Carey Heikkinen I decided to go to the EYG youth gathering as a chaperone for several reasons. First of all, this will be Destiny and Danny's last youth trip together. They went to New Orleans three years ago and the Wilderness trip two years ago. I wanted to share this opportunity with them. Secondly, I went to the youth gathering in San Antonio Texas the summer before my Senior year in 1982.  I thought it would be fun to experience the gathering again. Thirdly, I'm hoping this trip will get me fired up spiritually. I watched how excited Destiny and Danny were after they returned from New Orleans and I'm hoping to receive the same excitement. Lastly, I'm looking forward to the service work we're allowed

to do in Detroit.  My children talked extensively about how much they enjoyed their experience doing service work while in New Orleans.  Thank you everyone for supporting us and allowing us to have this experience.

Pastor Mark Youth Gatherings are amazing! 30,000 plus youth all together in one place is amazing in itself. But the focus of the gathering – to grow and express faith – makes it truly life-impacting! This will be my fourth gathering after New York City, San Antonio, and Dallas. Every time the speakers, music, and experience in the city have been great. Now we add the emphasis on service and the witness this event will be in Detroit. The only downside I have experienced at gatherings is when a group lacks courage to engage fully. Besides needing a male adult, my goal for this trip is seeking to instill courage – courage to dig into the theme in preparing, to soak up the event fully, and to apply what is learned in life.

Wendy Black I am SO EXCITED to be going to the ELCA Youth Gathering, "Rise Up Together" in Detroit in July!  I have been attending Gatherings since 1994 (this will be my 8th one!), first with youth groups, and then in

various leadership roles with the Gathering Staff.  For this trip to Detroit, I will not be able to travel with the group from Grace, but will be able to meet up with them several times throughout the course of the week.

My role at this event will be as a Group Leader for the Gathering Volunteer Corp, which coordinates the hundreds of adult volunteers who will be there. Volunteerswork tirelessly on everything including information stations, help hotlines, security in the interaction center and dome, and many other critical roles.  It will be my honor and privilege to work with these adults, serving the roughly 30,000 youth & adults who will attend.  The Gathering does such an excellent job in providing this faith-forming, Spirit-driven, servant-minded super-sized event and I'm thrilled to be able to help!

2015 ELCA Youth Gathering

Prayer PamphletDETROIT, MICIHIGAN

Sunday, July 12- Sunday, July 19

Pray for us as we prepare, travel, gather, serve, witness and learn!

Detroit is a city going through major transition, and so have our ELCA Youth Gatherings. These triennial events used to be called the National Youth Gathering - a gathering of youth from across the United States. Now it is called the ELCA Youth Gathering, EYG for short, as a way indicating these events are now quite different.

One change is that they are now international. Lutheran youth from our companion relationships around the globe attend with those coming from across the United States. Plus it is no longer merely a gathering – as phenomenal as that

has been in itself. Now these events also involve service and witness.

This service and witness aspect was learned and developed at the gatherings in New Orleans. It is also the reason Detroit was chosen for this event in 2015. Much of Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be spent in service throughout the city. Detroit is hurting. It has huge needs. There is much that 30,000+ people can do. Lots of hands-on tasks and lots of stories to hear. Imagine what 30,000 people working over three days can accomplish.

The City of Detroit has been working with the leaders of this EYG for several years preparing for this event and lining up the many service actions that we will do when there. Many synod and congregational leaders have also been to Detroit in advance to prepare so that this event is not only a gathering but is also a significant event of service and witness. Detroit knows and Detroit is waiting.

Kyle Olson, representing the youth of our synod, Wendy Black, a volunteer leader for the event, and Pastor Mark along with our Youth Ministry Team have all been to Detroit as part of this preparation. Already in February a hotel worker in casual conversation said, “I know you are coming in July. We are waiting for you to come. All those Lutheran youth are going to make a huge difference for our city.”

Please pray for us! Pray for the service and witness of this EYG! Pray also for our travel, worship, community life, meal time, interaction time, group conversations, and hotel life. Pray that this may be a life impacting experience for all from Grace going to this event, for all who attend, and for all Detroit!

Our Adult Leaders

Heather Engel

Hello, My name is Heather Engel. I have the honor of co-leading the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering Group to Detroit this year. The Gathering experience is one that is difficult to put into words because it touches you deep within your soul. I guess

describing it as a ROCK concert to the Lord is close. Some of us, myself included, love to praise the Lord loudly and with a great beat. Then you add in speakers who are telling you how God reached into their lives and brought them out of the darkness. Mix in helping people in the community whom you may never meet but know in your heart that you have made their world a little better. Top it off with meeting new friends from all over the WORLD. Yep I guess that is what a Youth gathering is. My role as mom is changing and I have been struggling with that change, this trip will give AutumnRose (my daughter) and I one last God driven adventure before she heads off to UW Stout in August. All the youth in my group, I see as my children - I think many of us feel that way here at Grace. Thank you for supporting of your children and us crazy adults blessed to go with them on this mission for God.

