Community Life
Wherever two or three gather in Christ’s name, Christ is present.
The following information is a quick overview of Community Life at the ELCA Youth Gathering.
Community Life: Important things to think about
- “Generations” Dance Attire: We are hosting a dance we call “Generations.” Each night a different decade of music will be celebrated, 90’s on Wednesday, 60’s on Thursday, 70’s on Friday, and 80’s on Saturday. Participants are encouraged, but not required to dress for the era. Elvis lives!
- Gathering Idol Registration: Our Gathering Idol venue is loosely based on the “American Idol” TV Show, with an opportunity to crown an Idol each night. Special prizes will be awarded. Youth are encouraged to pre-register to perform. On-line registrations open in July on Facebook. Simply log onto our group page at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=12679517425
- Cool Down Lounge & Morning Worship Musicians: There are opportunities for musicians to share their gifts in morning hotel worship venues and at the Cool Down Lounge coffeehouse/open mic venue. Not every hotel will have morning worship, but you may want to approach your Community Life Team to find out what’s happening in your hotel. Bring your instrument of choice if you’d like to perform at either venue.
- Schedule and location of Community Life events: Look over the on-line Community Life Schedule with times, locations, and event descriptions.
FAQ’s about Community Life
Q: What is Community Life?
A: At the heart of the Gathering is community. Community Life Teams help attend to that community, offering everything from events and activities for the community to participate in to communication to help the community function more efficiently. We help with problem-solving, offer hospitality, lead worship, and provide a listening ear and advice when it’s asked for. Community Life activities are probably what we are best known for, but being available for participants whenever and wherever we are needed is what we pride ourselves on.
Q: Who is the Community Life Team?
A: There are close to 200 Community Life Team members serving in New Orleans, all volunteering their time and talents to serve our Lord and to serve you, the participant. The Community Life Planning Team helps coordinate the events and teams and can be contacted at our information kiosk in the Morial Convention Center. Most hotels have a Community Life Team living and working on-site. You’ll meet them on Wednesday when you are checking in.
Q: Does every hotel have Community Life?
A: Yes. Our Gathering thrives on community, so everyplace we gather, community exists.
Q: OK, but are there Community Life activities in all hotels?
A: No, not all hotels. Many hotels do not have the space to host Community Life activities or programming venues, as we call them. Many Community Life Teams will offer some kind of morning worship at your hotel, if they can find the space and have the resources to do so. Only nine properties have afternoon or evening Community Life activities.
Q: Why only nine?
A: Mostly for safety reasons. It is safer to limit these activities to nine properties with large breakout spaces located on major, well-lit and accessible streets in the center of all other Gathering venues. These nine properties are located on Canal Street, Poydras Street, or Convention Center Blvd., with two exceptions, one hotel is on Bourbon Street (just steps from Canal Street) and one hotel is on St. Charles Street (between Canal and Poydras Streets). Our youth have also told us, “It’s fun to be where our friends are,” indicating a desire to have lots of options in a very focused area.
Q: How do we know where to find these programming venues?
A: Go to the Community Life Schedule. Plus, all venues are listed and described in the Gathering Guidebook, which all participants receive at registration. In addition, large signs are posted outside the nine venues where programming is happening, each bearing the event icons. Please familiarize yourself with the event icons included on the chart and in the Guidebook.
Q: I heard about some kind of counselor orientation at registration. What’s that?
A: Now called Adult Advisor Orientation, it is a 30-minute orientation that at least one adult advisor from every congregation must attend during the registration process. We say at least one, but in some cases all advisors attend, while some bring along at least one or two youth. Since Adult Advisor Orientation occurs in the Morial Convention Center’s La Louisiane Ballroom, the Interaction Center will be open, in case you need to drop your youth somewhere while you attend.
Each congregation must attend the orientation in order to be officially registered, and will not be able to pick up their participants’ shoulder bags, Gathering Bibles, or Gathering Guidebooks until after they have attended orientation. If you have a large group and have already checked into a hotel, you want to leave your youth at the pool or in their sleeping rooms with another advisor while one or two attend the orientation and pick up your shoulder bags.
Q: Must I attend the Adult Advisor Orientation? This is my third or fourth Gathering as an advisor.
A: Yes. Different cities create different challenges, not to mention the added Gathering aspects of the daily service experiences and revised schedule.
Q: Is there a place to receive Holy Communion during the week?
A: Yes, alongside of our final worship celebration in the Superdome on Sunday morning, a worship liturgy with communion will be offered twice daily at 7:30am and 9:00am at the Morial Convention Center in the La Louisiane Ballroom, the same place we have Adult Advisor Orientation on Tuesday and Wednesday. We realize groups leaving on the earliest ServantLife experiences will not be able to attend that day, but most other groups heading to the Convention Center for their Learning or Interaction Center day will be able to attend. Guest preachers and special musicians will highlight this worship venue.
Q: Can we expect to find our favorite Lutheran Christian artists performing anywhere?
A: Yes. LOST AND FOUND, Agape (David Scherer), and Rachel Kurtz are all playing evening concerts in Gathering hotel programming venues (consult the chart). Jonathan Rundman is also playing daily in the Interaction Center. Don’t forget to check out newcomers Mudhouse and Chelsea Mitchell on the Cool Down Café stage, opening for LOST AND FOUND, and playing in worship at the Morial Convention Center. Find out more about Jesus Justice Jazz: The Tour happening after the Gathering and in different locations around the country.
Q: We heard dances can get a little out-of-hand, should we keep our youth away?
A: NO. Youth love dances. It is the number one requested Community Life activity. Use this as an opportunity to teach. Talk with your youth NOW, before you attend about how youth dress, dance, and behave at an event like this. Address what’s appropriate and what is not. Our teams will be there to help monitor dances, but are not the dance police. Please be proactive in helping your youth to think about conducting themselves as young Christians, even while dancing. Our “Christian-inspired” dance venue and “Generations” dance venue provide a nice alternative to the traditional secular dance.
Q: Will it be hard to find food in New Orleans? What about after the Superdome lets out?
A: No. New Orleans is one of those rare downtowns that never sleeps. Restaurants in many parts of the city are open all night. There are over 900 restaurants in New Orleans, so you will never lack for variety. We have asked hotels where major programming venues are being held to have cash-and-carry food items available late-night, after the Superdome program. Similarly, we have asked all hotels to think about morning meals and how they are served. Some hotels offer breakfast as part of the stay, while others may have special cash-and-carry locations to grab a bite on your way out the door. But, do find the time to sit down and get some local cuisine at one of New Orleans restaurants.
Q: What do we do in case of emergencies that we cannot handle?
A: Use your best instincts. Call the Gathering InfoLine at 1-888-411-3522 or search out your Community Life Team, who are equipped to help in many cases. Don’t be hesitant or afraid to ask for help, that’s why these systems are in place. For emergencies, call 911, and then call the Gathering InfoLine.
God bless your journeys!
In Christ’s service,
Charlie Roberts
Community Life Planning Team Leader