging in Christ. 

Before the doors to NRG stadium opened, the Gathering participants and adult leaders were anticipating what the night—and the week—had in store.  

“I’m excited to look around and see 31,000 people who all believe what I do. On mission trips we’ve been with other groups but they’ve all been from different denominations. Here we’re all together and we share the same beliefs,” said Alexis, a Gathering participant from Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Appleton, Wis. 

Katelyn from Union Lutheran Church in Schnecksville, Pa., was looking forward to seeing Agape* perform: “I love how he puts religion and music together.” 

A group from Augustana Lutheran Church in Boone, Iowa, was at the front of one of the lines to get into the NRG Stadium. They’d been standing in line since 4:30 p.m. and were eager for the doors to open at 6 p.m. “I’ve been to a Gathering before and I’m honestly looking forward to everything this week, but the mass gatherings are my favorite part. I’m excited to see Agape*, Rachel Kurtz and Tenth Avenue North,” said Claire, from Augustana Lutheran. 

As the first Mass Gathering got underway, Gathering participants witnessed a memorable, energizing introduction to this five-day faith formation event.  

Highlights included words of welcome from Michael Rinehart, bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, and a poetic performance from Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, the current Poet Laureate for the City of Houston. 

LZ7, a Christian electronic dance music group from Manchester, England, brought youth to their feet with high energy, joyful songs illuminating God’s presence in the world.  

Carly, 14, from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Bismark, N.D., felt inspired by the presence of so many other Lutheran peers. “I felt like I belonged, I didn’t feel out of place at all,” she said. “I really liked how all the bands started playing and we all started dancing.”  

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton set the tone for the evening, calling youth to become the “alternate face of Christianity” and disciples who reflect a “God of grace and love, who welcomes everyone.” 

Tuhina Rasche, an ELCA pastor and writer, told youth her call began with a simple invitation to dinner hosted by her college’s Lutheran campus ministry. Rasche started attending their worship services, and one day, while singing a hymn, she was struck by an encounter with God.   

“God sent me messenger after messenger after messenger, setting fires all around me and I finally realized, oh hey, there’s a fire,” she said. That fire was the Holy Spirit acting in her life. “If a former Hindu can be a Lutheran pastor then, yeah, God’s call changes everything,” Rasche said. 

Rasche’s talk resonated with Isaac 15, from Bethany Lutheran Church, Joyce, Iowa. “She felt like she didn’t belong, but everyone just accepted her,” he said. “(Her talk) was the most inspiring to me.” 

The Gathering’s House Band introduced the theme song for the week, “This changes everything,” grounded in Ephesians 2:8.

 Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., closed out the Mass Gathering, encouraging youth to consider how their vocations intersect with our calling as Christians to pursue compassion, justice and reconciliation. 

Stevenson encouraged Lutherans to speak out and name injustice: “When we see injustice, it is necessary that people of faith speak their truth,” he said. “We’re gonna have to say things when it would be easier to be quiet.” 

He spoke of tragic injustice facing young children who get tried as adults and caught up in the prison system, and he implored students to speak out for justice. “I think God is calling us to love and wrap our arms around the kids who are struggling, the kids who are in jail,” he said.  

Libby, 17, Bethany Lutheran Church, Joyce, Iowa, felt empowered by Stevenson’s words: “It makes you want to welcome people and not judge them.” 

Taylor from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Clarksburg, W.Va., connected with Stevenson’s message. “I really liked the lawyer, Bryan. My dad is in law enforcement, so I spend time around lawyers and people in law enforcement, and I love hearing their stories. The story of how he [Bryan] helped the boy was really inspiring and that’s the kind of stuff I want to do.” 

Laurel, also from St. Mark’s in Clarksburg, W.Va., said she loved Stevenson’s speech: “I liked that he probably made a lot of people uncomfortable with what he was talking about because you have to be uncomfortable to make change.”  

Gathering participants will hear more from change-makers as they move into day two, meeting under the day’s theme: “God’s love changes everything.” 

Follow the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering on social media:

• Facebook for MYLE, the tAble, and the ELCA Youth Gathering;
• Snapchat (elcagathering);
• Instagram; and
• Twitter for MYLE and the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #ELCAYG2018!

Follow instructions to download the ELCA Youth Gathering app here.

The third day’s theme for the tAble was “Your gifts belong at the tAble. How do you belong?” The day began centering in a Bible study. Participants then headed to the NRG Center and NRG Stadium for a private tour. The tour of the NRG facilities helped participants get acquainted with the entrances and spaces because Mass Gathering can sometimes be over-stimulating. Lunch was at the Stadium, with visits with emcees, a Mass Gathering speaker, and a Mass Gathering musician.

tAble participants got a sneak peak of the Interactive Learning space, getting to try out the ropes course. The course provided an opportunity for some nervous excitement; the operators have everyone’s safety in mind and they were both patient and encouraging. The spirit of belonging was evident with cheering and overt support from people watching from the ground. Participants also hid kindness rocks throughout the Interactive Center space. The rocks were created on the second day of the tAble, and are to be found as pieces of love for the finders to keep.

