ELCA Youth Gathering
What is it?
Every three years, the youth of the ELCA come together for a week of faith building, service, learning, and fellowship.
It’s not about how many young people are gathered in one place at one time; it’s about what happens when they are together that is significant and exciting.
When 36,000 youth and adults of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather together every three years, they are immersed in Bible study, worship, service, music, learning, play, prayer, the witness of faithful leaders from around the world, caring for others, and new friendships. It’s a time of change and growth because we gather in the presence of God's Spirit with others who journey with Jesus.
It's a spiritually rich, unforgettable experience!
In the community of the Gathering, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, youth experience a strengthening of faith that gives them hope, courage, and a new spirit that is carried into everyday life back home and in the world. They learn to recognize Jesus in everyday situations. They experience the call to:
- wake up to who they are in Christ
- look around and see Christ in the eyes of those standing beside them
- turn around and walk in a new direction
- experience the new life that Jesus promises, and
- go with God into the world as witnesses to Jesus’ way of service, healing, compassion, and justice
If it sounds like a lot to experience, it is. The ELCA Youth Gathering is always an immersion in and of faith.
See you in New Orleans in 2009 for Jesus Justice Jazz!
For more information on the 2009 Youth Gathering, please visit the archived site of the ELCA.