FAQs

When and where is the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering

The 2024 Gathering will take place July 16-20 in New Orleans, La. MYLE and the tAble will take place July 13-16, also in New Orleans. The Young Adult Gathering will take place concurrent with the Gathering, July 16-20.

What is the theme of the Gathering?

The theme for the 2024 Gathering, MYLE, the tAble and the Young Adult Gathering is “Created to Be,” centered on Psalm 139:14. To learn more about the theme, visit the “Theme” section.

Who can attend the Gathering?

All ELCA congregations are invited to participate. Ecumenical partners are also encouraged to attend. Please contact the Gathering Office for more information.Youth participants must be in eighth to 12th grade at the time of registration (fall 2023). Adult leaders accompanying youth to the Gathering must be at least 21 years old at the time of the Gathering.

How do I register to attend?

Registration is now live! Participants register as congregational groups, with one adult serving as the primary adult leader. The primary adult leader is the organizer for the group, receiving communications from the Gathering about housing, payments and any other relevant information.

Are meals included in the registration fee?

No. Congregations are responsible for providing their own meals while at the Gathering. New Orleans is known for its incredible food scene, and there are plenty of great places to eat downtown, near all our venues. We are working on providing additional meal options such as food trucks and catered meals.

How much does it cost to register for the Gathering?

The ELCA Youth Gathering has three different brackets for registration:

Regular Registration (Nov. 2, 2023–Feb. 14, 2024): $425
Late Registration (Feb. 15–April 15, 2024): $475

MYLE and the tAble have a registration fee of $190; however, thanks to a generous donor, that fee will be waived for the first 1,000 people to register for MYLE and the first 200 people to register for the tAble.

A $150 nonrefundable, per-person deposit is due at time of registration for the Gathering and Young Adult Gathering and must be paid within the registration rate you expect to pay.

Please note that hotel, meals and travel costs are not included in this registration fee. For more information please visit the Congregational Registration page.

Can I bring my baby/child under 8th grade?

No. Adult leaders are asked not to bring their infants, toddlers or young children to the Gathering. The ELCA Youth Gathering, MYLE and the tAble are faith-formation events for youth in grades eight through 12 and their adult leaders. While serving as an adult leader at the Gathering, your full attention should be given to the registered youth participants in your congregational group.

How can I volunteer at the Gathering?

There are five volunteer categories: the Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC), servant companions, local volunteers, MYLE and the tAble volunteers and Young Adult Gathering volunteers. Responsibilities and commitments vary by category, but every volunteer must agree to a volunteer code of conduct and submit to a background check run by the ELCA.

There is no application fee to serve as a volunteer, but applicants offered a volunteer role will be asked to pay a $50 processing fee to cover the cost of a background check and of ensuring your attendance at the Gathering, MYLE, the tAble or the Young Adult Gathering.

To learn more about application dates, please visit the Volunteer page.

Who will speak at Mass Gathering?

The Mass Gathering team spends nearly two years scouting potential speakers and musicians who align with the daily themes of the Gathering. Through careful planning and discernment, the team works to create a well-rounded lineup that will both inspire and challenge our young people to live out their faith. This process takes time, however, and typically the final lineup is not solidified until several months prior to the event. All speakers will talk about being created as brave, authentic, free, disruptive disciples.

Mass Gathering is just one small part of the overall Gathering experience. We hope that our participants will be inspired by conversations with locals, Interactive Learning partners and the vibrance of New Orleans as well.

I know an awesome speaker or musician. How can I suggest them?

We love learning about awesome speakers and musicians from our attendees. Please send your idea to the Gathering Office and we’ll be sure to pass it on to our planning team for consideration.

I’m interested in being an exhibitor. Who should I contact?

Through Interactive Learning, Gathering participants encounter God through a variety of learning styles and sensory experiences. All participants have a day dedicated to experiencing the extensive offerings inside the Interactive Learning space at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. From sports to creative expressions, service projects to quiet meditation, Interactive Learning offers something for everyone.

