National Youth Gathering (or San Antonio 2013)

LCMS National Youth Gathering
July 1-5, 2013
San Antonio, TX

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2013 YOUTH GATHERING UPDATE

The LCMS Youth Ministry Office is excited to announce the theme for the 2013 National LCMS Youth Gathering to be held July 1-5 in San Antonio. “Live Love(d)” is the theme based on I John 4:9:

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. (NIV)

The theme will provide the thematic and theological focus for the 2013 Gathering program. For more details about the theme and theme development process read this article on Reporter Online: http://www.lcms.org/?18287.

Resources will be created in the coming months around the theme and I John and will be made available on the Gathering Web site (www.lcmsgathering.com). This will include:

  • The theological paper
  • Bible Studies
  • Community Life resources
  • And others

The Web site is also the location for additional updates and information about the Gathering. Information and registration updates will begin in spring 2011.

Additional Notes:

We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio in 2013!
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Your journey to San Antonio begins NOW…

  • Encourage ALL those who will be 14 years old by July 2013 to get involved in LYF.
  • If members of your congregation attended a previous National Youth Gathering, invite them to ENCOURAGE students who will be ages 14-20 by July 2013! If no one from your congregation has attended the Gathering in a few years, contact Pat Sebastian to find out which congregations nearby could encourage your congregation.
  • Instead of fundrai$ing, look at it as FUNdraising! An important part any journey is working together side by side toward beforehand. Attached is the cost estimate for the 2010 National Youth Gathering trip as a guide until better information is available.

Why is the Gathering over the Fourth of July?

The process of selecting a Gathering city takes much time and consideration. The Gathering Executive Team, the LCMS Youth Ministry staff, and LCMS Travel and Meeting, considered numerous cities to host the 2013 event. Through this process, San Antonio showed itself to be a great host city based on cost, hotel accommodations and available program space.

San Antonio’s available dates for the summer of 2013 were the first week of July. This schedule put the Gathering dates over a holiday and earlier in July than the past few events. Gathering planners use the first three weeks of July as the “window” in which the Gathering can take place in an attempt to accommodate most school and activity schedules.

Coincidentally, the 1995 Youth Gathering in San Antonio was held July 2-6. San Antonio was a wonderful host city for the 1995 Gathering and those involved in the process think it will be a great host for the 2013 Gathering.

The 2013 Gathering is schedule to run Monday to Friday, which is a different format. Why the change from Saturday to Wednesday?

Coincidentally, the last time we held a Gathering on days other than Saturday-Wednesday was in 1995 in San Antonio (Sunday – Thursday).

One advantage to a weekday schedule is the availability of service opportunities in the community of the Gathering host city. Many potential servant event hosts are not available on weekends. Having weekends as the bookends to the Gathering will also help groups whose total Gathering travel time is six or more days.