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2009 ELCA Youth Gathering E-News
July 2008 ► Issue 2

The Gathering E-News will be sent to you each month and deliver Gathering information and news to you on New Orleans and beyond. Previous issues of the Gathering E-News are archived.
What happens in New Orleans doesn’t stay in New Orleans

The purpose of the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering is to practice living into God’s mission of redemption and recovery along the Gulf Coast; to practice compassionate justice. It will be a time full of God’s power to stir up new life. Youth will return home with a heightened attentiveness to God’s call to be different and to make a difference in their community and the world.

When your congregation registers for the Gathering, you will be asked to choose your top three choices of “Interest Areas” around which you will focus your time in New Orleans:

  • The Arts & Culture: All that Jazz!
  • Health & Wellness: It’s been said that “health is everything!”
  • Wealth & Poverty: Money & Power!
  • Literacy: Reading & writing are power for life! 
  • Housing: Having shelter is a basic need! 
  • Environment: Going Green! 

Read the 6 Interest Area descriptions at the heart of the Gathering experience. Walk through a special discernment process to help you decide about participating in the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering.
Are you feeling creative?

Submit a logo design for the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE). You could win one free individual MYLE registration!

The deadline for art submissions is September 1, 2008.

Financial assistance is available, but hurry!

There is still time to submit requests for financial assistance -- the deadline for applying is July 31, 2008. The Gathering is committed to helping as many young people get to New Orleans as possible, and to date, we've received applications from almost every synod. Download the financial assistance application form and fax the completed form to 773-380-2109. You can also mail completed application forms to: Financial Assistance, ELCA Youth Gathering, 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631. Congregations will be notified prior to September 15 if financial assistance is granted.
Youth Servant Corps: Registration is open

If your congregation is in the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod (4F), the host synod for the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering, your group can sign up to be part of the Youth Servant Corps (YSC). As volunteers for the Gathering, your congregation will pay a reduced registration fee, and the Gathering will provide breakfast and housing for your group. Please go to the Gathering Web site to register.

Learn about other Gathering volunteer opportunities, in addition to YSC.

Spread the excitement
  • Shop for your Gathering shirts at Old Lutheran.
  • Download and use the Gathering logo files. Talk about the logo.
  • Keep telling your congregation about the upcoming Gathering experience and ask them to pray for the congregations, youth, and adult counselors who are preparing to attend.
Only a couple months away... Online registration!

Gathering registration for congregations will open online on September 15, 2008. You can download a PDF of the registration brochure and find other registration details on the Gathering Web site.

 Did you know?

You are receiving this e-mail because you subscribed to the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering E-News.  Unsubscribe from or subscribe to this Gathering E-News list.  For general questions contact the ELCA Youth Gathering office at gathering@elca.org or 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2100.