ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 7, 2010
ELCA Youth Return to New Orleans in 2012
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Youth Gathering of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will return to New Orleans in 2012. Returning to a host city consecutively is unprecedented in the history of ELCA Youth Gatherings, according to Heidi Hagstrom, director for youth gatherings, ELCA Vocation and Education. The gathering will take place July 18-22, 2012.
Recognized as the largest event organized by the 4.6 million-member denomination, the ELCA Youth Gathering is a triennial event that brings together tens of thousands of high-school-age Lutherans from across the country and overseas for leadership development, faith formation, service opportunities and more.
In the summer of 2009 about 37,000 Lutheran teenagers, adult leaders and others gathered in New Orleans not only to paint and make home repairs but to learn about and experience the faith of people who live there. Residents of New Orleans and others along the U.S. Gulf Coast continue to recover more than four years after Hurricane Katrina.
"I don't think that we have learned all we can from New Orleans, yet," said Hagstrom. "New Orleans has so much to teach us about practicing God's hospitality. By paying attention to the spirit's activity in and through New Orleanians, I think we get a glimpse of God's intention for the whole world," she said.
The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the Definitely Abled Leadership Event (DAYLE) will be held July 15-18.
DAYLE is a leadership event designed to "bless and empower" gifted young people with a range of physical, cognitive and emotional differences. MYLE is a "multi-ethnic and multi-generational" event designed to equip young leaders to help lead their congregations into "fuller inclusion as a diverse church in a diverse world."
The announcement for the 2012 ELCA Youth Gathering and preceding leadership events was made Feb. 7 at the ELCA Youth Ministry Network's "Extravaganza." The Extravaganza is an annual four-day event that brings together hundreds of adults who work with youth in ELCA congregations. The event is taking place Feb. 4-8 at the Westin Hotel, Charlotte, N.C.
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Information about the ELCA Youth Gathering is at http://www.ELCA.org/youthgathering on the ELCA Web site.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews
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Rev. Linda Anderson-Little
St. Mark's Lutheran Church
6325 Clayton Road
St. Louis, MO 63117
314.721.6974 (w)
314.581.6365 (cell)
www.stmarkselca.com
