We just celebrated the one year anniversary of my ordination and now the congregation is trusting me to lead my first group to attend the Youth Gathering! Since the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, I have been assisted in our CRASH programming by a team of wonderful leaders: Lauren Birner, Scott and Sheri Greger, and Klelin Saravia. They will be alongside our youth during our entire time in New Orleans.

As a member of Ascension and as a seminary student, I have seen and heard the stories of the Youth Gathering. This event happens 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.

This year, as you already know the gathering will take place from July 16-20 in New Orleans. Ascension is sending 19 people: 14 Students and five Leaders. For the first time, Ascension is participating in the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE), a pre-event that happens three days before the gathering. Klelin and I will travel with the first group and the other three leaders will travel with second half of the group. We will all return together to Waukesha in the early hours of the morning, alongside the group from St. Luke’s.
What we will do during our time in New Orleans? We will have a new experience everyday. Here are a few highlights of what they will experience.

• Mass Gathering: This time will happen every evening where the entire community will come together to hear inspiring speakers, uplifting music and much more. On our last morning together, we will gather one last time for closing worship and the Holy Eucharist.
• Interactive Learning Day: We will get to visit a holy playground to explore the theological and Biblical themes of the Gathering. Participants will get to also explore and interact with partners from across the ELCA doing amazing work in hunger, advocacy, and more!
• Accompaniment Day: On our Accompaniment Day, we’ll have the opportunity to do service, be immersed into New Orleans’ culture and story, and to learn about social justice and advocacy initiatives that we can take back home. The goal is that after our Accompaniment Day, our students will be inspired to return home as agents of change.
• Synod Day: We will gather for worship and continue exploring the city together with other people from our own Greater Milwaukee Synod through a scavenger hunt.
• Community Life: There is also programming following the Mass Gathering. These are fellowship events for youth to reflect on the day, meet others from across the ELCA, dance, sing and more!

As leaders, we are very excited to walk with our youth during their time in New Orleans. We are confident that our youth will have a wonderful and meaningful experience as they continue to grow in their faith formation. Prayers and thoughts for our group during our time at the Youth Gathering will be welcomed.

Pastor Edwin