Thursday, July 18 – Created to Be Free

Today, over 5k Gathering participants in bright orange shirts launched into the city for “Accompaniment Day,” a day dedicated to walking alongside and supporting the people of New Orleans. Participants engaged with community leaders who are making significant impacts locally and globally. Each project was crafted by local leaders to deepen their missions, highlighting the importance of partnership and continued impact.

Accompaniment involves more than physical tasks; it includes learning about culture, food, and justice-centered work. As we engage in God’s mission, building relationships is essential to proclaiming the Gospel. Participants cleaned parks, painted playgrounds, cleared storm drains, and beautified the New Orleans Women and Children’s Shelter.

Dr. Kristen Contos Krueger, Director of Accompaniment, shared, “I want them to learn that the problems they see in New Orleans are not exclusive to New Orleans. Racism, social justice, and environmental justice are issues everywhere. The experiences here are lessons to take home.”

Some participants attended Color of Grace’s workshop, encouraging youth to be instruments of God’s love and justice. Pastor Aaron from the Southern Ohio Synod expressed his hope for the future. “These young people have the love of Christ and the ability to change the world.” Ian from the Virginia Synod shared his commitment to using his voice for good, saying, “I am created to be bold in a better way to reciprocate God’s love.”

Other students participated on-site with various groups including ELCA Witness in Society. Amy Reumann, ELCA Senior Director for Witness in Society, led discussions on local concerns and the role of public policy in breaking down or reinforcing walls. She inspired students to become advocates, saying, “We can bring the stories of our communities to impact the laws that are passed.”

Some participants worked with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) by supporting CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program, which collects shells from restaurants and public drop-off sites to build oyster reefs and shoreline habitats. Additional participants engaged with Let’s Be Bigger, a non-profit focused on building relationships for a bigger future. Founder Malik Baloney emphasized the importance of mutual service – aiming to create a bridge between Gathering students and St. James Parish residents. Students learned about the area’s history, engaged with local high school youth, and experienced authentic Louisiana cuisine, including home-cooked jambalaya. Through this cultural learning experience, participants became part of something bigger, gaining new perspectives and understanding a culture different from their own. This experience marked a crucial first step in breaking down barriers and building bridges, inspiring them to foster unity and empathy.

Today, miraculously after Accompaniment participants returned from their sites, New Orleans experienced torrential rain and flash floods. Yet, with God’s grace, the rain stopped just in time for participants to head to the Smoothie King Center for the third night of Mass Gathering. The rain did not dampen the spirit of this Lutheran parade as participants entered the arena filled with energy and excitement for the evening.

E-L-C-A 🎉 E-L-C-A 🎉 E-L-C-A 🎉 echoed through the arena as emcees hyped the crowd, who responded with enthusiasm. The arena was alive with the jazzy beats of the “Two Horn Jazz Duo” featuring Ryan Thibodaux on trumpet and Michael Hotstream on saxophone. The House Band and dancers got everyone moving to “Praise the Lord, oh my Soul,” and DJ CJ kept the crowd grooving, even dancing to the Macarena.

We also had the privilege to hear from phenomenal speakers tonight. 

Drew Tucker, executive director of HopeWood Outdoors, spoke about his struggle with an eating disorder and the freedom found in being true to oneself. He encouraged students, saying, “You were created to be free from the burden of being someone else because you were created to be free, fully and wholly yourself.”

Sianna, a young adult speaker, reminded everyone that nothing can separate us from God’s love. Quoting Romans, she emphasized, “Nothing, and I mean nothing, can separate us from the love of God. Our past mistakes, losses, confusion, or even our insecurities. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.” She encouraged everyone to embrace their true selves, saying, “Be free, I mean it… BE FREE!”

Austin Channing Brown, author of “I’m Still Here,” delivered a powerful message to students of color, emphasizing their inherent worth. She declared, “People of color, you are not the work. Racial justice is the work.” On a night centered around the theme “Created to Be Free,” her words resonated deeply, highlighting the call to honor human dignity and strive for systemic change. Channing Brown urged us to reframe our thinking, stating, “People who are homeless are not the work. Housing is the work. People who are hungry are not the work. Food insecurity is the work. Those in toxic neighborhoods are not the work. Environmental racism is the work.”

Austin was a tough act to follow, but incoming freshman Jada took the stage tonight with such poise and beautifully delivered a piece that she wrote herself. This 13-year-old was strong and eloquent as her spoken word performance about Jesus’ commitment to justice, calling everyone to “fight for justice with love and care.”

The night ended with Keats Miles-Wallace, who spoke about discovering their true self in college and the freedom of being loved by God as they are. Keats inspired everyone, saying, “God created you to be free. Free to be your truest selves, free to be proud of who you are, free to be weird and different and unique.”

As you go out into this world, remember Keats’ words, “You have the power to help make a world where everyone gets to shine in whatever colors, patterns, or shapes God designed for them. You can make a world where everyone experiences the way God delights in them.”

You are created to be FREE!

Day 3 Recap Video

Written by: Vicar Bobbi Cyr (she/her)

Servant Leadership at the Gathering with Companions and Coaches

Written by Bobbi Cyr (she/her)

As we have entered into the Easter Season, I have been especially drawn to the road that Jesus walked with his disciples. Jesus showed us how to be in community with, share in life’s joys and hardships with, how to eat with, pray with, serve with, and how to build relationships with one another. Even after death, we see the Resurrected Jesus walk the Road to Emmaus alongside people he had just met, and he gives us a model of a good companion. Jesus accompanies them in their journey, sharing in story, and breaking bread with them. We are called to actively participate in God’s mission in the world and like Jesus, we meet various people with whom we share in this journey. At its heart, accompaniment is walking alongside others with Jesus, as we answer God’s call to mission.  I believe this is what it means to be a Servant Coach and Companion at the Gathering.

