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Thursday, August 26, 2010FAQ’S for the 2013 Gathering
The dates for the 2013 Gathering in San Antonio are July 1-5. Why is the Gathering over the Fourth of July? The process of selecting a Gathering city takes much time and consideration. The Gathering Executive Team, the LCMS Youth Ministry staff, and LCMS Travel and Meeting, considered numerous cities to host the 2013 event. Through this process, San Antonio showed itself to be a great host city based on cost, hotel accommodations, and available program space. An additional piece of information to consider was that San Antonio’s available dates for the summer of 2013 were the first week of July. This schedule put the Gathering dates over a holiday and earlier in July than the past few events. (Gathering planners use the first three weeks of July as the "window” in which the Gathering can take place in an attempt to accommodate most school and activity schedules.) Coincidentally, the 1995 Youth Gathering in San Antonio was held July 2-6. San Antonio was a wonderful host city for the 1995 Gathering and those involved in the process think it will be a great host for the 2013 Gathering. The 2013 Gathering is schedule to run Monday to Friday, which is a different format. Why the change from Saturday to Wednesday? This arrangement was another piece of information to be considered in selecting a site for the 2013 event. Again, coincidentally, the last time we held a Gathering on days other than Saturday-Wednesday was in 1995 in San Antonio (Sunday – Thursday). One advantage to a weekday schedule is the availability of service opportunities in the community of the Gathering host city. (Many potential servant event hosts are not available on weekends.) Having weekends as the bookends to the Gathering will also help groups whose total Gathering travel time is six or more days. Prayer Requests Please keep the Gulf Coast region in your prayers in the upcoming weeks. The region will mark the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29. You saw and heard first-hand how God has blessed the recovery of New Orleans and the entire region. And while there seems to be good news about the oil spill, there are still a lot of people struggling to deal with this devastation. There is still much work to be done with regard to both situations. We thank you for your partnership in the Gospel of serving and telling the Good News of Jesus Christ with residents of the area. We pray for God’s blessings upon the start of another school year. Many of you have already started, or will start soon. May God continue to strengthen your faith as you serve Him and others as a student, teacher, staff member, parent, and the many roles you fill. Friday, August 12, 2010
Updates and Reminders
The Incredible Privilege of Saying, "Thank you!”
The LCMS Youth Ministry Staff and Gathering Executive Team thank God for the participants, planners and volunteers at the 2010 National LCMS Youth Gathering. We deeply thank the participating congregations and the parents of the youth for entrusting the spiritual nurture of their youth at the Gathering for five days in July and for providing the necessary spiritual, personal and financial support along the way. What a humbling privilege it is to organize the Gathering. Thanks also to the hundreds of Gathering planners for their amazing creativity and energy. Thanks to the awesome local volunteers, the yellow-shirted Community Life Builders and the "Orange Nation” of Young Adults Volunteers. It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a month since the 2010 National LCMS Youth Gathering. There were 24,000 youth and adults in New Orleans gathered to praise God and worship Jesus. As we like to say, the Gathering is, first of all, all about Jesus - how He loves us, how He saves us, and how He inspires and encourages us to serve Him by serving others. It is an amazing story about how a Gathering can impact a community. Check out this short inventory of what was accomplished in Jesus’ name, over five days in July. · About half of the 24,000 NYG participants volunteered at 100 servant events benefiting local churches, schools, parks, cemeteries, summer camp programs and other service organizations, and individual homeowners. · Dozens of neighborhood prayer walks where Gathering participants walked through neighborhoods and prayed with and for residents. · Nearly $140,000 was collected for the special Gathering offering, of which a portion will go to provide grants for local congregational youth programs doing outreach to un-churched and marginally-churched youth. · 3,000 pounds of non-perishable food items were donated for Second Harvest Food Bank · 3,000 personal care kits were assembled for area shelters and community organizations through the District Care Kit Scavenger Hunt with financial support from our LCMS Districts. · 2.000 placemats were created for local nursing homes · 1,000 units of blood were donated for southeast Louisiana hospitals · 400 fleece blankets were made · 50 participants received haircuts and gave their hair for Locks of Love · 125 baptismal banners were created for local churches · 665 handmade cards were created for military chaplains, active servicemen and military families. · 200 batches of play dough were made for local preschools and Boys & Girls Clubs · 2,000 thank-you notes were written for local oil spill recovery workers
How amazing to see God working through the Gathering and making such an impact in a community! So many people in the city’s neighborhoods saw the love of Christ shared through the service of so many. So many people point to a Gathering as one of the most significant events in their lives. Professional church workers – pastors, teachers, DCEs – point to a Gathering as the event leading them to pursue a church career. There are many stories from those encouraged through the messages shared by Gathering speakers and performers. Many are led to celebrate their faith and explore their gifts. The Youth Ministry Office will share some of these stories in future Gathering updates. What else is there to say. Again, thanks be to God. It is His gift of faith that enables us to confess, "WE BELIEVE!” Dr. Terry K. Dittmer, Director LCMS District and Congregational Services – Youth Ministry Wednesday, July 21, 2010Audio files added to Audio page. Day in Pictures updated. New aticles posted on the Articles page. New photos added to the Photos page. WBZ-3 added to the Videos page. Tuesday, July 20, 2010 FAQ Updated
Will any video from the Mass Events be available for download after the events?
