I’m at the Dallas Love Field airport, having left New Orleans early (after a rough day for the airlines) getting ready to return to the Boise area after a wonderful week at the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering. A huge shout out to The Gathering staff and the thousands of volunteers who make this triennial event happen. An added challenge to this event is that the ELCA skipped The Gathering (scheduled to be in Minneapolis is 2021, postponed to 2022 and then cancelled) for a cycle. This meant we lost some momentum and memory of The Gathering. The event that was pulled off was fabulous under but these factors make the achievement all the more remarkable. The Northwest Intermountain Synod had a strong representation and I look forward to congregations across the synod hearing from the youth and their adult leaders, including some pastors and many caring adults who gave of their time.

What is the ELCA Youth Gathering?

Every three years, thousands of high school youth and their adult leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather for a week of faith formation known as the ELCA Youth Gathering. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives.

An important part of the Gathering’s ministry are the two pre-events, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), a faith formation and leadership development event primarily for youth of color, and the tAble, a gathering that brings together, blesses and empowers youth with disabilities.

The ministry of the Gathering is excited to partner with Young Adult Ministries to host the first-ever ELCA Young Adult Gathering for individuals who will be 18-35 at the time of the Gathering.

Around 16,000 of us were in New Orleans this week. Though this is the Youth Gathering, it has traditionally been the largest gathering of ELCA adults too.

I flew in very late from Spokane knowing I might be delayed coming from the West, which I was. Registration and the first mass gathering at the Smoothie King were Tuesday, with the theme Created to be brave. We heard from Dr. Michael Chan, Old Testament scholar.

The gathering participants get split into thirds for the middle three days of the event. Regions 1 (NWIM plus NW WA, SW WA, OR, and AK) and Region 3 (ND, SD, and MN) started with Synod/Region Day. Groups did a photo scavenger hunt to explore the city and worshipped together. Big thanks to the synod champions who planned Region 1 Worship at the Hilton Riverside.

The evening theme Tuesday was created to be authentic. Our keynote was by Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, whose book Love Without Limits, a few of us read with our youth in the Treasure Valley pre-pandemic.

Thursday our synod had Interactive Learning Day–a day to spend dedicated time in the Interactive Learning Center at the Convention Center and out in the city. A few groups went on swamp tours.

Thursday evening the theme was created to be free and our keynote was author Austin Channing Brown.

Friday was the NWIM Synod’s Accompaniment Day–a day to serve the city and/or go deeper learning about issues Christians are concerned about. The city experienced some big thunderstorms the previous few days and that impacted some of the accompaniment opportunities. I joined Lord of Life from Kennewick, WA and we went to a public library to help with author day (children’s authors who displayed their books and read to children).

The theme Friday evening was created to be disruptive and our keynote speaker was Pastor Sally Azar.

This morning, everyone is back in the arena for sending worship, including Holy Communion. The theme is created to be disciples.

We’ll be going to Minneapolis in 2027!