Stacey Biever My name is Stacey Biever. I have the honor of being the co-leader with Heather for this group. I am

going with my son Brandan Biever, who is going for the first time. I went in 2012 with my daughter and it was simply amazing!! I learned a lot about my faith and who I am today. I have taught my kids not to be bullies and I am going this time with my amazing son to experience our faith together.

Kyle Olson I am going to EYG to strengthen my relationship with God and my church family. I hope to receive strong faith and just the good feeling of helping thousands. I will use the things I learn at EYG in my community to strengthen relationships and to help build up the community.

Kam Olson At first I wanted to go just because my brother Kyle was going.  But then I started going to the fundraisers and meetings and learning about what we were going to be doing in Detroit.  I'm not sure of all the details, but just being able to help people that are less fortunate than us is very cool. Detroit has been through a lot and I want to help!  When we go to Detroit, we won't just be talking the talk, we'll be walking the walk.  We won't be just talking about loving and

Chloe LemmerMy name is Chloe Lemmer. I want to go to EYG because I had a blast 3 years ago, in New Orleans. It was amazing meeting new people. It felt amazing to help out the community and see so many people come together to help a small part of this big world. I can't wait to go to Detroit and meet many more amazing people and help out another community.

helping others; we will be helping - hands on!

“Rise Up” is the theme of this Gathering. There are three components to this theme:

1. Ford Field - each day we will gather in Ford Field to hear the day’s Scripture text. The entire Gospel of Mark is the Scripture for this event. We are studying it already as our means of preparing. Leading musicians, stimulating video, interpretive dance along with engaging speakers will lead us deeper into the Gospel of Mark.

During the middle of each day, Thursday-Saturday, congregational groups participate in a three-day activity rotation:

2. Proclaim Justice – a day of service in the Detroit metropolitan area

3. Proclaim Story – a day of exploratory learning with other groups from our synod

4. Proclaim Community – a day of interactive learning in the COBO Convention Center

5. Community Life – is the fifth component. It will take place in various venues and includes dances, game rooms, prayer stations, and the “Final 15”. The “Final 15” was introduced at the 2006 EYG and has become a staple ever since. It is a 15-minute period when everything else stops and all 30,000 spend time dwelling in the Word and in prayer.

The Speakers, Musicians, and MCs and many more details about the Gathering can be seen on the ELCA website at www.elca.org . Click on [Youth Gathering] on the very top bar

In our free time, we will be able to see and experience some

of the distinct offerings of Detroit from the Riverwalk and People Mover, to museums, zoo, and Institute of Art, to the story of the Underground Railroad, to its parks and entertainment centers. Knowing our assigned motel is in Detroit’s “Greek Town” we will also be in great walking distance to many great restaurants and to all the sights and opportunities of Detroit’s downtown.

Our YouthBrandan Biever

I am Brandan Biever and this will be my first time going to the ELCA Youth Gathering. I am happy to be going to help the city of Detroit. I look forward to meeting new people and experiencing all of this with my mom and my fellow friends at church. I am also looking forward to exploring and growing my faith.

AutumnRose Frederick Hey there! My name is AutumnRose Frederick and words can't describe how excited I am for this

coming EYG trip! When we went to New Orleans, it was a life changing experience for me and I remember everything that happened when we were there. I can't wait for Detroit to see how much more I can grow in my faith and to see Gods face through everyone we see while we are there. I am also honored to go with my mother Heather and everyone else in our group! They are all wonderful people and I can't wait for our group to grow in faith and friendship together.

Destiny Hanke it's an amazing way to not only expand your relationship with God but also to strengthen the bond you have with the other people in your group coming along with you on this amazing journey. This time I'm fortunate enough to have my loving and supportive mother come along with my brother and I. Danny and I will both be leaving for college within the next couple years so I think this trip is important for our relationship and may also be the last major

Hello my name is Destiny Hanke and I want to go to the ELCAYouth Gathering because I think

trip we'll have before our adult life sets in. Because of this awesome opportunity my outlook on life has changed so much since I went to the 2012 EYG and I can't wait to see how much more it'll change in Detroit. Thank you to everyone who's made this trip possible! Your donations support and prayers means SO MUCH to us!

Danny HankeI want to go to EYG this year in Detroit because I loved how it went when we were in New Orleans. I enjoyed helping people who needed it while still having the chance to have fun. I also enjoyed sharing service with the numerous amount of other people there also.