Welcome to the Youth Ministry page for the
Northern Great Lakes Synod of the ELCA!
Mission statement for the Northern Great Lakes Synod’s Youth & Family Ministry:
“This synod supports congregational youth & family ministry through Christ-centered resources, ideas, and powerful ministry events.”
About The Youth Ministry Team
Youth Ministry Team
The synod’s Youth Ministry Team works to plan youth ministry activities on a synod level, seeks to share resources in youth and family ministry with congregations, and develops training opportunities to develop leaders among young people and adults in youth and family ministry.
Upcoming Events
ELCA National Youth Gathering
Every three years, 30,000 high school youth and their adult leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gather for a week of faith formation known as the ELCA Youth Gathering. Through days spent in interactive learning, worship, Bible study, service and fellowship, young people grow in faith and are challenged and inspired to live their faith in their daily lives.
Congregations from the Northern Great Lakes Synod are already planning for the 2022 Gathering. If you are interested in attending an upcoming National Youth Gathering, please contact your pastor or email youthcoordinator@nglsynod.org to get connected to a local congregation.
Youth Gathering Update from Stefanie Ehle (October 26, 2021) – click to view
Youth Core Leadership Team Applications Open!
The Youth Core Leadership Team exists to provide leadership development and faith formation opportunities for ELCA high school youth. Accepted team members will learn and improve on skills such as worship planning, collaboration, peer ministry, and small group training as they plan and lead the ELCA Youth Leadership Summit. This group of leaders also serves as a focus group for ELCA Churchwide Ministries and are often interviewed and asked to serve on other committees and teams as the church strives to do ministry with youth more effectively. This past year, Sean Korpela of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ironwood, was selected to serve as one of the team members. Thank you, Sean for representing the NGLS!
If you know of a high schooler between 9-11th grade who would excel at an opportunity like this, please encourage them to apply for one of the open positions. Click here for the application and additional information about the program. The deadline to apply is January 15, 2022.
Growing Younger
The ELCA Growing Younger project began in 2019, after research confirmed that congregations were experiencing a decrease in attendance, especially among young people. ELCA staff discovered that the Fuller Youth Institute had been working across denominations to help churches grow younger and create more vibrant communities in response to this trend. Since then, the ELCA has had over 300 people trained from 52 synods to learn how to create a faith community that not just welcomes young people, but equips them with strategies to create a place where young people can belong and be part of the church family.
The Northern Great Lakes Synod currently has 4 trained leaders and would like to continue to share resources and opportunities for others to learn more about how to encourage congregational growth. Visit the Growing Younger webpage for more information and upcoming training opportunities.
Contact Us
