Back to the Crescent City

I’m headed to New Orleans to spend the week with 35,000+ people for the ELCA Youth Gathering.  I have the privilege of leading a group of 11 youth and 5 adults from Windsor Heights Lutheran Church.  We’re traveling on a charter bus with participants from Zion (Muscatine), Shepherd of the Cross (Muscatine), and Gloria Dei (Iowa City) Lutheran Churches. 

For the next few days, the folks from WHLC and I will be posting our group’s experiences from the Gathering here on koinonia.  A few quick-hit items to mention before we get too far into the week…

• ·      In addition to the 16 participants attending the Gathering from WHLC, our congregation has 4 additional people serving as volunteers who are working behind the scenes for this event.  (Dwight DuBois with Grand View University, Hannah Parker working the ropes course with Luther College students, and Caitlyn Reinders and Allison Ullestad working the 80,000 sq. ft. sports portion of the Practice Peacemaking Interaction Center.)

• ·      There are 933 youth and adults attending the Gathering from the SE Iowa Synod – the third largest synod group. 

• ·      Each of the 35,000+ participants will complete at least 4 hours of service projects around the greater New Orleans area.

• ·      Speakers I’m most excited about – Shane Claiborne, Nadia Bolz-Weber, and Yeheil Curry.

• ·      Musicians I’m most excited about – Lost And Found, Rachel Kurtz, and AGAPE.

• ·      The Gathering making digital strides by making the Guidebook and an interactive map available as a smartphone app.  Super helpful.