Saturday Evening and Closing Worship

On Saturday, our final full day at the ELCA Youth Gathering, the group went out to breakfast at IHOP.  Our time together has created a tight bond as we sometimes struggled to find restaurants with space for us.  We persevere and learn to lean on each other and on God. 

Saturday night at the closing worship featured a Christian rock band called Skillet.  The youth truly enjoyed their music, but for Pastor John it was a bit on the loud side.  Below is a short you-tube video that describes some of the impact the Gathering has had on Detroit

Sunday morning was closing worship.   The house band continued to lead us in joyous singing, but an added treat was a Gospel Choir from Detroit.  Worship included confession and absolution, scripture reading, a sermon by Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and communion for 30,000 participants.  At the end of the worship they announced that next Youth Gathering will be in Houston, TX in 2018.  

After an exciting morning, our youth packed up our two vans and headed to Chicago for the second part of the mission trip: a week of service with YouthWorks in the Hemosa Neighborhood of Chicago. 

Leslee Donovan, one of our adult chaperons, reflected  "Grateful to help be apart of the work that connects teenagers to God, each other and to communities through a life-changing Christ-centered mission trip. It's been a privilege to come work and travel with these awesome people!! I see God working in them and in me!! I am just so thankful to be able to join them on this trip."

Third Day and Night

On Friday we gathered with the other congregations from the Saint Paul Area Synod. With about 300 Youth we did an interactive Bible Study based on the story in Mark 2.  Four men carry a paralytic friend to Jesus for healing and they had to dig through the roof and lower his mat to reach Jesus.  We talked about what lengths we would go to in order to bring someone to Jesus.

As a pastor, I am so proud of what lengths our congregation goes to help our youth experience the healing love of Jesus. We call great staff like Hannah Koehler and Sarah Storvick, we equip dedicated volunteers like Leslee Donovan and John Moore, we provide challenging mission trips, and we financially support our children and youth ministry. 

The youth have shared many highs and some lows this week. But also lots of "God sightings", events where they felt God's guiding hands.  God has been active in our Rising Up Together. Thanks be to God.

Night Two

Proclaim Justice

Each full day at the ELCA Youth Gathering has a special theme. Today's theme is Proclaim Justice and we are involved in that service project in central Detroit. We spent several hours clearing an overgrown sidewalk, helping an organization called Hope For 100.  Its mission is to revitalize a 100 block section of Detroit. Today close to 400 Youth in bright orange shirts cleared brush, cleaned abandon lots and reclaimed overgrown sidewalks as an expression of our love of Jesus and all of God's people.
 
One of the special joys of this event is working with Lutherans from across the nation.  Two youth we served with were Matthew and Christopher from Salem Arab Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York. They told us a bit about their unique congregation that serves several new immigration groups.  They invited us to come to visit and to serve with them sometime. God is good.
 
And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

First Night

Ford Field in Detroit was transformed into a House of God as 30 thousand Youth and adults sang, shouted, danced, prayed - all to the glory of God. Adrian says "The unity of all the people was so sweet." Libby says, "Seeing Agape at the end was great because we see him at Wapo." The Rev. Dr. Luke Powery preached a powerful sermon on how we are to be Resurrection Revolutionaries.

Today is our service day. Thanks for your prayers.

We have a room!

We have our first room for the ELCA Youth Gathering. Three more to go. Excitement building for the event!

The Journey

The youth mission trip group bonded as we traveled across Wisconsin and Illinois, around Chicago at rush hour, and on to La Porte, Indiana.  One van shared stories while the other grooved to the entire score of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Last night we stayed at Bethany Lutheran Church in La Porte.  Thanks for the great hospitality!

Today we finish our journey to Detroit, check into our hotel, and gather with 30,000 other youth at Ford Field for our opening Gathering this evening. We are filled with joy, gratitude and excitement.