August 2024

Dear Friends of First,

They say that Lutheran youth have been gathering for more than 100 years, and they would be correct. When the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America was formed in 1988, one of the practices passed on by the predecessor church bodies (American Lutheran Church – ALC and Lutheran Church in America – LCA) was the rich tradition of young people and their adult leaders coming together every three years to experience the love of Christ and to share their faith. Congregational youth groups would meet their peers in various settings, universities, and hotels, and spend several days focused on worship, workshops, music, and fellowship.

Before 1988, ALC and LCA Youth Gatherings occurred in Denver, CO; Banff and Alberta, Canada; Lafayette, IN; Houston, TX; Detroit, MI; New York City, NY; Seattle, WA; Missoula, MT; and Miami, FL. Probably the most notable keynote speaker was the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, who preached in front of 20,000 youth at the 1961 ALC Luther League convention in Miami. I guess you can say that Youth Gatherings have always been on the cutting edge, challenging young people to do God’s most righteous work.

After the birth of the ELCA, Gatherings have been held in cities that could accommodate thousands of participants, while providing facilities for experiential learning along with a venue that could hold everybody at the same time for worship and other programming. Here is a list of the ELCA Youth Gatherings, with their themes:

  • 1988: San Antonio, Rejoice in the Lord Always

  • 1991: Dallas, Called to Freedom

  • 1994: Atlanta, 2 Be Alive

  • 1997: New Orleans, River of Hope

  • 2000: St. Louis, Dancing at the Crossroads [40,000 participants]

  • 2003: Atlanta, Ubuntu: I am because we are. We are because Christ is. [38,000 participants]

  • 2006: San Antonio, Journey with Jesus [37,000 participants]

  • 2009: New Orleans, Jesus, Justice, Jazz [36,000 participants]

  • 2012: New Orleans, Citizens with the Saints [33,000 participants]

  • 2015: Detroit, Rise up Together [30,000 participants]

  • 2018: Houston, This Changes Everything [31,000 participants]

  • 2024: New Orleans, Created To Be [16,000 participants]

  • 2027: Minneapolis

Have you been to a Gathering? Will you join us in Minneapolis in 2027? The Gathering has inspired young people to go to seminary or otherwise consider a life in the church. The Gathering has also influenced many to carry out God’s work with their hands, out in the world as teachers, artists, or social workers. The Gathering reminds us that we need to stop, turn around, and look at the communities in which we’re planted, and make them better places.

We all know that it’s the work of the Holy Spirit – The Gathering is nothing that we do ourselves, on our own. There are a host of people throughout this country who give their time and talent to make the Gathering happen. Every youth leader is a worker in the field, so that each young person may awaken to new faith. I’m reminded of this every time attend a National Youth Gathering.

Gathered in Christ,
Pastor Jim

Breanna Kuehn