After sharing a meal, the community gathered for a concert held by Ginny Owens. Ginny will also be sharing her music on the Mass Gathering stage, connecting the tAble to the Gathering. Her music and conversation encompassed a variety of emotions including grace, beauty, and humor. Keeping with the day’s theme, Ginny reminded everyone at the concert of the book of Exodus, that we are like Moses, called to go out into the world with our gifts.

The evening then transitioned to evening prayer. Bishop Eaton shared the message based on the 14^th chapter of Luke’s Gospel, sharing stories of invitations at gatherings. Bishop Eaton reminded everyone there that in this world, “This is God’s table, and you are the party.”

In the spirit of parties and celebrating gifts, the evening concluded with sharing gifts with one another at “the tAble’s Got Talent.” Participants shared their talents, including singing, dancing, reading a poem, sharing games, and a self-defense demonstration, with the community.

Follow the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering on social media:

• Facebook for MYLE, the tAble, and the ELCA Youth Gathering;
• Snapchat (elcagathering);
• Instagram; and
• Twitter for MYLE and the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #ELCAYG2018!

Follow instructions to download the ELCA Youth Gathering app here.

– Tuhina Verma Rasche

Emcees. Speakers. Musicians. Dancers. Producers. Coordinators. Guides. It takes a community with numerous talents and skills to create a lively and meaningful experience for each night of Mass Gathering. It also takes time, patience, humor, and grace. The Mass Gathering team brought people together to embody what the Mass Gathering will be. There was singing, dancing, and speaking. There was also space and time to get to know one another and to create new friendships as preparations continue for our time together in Houston.

As one of the speakers, this gathering has been a sacred space of sharing the stories and experiences that have brought us to this place of preparation. We’ve been able to care for one another in ways that are representative of the church. We’ve held space for one another to share our gifts in this space.

This space and time of preparation has been holy ground.

It is this memory of sacred and holy ground I will take with me to Houston.

There have been tears of joy and a lot of laughter. There have been so many conversations over breaking bread together (and also over Swedish Fish and gummy bears). So much care and preparation has been taken by the Mass Gathering team. It’s at this foretaste of the feast to come that I cannot wait for all of you to see what will happen each evening of the Gathering.

– Tony Acompando

I am Tony Acompanado, a member of the Mass Gathering Team for the 2018 Youth Gathering in Houston. I am humbled and super excited for the opportunity to be returning for a third cycle to serve on this amazing team.

I attended my first Youth Gathering in 2006 in San Antonio as a youth director and participant; I still recall so many wonderful moments that my youth and I experienced throughout that Gathering.

In Detroit in 2015, I had the incredible opportunity to speak on the main stage, and this once in a lifetime experience offered me a truly unique perspective of the Gathering.

Being invited to share God’s message of hope and redemption within the larger Gathering community continues to be an amazing and unforgettable experience that has impacted my life in so many different ways.

That same year, I also watched my eldest daughter experience her first Gathering. Seeing the work of the Holy Spirit in her life because of the Gathering has been so incredible.

As I look ahead to 2018 in Houston, I am filled with excitement because my eldest son will be attending his first Gathering, and I can’t help but wonder about all the amazing people he will meet, the transformative experiences of God’s love that he will encounter, and the sense of mission that will return home with him.

It has been an amazing gift to experience the Gathering through these diverse perspectives with each one offering me a unique encounter of many ways the Gathering impacts people’s lives. As you look ahead to Houston next summer, I pray that you are filled with tremendous wonder and excitement for all the ways that you may encounter God while you experience all that the Gathering has to offer.  It is my hope that you will immerse yourselves in new experiences and share in the stories of the amazing people you will meet along your journey. I trust that you will experience God’s transformative love throughout the Gathering, no matter where you find yourself.  I cannot wait to see you in Houston!

– Chris Marien

Greetings from the Mass Gathering Team. My name is Chris, and I have the honor of leading the team that creates and shapes the mass gathering sessions each night and worship on Sunday morning. With my own eyes, I have seen the transforming power and work of God through the ELCA Youth Gathering.

The depth and breadth of ministry offered at the Gathering invites participants to engage the promise and grace of God on their own terms, yet in the same breath, defies their imaginations.

As a high school student, I experienced my own Youth Gathering under the banner, “Called to Freedom.” As a pastor, I was invited to accept the challenge of going behind the scenes to serve God as a participant on a planning team. Few experiences of God’s wonder compare with the sheer energy and awe of the Youth Gathering.

Leading the Mass Gathering Team, I have the privilege of working with some of the most gifted and dedicated people in our church. People from all over the church send ideas to the Mass Gathering Team for consideration and development towards an expression on the main stage during an evening session. The best part the Gathering is being able to imagine anything and everything to the glory of God, and then watching the Holy Spirit shape the actual moments that define each night we gather together.

Opening night at the Gathering is always a mix of excitement, exhaustion, anticipation, and trust in our God that all will be as God plans it to be. We are already counting down the days to June 2018.

Come and join us. Come see what God is up to in Houston!