Frequently Asked Questions - ELCA Youth 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. To learn more about the theme, visit the “Theme” page. ELCA Youth Gathering and Young Adult Gathering - July 16-20, 2024.

All ELCA congregations are invited to participate in the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering. Youth participants must be in eighth to 12th grade at the time of registration (fall 2023). Adult leaders must be at least 21 years old at the time of the Gathering.

The ELCA Youth Gathering has three different brackets for registration:

• Priority Registration (Sept. 15 – Nov. 1, 2023): $375
• Regular Registration (Nov. 2, 2023 – Feb. 14, 2024): $425
• Late Registration (Feb. 15, - April 15, 2024): $475

A registration fee of $190 per person will be added for those opting to attend MYLE or the tAble from July 13 to 16, 2024.

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

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

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 created as 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.

There are four volunteer opportunities at the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering: Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC), servant companions, local volunteers and pre-event volunteers (for MYLE and the tAble). Please note that volunteers must apply to serve at the Gathering and that not all applicants are accepted.

If you are accepted, you will need to pay a $50 registration fee to secure your spot. This fee covers the administrative cost of running background checks. If you have been accepted to serve but are unable to cover the fee, please reach out to the Gathering office.

See the “Volunteer” page for more information.

The Mass Gathering team spends nearly two years scouting potential speakers and musicians that 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.

We love learning about awesome speakers and musicians from our attendees. Please submit your idea to our Idea Portal, and we will pass them on to our planning teams for consideration.

Through Interactive Learning, Gathering participants encounter God through a variety of learning styles and sensory experiences. All participants have a day dedicated to experience the extensive offerings inside the Interactive Learning space inside 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.