– Jennifer Schultz

I’m Jennifer Schultz, and I’m thrilled to serve as Team Leader for Volunteers for the 2018 Gathering. I currently serve as an ELCA pastor in Los Alamitos, California.  As a student, I didn’t have the opportunity to participate in a Gathering, but I’ve served as an adult leader at two Gatherings. For the 2015 Gathering, I served as Co-Leader for the Volunteers Team. There are so many volunteers that serve throughout the Gathering. The Volunteers Team includes Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC), Servant Companions, and local volunteers. 
 
The Gathering is an incredible ministry. It provides a dedicated space, time, and ample opportunities to live out our Christian faith in new and different settings with so many siblings in Christ. The experience of the Gathering is not only life-changing for students and adult leaders, but also for the myriads of people who serve in preparation for, during, and after the Gathering. I had no idea how many people were involved until I served on the leadership side of the 2015 Gathering. There are so many dedicated people who come together from a variety of settings, backgrounds, ages, and experiences. This variety actually unites us for the common goals for the Gathering: to bring the love of God through Jesus to life for all participants, to be of service to neighbor, and to experience faith in unexpected, new, and renewed forms.     
 
As you prepare for the Gathering, please know there are so many dedicated people working towards the common goal of everyone of having a faith-filled experience! 

– Jake Putala

As a rural Michigander, the Detroit ELCA Youth Gathering was an eye-opener. Yes, I live in Michigan, but I didn’t understand what the people of Motor City were going through. I never saw how we can do God’s work with our very own hands until I went on this trip—and I am forever grateful that I did.

What started with a eight hour bus ride (without air conditioning, I might add) turned out to be one of the best times of my life. Our synod took two busses, transporting about 120 Lutheran youth and chaperones. I only knew a few of them, so meeting many other youth who all share a passion for Christ was so inspiring.

However, it wasn’t meeting people that was the best part. It was seeing God’s work in action that gave me a feeling of awe and spiritual revival. When we were helping the less fortunate get a meal or building a house for a low income family, it wasn’t us who were doing this work. It was God. God brought all of us together for fellowship, service, and worship. Being in a sports stadium with 30,000 other Lutherans was quite possibly the most incredible experience of my life. Singing hymns, listening to inspiring speakers, and seeing how energetic the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America could be created a whole new appreciation for my faith, and, more importantly, for Jesus Christ.

I would recommend to any young Lutheran to attend the Gathering. What seems to be a short week turns into a lifetime of love, passion, and enthusiasm for Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Always remember: Jesus is GOOD news!

– Carmen Cobo, Mission Investment Fund

Mission Investment Fund (MIF) comes to each Gathering because we are church, and because we believe in lifting up the youth of this church.  I am energized as I come to each Gathering.  I am energized by the positive teens in my midst who have such a strong belief in God and a strong conviction to serve others, by the dedicated youth leaders and pastors who have so much to share with those they guide, and by the ELCA leaders who make this inspirational event happen every three years.

For these very reasons, MIF has made special contributions to bring youth to the Gathering—so that those who may not otherwise be able to attend can indeed be part of this incredible event. We are church together.

MIF is your partner—as you prepare for the next Youth Gathering, during your participation in the event, and after you return home and settle back into your normal ministry routines.  We offer your congregations a Youth Ministry Demand Investment Account, which is a great way for youth groups to save for the triennial Youth Gathering and other youth activities.  If you don’t already have an account, we encourage you to open one.

When you come to Houston in 2018, our MIF Service Center will be open each day to assist you with your financial needs on site. We’re also planning a new, fun, interactive activity—more to come on this later! And long after the 2018 Youth Gathering is over, we will be here to assist your congregations and its future leaders with financial products and services that support your ministries and help you carry out your missions in your communities.

I can’t wait to see you all in the summer of 2018!

Carmen Cobo is Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of the Mission Investment Fund, the lending ministry of the ELCA.

-Molly Beck Dean

Hi! My name is Molly and I serve as the Program Director for the ELCA Youth Gathering or Gathering Director for short. I began as director in January 2015 and accompanied former director, Heidi Hagstrom, and the other 2015 leadership in the months leading up to the Gathering.

So while I’m still relatively new on staff, my passion for and involvement in the Gathering started many years ago. In July of 1997, I boarded a bus in North Dakota and headed to New Orleans for the Gathering. That week was transformative for me. I experienced God in a new way. I saw how huge the ELCA was, and I was delighted in knowing tens of thousands of other teens shared in the Lutheran faith with me. I made lifelong friends, experienced an exciting city, and learned how important an adult youth worker can be in your life.

I am also fairly certain that the Gathering cemented God’s calling for my life. I returned home fired up about youth ministry, dove deeply into leadership within my synod, and rededicated myself to ministry in my congregation. I went on to serve as Director of Youth & Family Ministry at St. John in Fargo and as assistant program staff for the Northwestern Minnesota Synod and the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. For two summers, I was on staff with Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Florida. In 2002, the Holy Spirit called me to Philadelphia where I joined the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod as their Youth Ministry Specialist for almost thirteen years.

Youth ministry is my calling. Showing young people the magnitude of God and God’s church is my passion. Walking alongside young leaders is my honor. Creating a community of support for adult youth workers is my delight. I love God and feel blessed to be doing this work in the ELCA.

My first love is my family! My husband and two children are on this crazy journey alongside me. We are making our new home in Illinois, and I am so grateful for their love and support.

Blessings!