Make plans to visit Winnipeg in 2013

The National Youth Gathering committee: Rev. Mark Dressler; Tony Marchand; Deacon Michael Gillingham (chair); Deacon Amanda Knodel; Deacon Kaitlyn Roller; Bill Wardecker; Rev. Mark Danielson.

The countdown clock for Lutheran Church–Canada’s 2013 National Youth Gathering began ticking as the organizing committee held its first meeting July 25-27 in Winnipeg.

Under the leadership of Deacon Michael Gillingham (DPS, Bethel Sherwood Park, Alta.) the volunteer committee discussed location, theme, potential speakers and how the Gathering will integrate with a national 25th anniversary outreach convocation for Lutheran Church–Canada.

Since the district rotation for the youth gathering brings the triennial event to the Central District and Winnipeg hosted LCC’s founding convention in 1988, the city will host both the gathering and anniversary convocation at the University of Manitoba and area hotels.

The youth gathering will run from Thursday, July 4 to Tuesday, July 9, 2013. The anniversary outreach convocation begins Friday evening, July 5 and concludes with a joint anniversary worship service Sunday, July 7.

“We’re still working on the Gathering’s theme and will sort that out soon,” Mr. Gillingham reports. “We have a number of speakers we’d like to invite but we’ll do that after we finalize the theme.”

The volunteer youth gathering committee consists of Rev. Mark Danielson (Trinity, Fisherville, Ont.); Rev. Mark Dressler (St. Paul’s, Saskatoon); Deacon Michael Gillingham; Deacon Amanda Knodel (DPS, Good Shepherd, Regina); Tony Marchand, (youth leader, Historic St. Paul’s, Kitchener, Ont.); Deacon Kaitlyn Roller (DPS, Trinity, Fisherville, Ont.); and Bill Wardecker (youth leader, Peace, Winnipeg). The chairman noted that “the committee is pretty stoked to be working together and is praying that God will bless the Gathering according to His good purposes and will.” 

LCC is working with Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Regional Outreach Conference (ROC) organizers to put together the anniversary outreach convocation. The two events plan to share Saturday workshops and an evening outreach event. Participants in the outreach conference may also have the opportunity to work with the youth in servant events throughout the city. “The committee thinks an intergenerational servant event could be pretty cool,” said the chairman.

The direction for holding the two events together comes from a convention resolution passed in 2008.

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