ELCA Youth Gathering 2009 Report

"Praising the "miracle" of the Gathering, New Orleans city officials welcomed a legion of young Lutherans to the 2009 ELCA National Youth Gathering back in July. Some 37,000 Lutheran teens and their adult leaders assembled in the crescent city for "Jesus, Justice, and Jazz". Each morning the city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was now flooded with an army of volunteers doing service work throughout the community.

NLAS, in collaboration with PRAY and BSA, hosted a "Scouting as a Youth Ministry" information booth at the event. The Exhibit was staffed by Charles Holmes, BSA National Director of Community Alliances, Trent Christian, President of NLAS, and his son Hunter who is a member of Venturing Crew 11 chartered to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Griffin, Georgia. Located next to the popular zipline at the high ropes course many youth and their leaders stopped by the exhibit in the afternoons to visit. Information was handed out on Venturing, the PRAY program, and NLAS. In the evenings everyone gathered at the nearby Superdome for mass worship and fellowship.

New Orleans will also host the LCMS National Youth Gathering next summer."

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