If your organization’s mission aligns with the Gathering’s mission of faith formation in teens and if you are interested in creating an Interactive Learning opportunity for our young people, please contact the Gathering Office.

Can I register with another congregation?

We strongly encourage congregations to register under their own individual congregational ID number. This is important for a number of reasons, primarily regarding financial payments and tracking. Groups can still travel together, and if both groups are from the same synod, the program rotation schedule will be the same.

Please note that if you do combine with another congregation, only one account will be created and the Gathering office will be able to communicate with only the primary adult leader of the main group. In addition, all payments will need to be funneled through one account.

Is financial assistance available?

No. Financial assistance applications were accepted from September 15 - October 15. Financial assistance is no longer available through the Gathering.

What is the theme of MYLE and the tAble?

The theme for MYLE and the tAble is “Created to Be,” centered on Psalm 139:14. To learn more about the theme, please visit the “Theme” page. Daily themes for each event will vary and be customized to the community gathered.

Who can attend MYLE and the tAble?

MYLE: The event is open to youth of color or whose primary language is other than English. Attendees must be in eighth to 12th grade at registration (fall 2023).

A congregational group may attend MYLE if at least half the group are people of color or whose primary language is other than English. If that is not the case, eligible attendees (see previous paragraph) are encouraged to attend with an adult leader and then join their congregational group at the beginning of the Gathering.

the tAble: Youth who are 14 to 18 (or are engaged in a high school youth group or enrolled in high school or the vocational education equivalent) and who live with a wide range of physical, cognitive and emotional disabilities are encouraged to attend the tAble. Youth who attend must be accompanied by an adult companion. One companion will receive waived registration fees to attend the Gathering following the tAble.

How much does it cost to register for MYLE and the tAble?

We’re excited to share that, thanks to a generous donation, the registration fee will be waived for the first 1,000 people to register for MYLE and the first 200 people to register for the tAble. All meals and housing are covered while attendees are in New Orleans for the pre-event.

If you are not within the first 1,000 people to register for MYLE or the first 200 people to register for the tAble, the registration fee is $190 and will be applied to the congregational balance.

Can we attend only MYLE or the tAble?

MYLE and the tAble are part of the overall Gathering experience. If your group didn’t stay for the whole Gathering, it would be like walking out halfway through a movie! If you are considering attending only MYLE or the tAble, please contact the the Gathering Office.

Is financial assistance available for MYLE and the tAble?

No. Aside from the waived registration fee for the first 1,000 MYLE participants and the first 200 tAble participants, financial assistance is unavailable. However, congregations attending either event are welcome to apply for financial assistance to offset some of the cost of Gathering registration.

What is the Young Adult Gathering?

Due to the cancellation of the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering, MYLE and the tAble, many young people lost the opportunity to participate in these life-changing faith-formation events.

In response to this, we are thrilled to partner with ELCA Young Adult Ministries on the first-ever Young Adult Gathering, open to individuals who will be 18 to 35 at the time of the event!

To learn more about the ELCA Young Adult Gathering (July 16-20, 2024), visit the “Young Adult Gathering” page.

What is the theme of the Young Adult Gathering?

The theme for the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, the Young Adult Gathering, MYLE and the tAble is “Created to Be,” centered on Psalm 139:14. To learn more about the theme, visit the “Theme” page.

Who can attend the Young Adult Gathering?

Young adults who are 18 to 35 are invited to take part in the first-ever ELCA Young Adult Gathering. Participants will be split up into cohorts by age.

Young adult participants will undergo background checks prior to arriving on-site, be housed in a separate hotel from youth participants and, aside from their invitation to Mass Gathering, have programming separate from the Gathering.

What is the registration fee for the Young Adult Gathering?

The ELCA Young Adult Gathering has three different registration rates:
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Regular Registration (Nov. 2, 2023–Feb. 14, 2024): $310
Late Registration (Feb. 15–April 15, 2024): $360

A nonrefundable, per-person deposit of $150 is due at registration and must be paid within the registration rate you expect to pay.