Order of Worship for Tonight's Mass Event Available Online
If you want to follow along with tonight's service during the Mass Event, a PDF can be downloaded. DOWNLOAD
Sunday's Mass Event: "Unbelievable Yet Believable"
 Sunday Night’s Mass Event focused on the theme "unbelievable yet believable.” The youth were led to think about their own struggles between unbelief and belief even as they were presented with many unbelievable acts and personal stories. MOREYAVs Share the Gospel
 New Orleans is not only awash in lime green backpacks, it is also filled with orange t-shirts. Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) wear orange t-shirts, and according to YAV Manager Brandon Heath, they are "the hands and feet of the Gathering.” These young people are not just passive helpers; they are witnesses to the faith. MOREMonday Day in Pictures Posted 11:15 a.m.
See iconic images from Monday's Youth Gathering events. GO See lots more of "The Faces of the 2010 Youth Gathering".
Monday, July 19, 2010
Top Ten District Booths
 Many districts bring a booth to the Gathering to create awareness about their district. After careful consideration, here are 10 of the best District booths, featuring everything from nail polish to tags to hair coloration to spam! MOREMeet Emcee Eric Norwine
 When Eric Norwine was a high school student, he and his friends decided to perform ‘N Sync’s hit, "Bye Bye Bye,” dance and all. Eric practiced everywhere: the shower, his room, and especially in his car. All was well, until he was caught by a car full of cute girls from a local high school. MOREGroup Beacons
 When over 23,000 people descend on the Superdome for Mass Events, it can be hard to keep track of your group. Groups in the know made sure to construct a creative beacon to make the task a little easier. On Sunday night we spent some time in the Superdome searching for five of the best. MOREVideos Page Updated 3:00 p.m.
Catch the latest installment of WBZ. GO
Photos Page Updated 1:00 p.m.
Take a look at images from Bible Studies.
Sunday Day in Pictures Posted 11:45 a.m.
See iconic images from Sunday's amazing events. GO
Photos Page Updated 10:45 a.m.
View over 100 photos from Sunday night's Mass Event.
Art4Haiti
 Art4Haiti is an on-site Servant Event at the Gathering that blends art and service for a fun and rewarding experience for participants. In Hall B at The Commons, youth and adults at the Art4Haiti booth can paint blank tiles with Christian themes in the traditional New Orleans gumbo ya-ya style. Bright, bold, and beautiful, a random selection of these tiles are then put together to make crosses. MOREBlankets of Love
 See more of "The Faces of the 2010 Youth Gathering".
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Photos Page Updated 4:30 p.m.
Check out "The Faces of the 2010 Youth Gathering".
Meet Emcee Caitlyn O'Reilly
 O’Reilly, a communications student from Washington state, serves as an emcee for the Mass Events with Leon Jameson and Eric Norwine. WE BELIEVE is O’Reilly’s second Gathering experience, and she loves the energy and excitement for Christ in the youth here in New Orleans. As an emcee,O’Reilly hopes to be a tool God uses to go in to people’s hearts and hit them where it really counts. MOREHolt Cemetery
 If you hadn’t seen any other cemeteries in New Orleans, the Holt Cemetery may not appear all that strange. But when you see all the mausoleums in the surrounding cemeteries, the Holt Cemetery becomes one of a kind. Above ground graves are the standard in the city of New Orleans because the city itself is below sea level. MOREPhotos Page Updated 2:30 p.m.
What's going on in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center? How about concerts, Bible Studies, Twister, volleyball, bungee runs, and more. Take a look at the fun.
International Brunch
 That bus ride from Nebraska or plane trip from California probably seemed like it would never end, but on Saturday morning a group of participants whose trip to the Gathering was even longer came together. International participants from seven countries met at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Burgundy Street in New Orleans for a southern style feast. MOREDay in Photos Page Updated 10:25 a.m. Look back at even more images from last evening's Mass Event GO Videos Page Updated 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Meet Emcee Leon Jameson
 By the end of the Gathering, participants are going to be very familiar with Leon Jameson’s dance moves. He will be emceeing the Mass Events with Eric Norwine and Caitlyn O’Reilly. Jameson is no stranger to the booming Mass Event crowds. MOREReady for a LOOK
 The Morial Convention Center is a hub of activity as Gathering planners prepare for the flood of thousands of participants. The cavernous rooms of Halls A through G are quickly being filled to accommodate the Gathering. MOREPhotos Page Updated 9:00 a.m.
Youth groups have started arriving! Take a look. GO Friday, July 16, 2010
We're Number One!
 Chris Hannemann and Elizabeth Sanders of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Sioux City, Iowa, can claim, "We’re number one!” These first time FGALs were first in line at early registration on Friday. Hannemann said, "I wanted to be first so I wouldn’t have to wait.” Hannemann and Sanders brought six girls, one boy, and one other FGAL with them. MOREIt's All in the Details
 The opening Mass Event is one day away, and the Gathering planners have been busy preparing the Louisiana Superdome for Saturday. With many of the large objects already in place, the focus is more concentrated on the details. MOREArticles Page Updated
Read youth group profiles and learn about Pre-Gathering preparation. GO Photos Page Updated 10:35 a.m.
Visit the "Photo Wall" for a look at Pre-Gathering activities. GO
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