July 16-20, 2024

New Olreans

Did you know that 4/5 of the last gatherings were held here in the Gulf Coast Synod?

2009 New Orleans

2012 New Orleans

2015 Detroit

2018 Houston

2024 New Orleans

Gathering I’ve attended.

Christ the King and House of Prayer in Houston teamed up to drive to the gathering together.
Kinsmen Houston folks
New Life in Pearland
The Multicultural Youth Leadership Event (MYLE)

TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2024

Early morning sound check

Sound Check

Backstage staff member Lulu from Minneapolis was a super “handler.”
Jamie Bruesehoff (right) was a great coach.

Chill

A little free time for a streetcar ride up St. Charles.

Tuesday Mass Gathering

Tech team having fun with the crowd as people are entering.

Getting ready to walk out on stage for the first Mass Gathering
Bishop Eaton’s welcome
My rockin’ Palestinian colleagues
Hangin’ with Imran Siddiqui, ELCA VP
Pastor Denise Grave, Bethlehem Lutheran Church in New Orleans.
My friend and seminary colleague, Pastor Ron Drury

The evening culminate with The Afters. Here is a clip of them singing “We Worship You:”

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 – Accompaniment Day

Began the day with 7am breakfast with my pastor at Fleur de Lis

Accompaniment

Our group sorted, catalogued, and labeled books for an elementary school library in Gretna (across the river), and also for a new high school library. We had folks from:

  • Resurrection Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana
  • Living Word, Katy, Texas
  • Christ the King, Hosuton, Texas
  • St. Martin’s in Sugar Land, Texas, and
  • House of Prayer, Houston, Texas
This is Mr. L. He said “L” was for “library.” He had his own cataloging system that helps kids find books they really wanted to read.

Youth from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia worked at Peace Lutheran in Slidell, Louisiana with Pastor Barb Simmers. 50 kids. They were hardworking. Jambalaya.

My brother Paul is serving as a volunteer and finding all the fun people:

Other groups did differing service projects and learning opportunities. This group participated in a project using oyster shells to rebuild the barrier reef to protect the beaches from erosion and ensure the wildlife habitat for years to come.

Wednesday Mass Gathering

The keynote speaker was Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, author of “Love Without Limits,” and Executive Director of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research in Minnesota….previously at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

Deacon David Hope-Tringali, Houston, talking about Tree 4 Hope Ministry in Guatemala

Blessing Offor, a Nigerian artist was the main stage musician this evening.

Thursday, July 18, 2024 – Synod Day

Synod Day worship was held at the Hilton Riverside.

The youth band was from Nebraska
Pastor Jay Shailer, Kinsmen Lutheran in Houston
Bp. Susan Candea, Central States Synod preaching

After lunch was the scavenger hunt. It poured down rain and some of us got caught in the downpour and were soaked to the bone. This didn’t stop some folks. Here are Izzy and Elise from House of Prayer Houston, getting their obligatory bishop selfie for the scavenger hunt.

There were some flooded streets as there always are when you live in a bowl. My brother sent me this, which reminds us we are 40 feet below sea level:

Thursday Mass Gathering

ELCA Youth Gathering Director Tammy Jones West announce some kind of racial harassment or bullying that had gone on. It wasn’t spelled out exactly what happened, but she offered an apology on the part of the gathering.
Drew Tucker

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024 – Day 4: Interactive Center

Some service projects got canceled because of threatening rain, but others went ahead as scheduled. Here are some groups that went to Peace Lutheran in Slidell.

3,000 Hurricane Relief kits are going to over 20 underserved communities in Southern Louisiana through a partnership between the ELCA Youth Gathering and the Louisiana Just Recovery Network. Thank you Gulf Coast Synod who donated $10,000 to the effort!

Interactive Center

David Hunstad (center) with Old Lutheran and a friend.
Lynnae Schatz and Kathy Hanson (Kinsmen Lutheran, Houston)
Mark Hansen and Mark Hanson (Kinsmen)
Dia de Los Muertos altar in remembrance of activists
Hector Carrasquillo (ELCA program Director for Latino Ministries) and staff
Native American Ministries
Abbigail from Chica Bean Coffee in Guatemala: chicabean.com
Pastor Dan Roschke
My brother Paul (left) and I grew up at Holy Spirit Lutheran in Grand Blanc, Michigan, a church our dad started 60 years ago. At center is awesome Pastor Nathan who serves Holy Spirit now.
Hanging out with Kinsmen Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas
Pastor Jay Grave, St. John in Bellville, Texas
This is Ralph, of the Choctaw Nation
We are grateful for groups that prepared flood buckets for disaster response underserved areas. The Gulf Coast Synod supported this effort with a $10,000 grant.

Friday Mass Gathering

In case anyone is worried, they are shooting t-shirts into the crowd. 🙂

Puerto Rican artist Blanca tonight. We are sitting above the sound booth.

Pastor Sally Azar, the first female pastor in Palestine

Lori Fuller is one of the few deaf Lutheran pastors in the world.

What a Powerful Name

“Let it Shine”

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2024

Closing Worship

Here a shout out to the house band, who did an outstanding job. Ditto Tom and the whole Mass Gathering Team.

Thank you Tammy Jones West, Interim Gathering Director. You’re a gift to this church!

Deacon Jessica Liles was installed as the Director of the ELCA Youth Gathering.

And then of course the cyber attack that left the airlines in chaos…