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
2022 Lenten Social Media Challenge
The NGLS Youth Ministry Team is looking to challenge a minimum of 40 congregations to collect at least 40 pairs of socks and underwear this Lenten season. >click to view
2022 Options for High Schoolers
Upcoming Faith Formation events for high schoolers >click to view
Rebound Tri-Synodical Youth Gathering >click to view
Multicultural Youth Leadership Academy >click to view
REBOUND – High School Youth Gathering
All high schoolers who have completed grades 8-12 are invited to join the Northern Great Lakes Synod, LaCrosse Area Synod, and Northwest Synod of Wisconsin for a tri-synodical youth gathering. The faith-forming event will take place July 25-27, 2022 at UW-River Falls and will feature inspiring guest speakers, service-learning projects, uplifting worship, and time to connect with each other in Christian community. Visit http://nwswi.org/rebound for additional details and registration information.
Join the 2022 NGLS Rebound Attendees Facebook group to connect with other Rebound attendees in our synod.
Click here for a printable flyer.
An Update Regarding the 2022 Gathering
Official Statement from the ELCA
We know there are thousands of young people who will not get to experience the Gathering, and our hearts break for them. This was not an easy decision, and we ask for your prayers and your grace. We understand the impact this decision will have on our youth, volunteers and planning teams, and we hope to return to Minneapolis for a future Gathering.
Registered congregations can visit their registration accounts starting Monday, February 7, to select their desired refund option. For more information and FAQs, please visit elca.org/Gathering.
With God’s power at work in and through us, we can do far more than we dare ask or imagine! The ELCA is fully committed to supporting the young people of our church and to seeing that the ministry of the Gathering, MYLE and the tAble continue for years to come. With that assurance, we are turning our attention toward 2024 for the next Gathering. Stay tuned to Gathering communications for a location announcement this summer.
Grace and peace,
The ELCA Youth Gathering Team
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