Please note that hotel, meal and travel costs are not included in the registration fee.

Can I bring a baby or child to the Young Adult Gathering?

Young adults attending the ELCA Young Adult Gathering can bring their infants to New Orleans. Please note that infants and toddlers are not allowed to attend Mass Gathering events. Childcare options will be shared with interested participants as the event nears. Mass Gathering programming will be livestreamed for participants to view from their hotel room.

Is financial assistance available for the Young Adult Gathering?

Yes, a limited amount of financial assistance is available for the Young Adult Gathering. Please contact ELCA Young Adults Office for more information.

Can I bring a group of young adults to the Young Adult Gathering?

While you can bring a group of people with you, registration will happen individually, per person. During the event, you will be grouped into a cohort with a designated cohort leader and may or may not be paired into the same cohort with people you are coming with. You will still be able to participate in other parts of the Young Adult Gathering with others that come to the event with you, but will spend around 45 minutes each day with your cohort.

Where will we stay?

The Gathering has contracted with a variety of hotels, and they are excited to welcome everyone! Hotel rates will vary, but congregations are encouraged to budget $175 (plus tax) per room, per night. Room types (king, double/double, suite) also vary, but for budgeting purposes you can expect that your congregation’s room block assignment will accommodate an average of three people per room.

How do I make reservations?

The Gathering assigns each congregation to a hotel during the late winter / early spring of the Gathering year, sharing the assignment via the congregation’s online registration account. This assignment will include: (1) the hotel’s name, address and contact information; (2) a room block assignment with the number of rooms your group has been assigned and a bed configuration for those rooms; and (3) instructions for how to reserve rooms and submit your rooming list.

Can I choose my property or stay somewhere else besides my assigned property?

No. To participate in the ELCA Youth Gathering, all registered participants are required to stay in the hotel to which their congregation is assigned. The Gathering requires congregations to stay at their assigned hotel for many reasons, including but not limited to risk management, logistics and agreements with the host city and local law enforcement.

Congregations that register the majority of their group during the priority registration period will be able to share their preferred hotel price and location. Our team will do their best to accommodate these requests but cannot guarantee that they will be met.

Will synods be housed together?

No, synods will not be housed together during this cycle. New Orleans provides us with the opportunity for all participants to be downtown and in close proximity to our venues. Congregations will be assigned hotels based on how early they register, how many rooms they request and other factors.

Can youth and adults share a room?

The Gathering works to honor the safety policies and practices established by individual congregations and synods. Generally the Gathering recommends that adults and youth sleep in separate rooms and never share a bed. Check with your synod for best practices related to safe boundaries between adults and youth.

What happens if congregations add participants after housing is assigned?

If participants are added and the addition changes the number of rooms needed to accommodate your group, the Gathering may need to move your group to another hotel. The Gathering will never divide a congregation group between multiple hotel properties.

When will housing assignments go out?

If a majority of your congregation is registered within the priority registration period, you will receive your housing assignment by Jan. 15, 2024. This will enable you to view your hotel property if you are attending the 2024 ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza in New Orleans.

If you do not register within the priority period or make significant additions to your group afterward, you will receive your housing assignment sometime in the late winter / early spring of 2024.

Will there be an opportunity to check in a day or two early (or later?)

Most likely, yes! Gathering hotel contracts include a limited number of rooms available at the Gathering rate both before and after the event. Instructions for adding additional days to your stay will be included with the reservation.

How do I find my congregation ID?

Each congregation in the ELCA has a unique, five-digit ID number that must be used to register for the Gathering. You can obtain your congregation’s ID number from your pastor, other church staff, your synod or the Gathering Office.

Frequently Asked Questions
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CONNECT WITH THE GATHERING

Frequently Asked Questions‍

CONNECT WITH THE GATHERING

Frequently Asked Questions
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