Youth Gathering

Youth Gathering will be held in Minneapolis June 28-July 2, 2027, under the theme "Imagine More." Visit the ELCA's Youth Gathering webpage for details and information about preparation for the Gathering.

Registration Webinar

Join Gathering staff in a webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 29, to talk about all things registration. The webinar will cover how to get ready, what to know when registration opens, and why it’s important to register early (hint: doing so will increase your chances of getting rooms downtown!). There will also be a review of the Gathering Registration Workbook, a resource that walks you through the registration process, required forms and more. Click here to register for the webinar.

Apply To Be an Emcee

The Gathering is searching for creative and talented young people to serve as emcees for Mass Gathering at the 2027 Gathering! Applications will be accepted through December 15, 2026. Youth and young adults ages 16-21 at the time of the Gathering (June 2027) are invited to submit an audition video. To learn more, visit the application or email the Gathering office.

Regional 8 Rep

Kerry Anderson is the Youth Gathering Regional Rep for Region 8 (WV-WMD's region). There is an established Youth Gathering Region 8 page through which you can contact Anderson and communicate with other Youth Gathering folk around the region: click here. You may also email Anderson through the Youth Gathering's email interface: click here.

Miss the SERVE webinar?

Here are the top five things you need to know about this new add-on experience.

1. Your SERVE experience will be several hours of hands-on service in Minneapolis-St. Paul alongside lunch and a LEARN portion, which will help you take what you experience and apply it to your community back home for further impact.
2. If your congregation wants to participate, get ready to register early! There are only 4,000 spots available (and we won’t be opening more spots down the road!). This is truly a first-come, first-served add-on experience.
3. Full congregational groups are required to participate in SERVE. If you have someone in your group attending the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) or the tAble, they are exempt from this rule since they will have their own SERVE experience at their pre-event.
4. SERVE experiences will be modeled on the MERGE framework (migrant justice, economic justice, racial justice, gender justice and environmental justice). You’ll be able to rank these project themes when you register. The earlier you register, the better chance you will have of getting a project in your top three.
5. The cost to participate in SERVE is $100 per person ($50 nonrefundable deposit due at registration). This fee covers your project, supplies, an orange SERVE t-shirt, lunch and transportation (if you need it).

You can watch the recording of the seminar on Youtube: click here.

Get ready with the Getting Ready Materials

Ten lessons, all designed to get your group ready to experience Minneapolis and the 2027 Gathering. Flexible enough for you to tweak to your context and even use with young people who won’t be able to make it to the Gathering next summer.

The first two lessons around the daily theme, Imagine More Love, launch on Aug. 15 on the Academy. The Imagine More journal and user guide will also be available on that date. To ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date with information about the Gathering and what’s happening in our world, we’ll continue to drop lessons on the first of the month until all 10 lessons have been shared.

Pre-enroll in these courses today—the curriculum is free!

Take a tour of the resource hub

Gathering Resources

We have a ton of resources to help you prepare for the 2027 Gathering, the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE) and the tAble. From posters to promotional videos to postcards you can print out and send to your young people, there is a wealth of information and resources on our website. Be sure to take a look, because new resources are shared often.

The Academy

We have a few courses in the Handbook Series already available at the Academy. These courses are designed for you (yes, you, seasoned youth leader or first-time primary adult leader or volunteer) to help you prepare for a successful time in Minneapolis.

Financial Assistance

The window to apply for financial assistance to the 2027 ELCA Youth Gathering opens Thursday, Oct. 1, and the window for priority registration opens Wednesday, Oct. 21. These dates will be here before you know it, and getting a head start means more time to fundraise, prepare and get excited. Future you will be grateful! The window for financial assistance applications will close Friday, Oct. 16 (before registration even opens!), so prepare now.

Mark Your Calendars

• Oct. 1, 2026 Financial assistance opens
• Oct. 14, 2026 Gathering Volunteer Corps applicants notified
• Oct. 16, 2026 Financial assistance closes
• Oct. 20, 2026 Financial assistance notification
• Oct. 21, 2026 Priority registration opens

Click here for key dates (where you will find links to various events and registration interfaces).

Check Out the Camping Ministry Page

Camping ministry opportunities come in different shapes, ranging from traditional summer one-week camps to themed camps to tutoring programs to year-round camping and retreats. To explore what three different camps (Caroline Furnace, Camp Luther, and Camp Agapé) offer, visit our Camping Ministry page.

Keep in mind, all camps are taking registration for the summer season for campers, and some are still recruiting staff. Check it out.

Scouting

Our Camping Ministry page also includes information about the National Association on Lutheran Scouting as well as information on how to get involved in the Jamborees held at the Summit facility.