Stand-up comics and sitcoms took the place of swapping stories on the front porch. It is hard to hear the words of the ancestors because modern life with all its noise and distractions make these stories difficult to hear. The Gathering will create a space to hear the sacred stories that shape our Christian identity. And we will be real about the world in which these stories have meaning. We hope that Gathering 2000 is all about truth-telling.
Young people feel powerless, alone, afraid when someone else is telling their story.
Our role is to create a safe space within which young people can tell their stories and explore how their stories are shaped by God's story. Mentors Sociologists tell us that millenial youth, those born after 1982, are seeking close bonds with their parents and other relatives as a way to find security in an uncertain world. The Gathering will promote and facilitate the bonding process throughout its programming, before, during and after the Gathering experience, not only between young people and their parents, but also between youth and the other significant adults in their lives. ELCA Youth Ministries supports an adult presence with youth that is less directive and more in the style of coaching. That implies a particular orientation when working with young people.