wfn.org | ELCA Youth Gathering Registers 35,000

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE - NEWSBRIEFS

December 9, 1996

YOUTH GATHERING REGISTERS 35,000

Registration for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's
Youth Gathering opened and closed Nov. 4.  The Gathering Advisory
Committee closed registration when 39,000 forms were collected
opening day.  The maximum number of participants allowed to
attend the gathering is 35,000.  Registrants will be chosen by
lottery and will receive notification by mail in early December.
Some alternative opportunities for youth not accepted to attend
the gathering will also be announced in the mailing. The five-
day, senior high gathering, "River of Hope," will take place in
New Orleans July 23-27, 1997.  Preaching for the opening worship
service will be the Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, bishop of the
South Dakota Synod.  The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding
bishop of the ELCA, will preach for the closing worship service,
and Walter Wangerin, Jr., host of  "Lutheran Vespers," will be
the storyteller.  The Youth Gathering for the year 2000 will be
two separate events run back-to-back.  A capacity of 45,000
registrants will be accepted overall, with 22,500 youth attending
each event.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958 or AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir.,
(312) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG; Melissa Ramirez, Assist. Dir.,
(312) 380-2956 or MRAMIREZ@ELCA.ORG