WE'RE HEADING TO MINNEAPOLIS IN 2027!

We’re excited to announce that we’re heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering! Mark your calendars for June 28 – July 2, 2027 to join us for this transformational faith formation event.​
The ELCA Youth Gathering is a national convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for high school youth. It is held every three years in a different American city. The gathering lasts around five days and each day is focused on a form of service. Each convention also has a central theme. 

CREATED TO BE — 2024 ELCA YOUTH GATHERING

In July of 2024, our Youth Fellowship group attended the 2024 ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana. This was a week of learning, serving, and worshiping, all to the glory of God!

The theme of the week was CREATED TO BE, which encouraged the youth to know that they are loved beyond measure and created to be exactly as God intends. “The speakers at the mass gathering made it clear everyone is loved by God,” says Gabriel Ziegler. “I learned that God has a plan for everyone, and that we all gathered this week to know we aren’t alone in our faith.”

For Gabriel and the others, the mass gatherings each evening were a highlight of the experience. “I still got goosebumps walking into the mass gathering,” says Devon Sabene, one of our adult chaperones who attended previous Youth Gatherings as a teenager. These evening events were one of the main attractions of the week, as all 16,000+ attendees gathered in the Pelicans’ arena to hear speakers from across the nation and worship together with energetic praise music. “I loved the mass gathering,” says Summer Ziegler, “It helped me learn so many new things about God, Jesus, and myself.”
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In addition to evening worship, our group also attended a ministry fair, where we learned about the many ways the ELCA strives for justice and peace around the world, and we served alongside a local organization to restore coastal Louisiana through recycling oyster shells and planting cypress trees. In our free time, we explored the city, learned of its incredible history, ate many beignets, sailed along the Mississippi, and even toured the city's iconic cemeteries.

When reflecting upon all the stories and local history from this week, Ariana Williams says, “I learned how the citizens of New Orleans come together to help one another.” This resilience inspired our group and reminded us of the Gospel promise—that death doesn’t have the final word. Resurrection will come in the morning.
This year’s group wants to invite and encourage all eligible youth to attend the 2027 Youth Gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gabriel says, “If you’re able to go…GO! It’s something you’ll never experience anywhere else. It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Ariana says the Gathering is important because, “It helps build and strengthen the relationship between you and your faith in God.” Corbin Ziegler encourages others to “not be afraid to do anything and try new things.” And in Summer’s opinion, “This was an amazing experience. You come back home a better person than you were when you left.”

BOUNDLESS: GOD BEYOND MEASURE — 2022 YOUTH TRIP

In July of 2022, the youth group traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a week-long trip dedicated to service, fellowship, and fun! The theme of this trip was Boundless: God Beyond Measure, and each day was focused on exploring the topics of God's boundless love, forgiveness, creation, invitation, and promise.

While in the Twin Cities, the youth group had several transformative experiences. They observed the sacred art at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, the Basilica of Saint Mary, and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. They worshipped with Central Lutheran Church in Downtown Minneapolis. They learned how Grace University Lutheran Church serves their urban neighborhood in the name of Jesus. They packaged meals with Feed My Starving Children and sorted medical supplies with Global Health Ministries. And they visited the campus of Luther Seminary, where they saw historic religious artifacts, such as: a Gutenberg Bible, a death mask of Martin Luther, an ancient scroll of the Book of Esther, and Old Muskego Church, the first Norwegian Lutheran church in America.