How Do We Accompany the City in Which We Serve

In mission, our companions on the road may be individual people in our own community, in other communities, or around the world. As we accompany these companions, it’s important to remember that service comes in all forms. When we think about Accompaniment Day (formerly known as Service Learning), we need to remember the story of the road to Emmaus and that we are here to walk this road with the people of New Orleans. Tiffany Wilson, serving on the Accompaniment team, reminds us, “We need to enter into this space with an intentional mindset that we do not serve to save. [New Orleans] is doing just fine on its own.  We are here to accompany the city in the ways in which God’s already working through these partners. As we prepare, we are intentionally asking our partners how we can help them reach their goals.” That might be a physical task, but it also might be educational in learning about the culture and food, or more justice-centered work. Regardless of what this service looks like, as we engage in God’s mission through accompaniment, we must remember that in order to proclaim the Gospel, we must first place priority on being in relationship. 

What does Servant Leadership Look Like at the Gathering?

Accompaniment is one of the central experiences of the Gathering. Remember those companions who enter our life and walk alongside us on the journey? As you engage in the purpose of Accompaniment day, you will not be alone on the road; Servant Companions will walk alongside participants and their leaders helping them to connect with local organizations, hear their stories, work together, and learn how to engage in similar work at home. Servant Companions are a pivotal link between the Gathering participants and the Accompaniment team. These leaders guide congregational groups as they learn, experience, and serve alongside the people of New Orleans.  

So You Were a Participant… Now What?

Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with Evan Rogaczewski who started his journey with the Gathering in New Orleans as a participant in both 2009 and 2012. Like many young adults after high school, Evan found it hard to stay connected to the church while going to college. Since he enjoyed the Gathering as a participant, he found that volunteering as a Servant Companion was an easy choice and one way that he could stay involved, while accompanying youth as they served. Evan recalled how helpful it was to have companions guiding him on past mission trips. He shared that when things don’t always go right, it is nice having someone who has been there; especially someone who not only thrives in the midst of chaos, but can help provide stability in those situations. Evan wanted to be one of those people to support others and volunteered as a Servant Companion in both Detroit (2015) and in Houston (2018). 

For Evan, his favorite part of being a Servant Companion was building relationships with fellow volunteers, several of whom he is still good friends with 6–8 years later. When the days are long and exhaustion sets in, there may also be a lot of inside jokes that keep the team afloat. Being a Servant Companion provides a great opportunity for growth. As both a Coach and a Companion, you are in a position where you have to be calm and think on your feet. The greatest growth, both personally and in faith, happens when we are challenged and stretched. Evan shares that beyond the early mornings and the work, it’s really the community that makes it worth all it and why he keeps coming back!

Answering the Call

God is actively at work in the world and in the city we are being called and sent to. Together, we will be in mutual relationship with the city of New Orleans, asking how we can actively participate in God’s mission and work.

Both Coaches and Servant Companions are equipped to share the good news and serve our participants as they work to serve the neighbors of New Orleans. 

Coaches train, mentor, and support young adults who serve as Servant Companions during the Gathering. 

Servant Companions guide Gathering participants as they learn, experience, and serve alongside the people of New Orleans on their Accompaniment day. 

God invites us to the table and sends us to go out as companions to walk with and to serve. When we tire, our fellow companions hold us up; when our faith is weak, our companions remind us of what we have seen and shared together. Like the people on the road to Emmaus, God gives us companions for this purpose. 

Learn More and Apply

Is the Holy Spirit stirring within you to accept this call to be a Servant Coach or Companion in New Orleans?

Applications to be a Servant Companion Coach are open through June 2. Apply Here!
Applications for Servant Companions will open on June 15. Get more information on Volunteering of the Gathering HERE.

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.

– Jessica Noonan

This past August as the summer was winding down and a new year of school was beginning, life along the Gulf Coast came to a standstill.  It was like time froze. Everything was a blur.  No one knew what day it was or what the next day would bring. When you come to Houston this summer, you will learn quickly that everyone has their “Harvey story.”  Living through it and seeing the devastation that followed Hurricane Harvey it still seems unimaginable—the rain that kept coming, rising waters, tornadoes… and the waiting.  My neighborhood had no physical damage.  It was pure luck that our house was just a little higher in elevation than the neighborhood one mile way with lots of flooding, or the neighborhood four miles away that was completely obliterated. There is a lot of guilt when your home is fine and your neighbor down the road has no home. Everyone has a story.

You might be wondering how has the hurricane changed our approach to how we walk alongside our Service Learning partners in Houston?  It hasn’t.  One of our values has always been accompaniment.  We are in relationship with our partners.  We listen to their needs. We still want to focus on the needs of our partners whatever they might be come June 2018.

Jessica Silverio is part of the Service Learning Team; she is helping to secure service learning projects for the Gathering.  She said, “Many people are still out of their schools or homes and some lost it all. Getting to see 30,000 youth come out to the streets and help in whatever way they can will be a great sight to see. It’s important to give people a chance to talk about their lives and how its changed since Harvey.”

We are a people of story—Jesus teaches us through story, the Bible is filled with the stories of our faith—we are a people of story.

When Gathering participants go to project sites our hope is that the partner shares the story of their organization, mission, and why this work matters.  We hope that Gathering participants share their story with partners.

We hope that participants go home and create new stories in their communities.

Jessica Noonan is the Service Learning Team Leader for the 2018 Gathering.