Today, at the closing worship service of the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, it was announced that the ELCA Youth Gathering will go to the city of Minneapolis in 2027.
I’ve been to enough youth gatherings to know that when the next Gathering city is announced at a closing worship, there is always a mixed reaction to the choice of cities. I’m certain that this will be the case for Minneapolis, the site of the COVID-cancelled 2021 (and 2022) youth gatherings.
I think there are three good reasons why it is important that the ELCA Youth Gathering comes to Minneapolis in 2027.
1. Minneapolis has a lot to offer the Gathering.
The city of Minneapolis is a beautiful place to visit, especially in the summer. It is an amazing urban landscape, woven with stunning parks and lakes. It is a city on the rebound. New business in downtown Minneapolis is growing, parts of the city-center are being re-developed, the city feels cleaner and safer to walk, and crime statistics have been trending down over the last couple of years (Minnesota Dept. of Public Safety).
Minneapolis has hosted large events like the Super Bowl, major conventions and just a few weeks ago, the US Olympic Gymnastics Championships and Olympic Trials. The city knows how to host large events.
And while it is known for its cold (and sometimes bitter) winters, in the summers, it is one of the most beautiful urban settings in the country.
I will admit my bias here: I was born in Minneapolis and lived in the Twin Cities area for most of my life. I know that Minneapolis would welcome the Youth Gathering with open arms and would be excited to host the Gathering.
2. Minneapolis needs the witness of the Gathering
Minneapolis is not a perfect city. Like every other major city in the country, it has had high-profile issues and problems. Minneapolis has experienced racial tensions, and the relationship between neighborhood communities, the police department and city government have been strained.
The names of those who have been killed by police violence are scars, burned into the soul of the city. Names like George Floyd, Philando Castile, Amir Locke and others remind us that there is work to be done. But as Dr. Jacqueline Bussie reminded us this past week, we don’t have to hide our scars. We are allowed to show them.
Like all cities, Minneapolis has struggled with how to best care for its population of those who live on the margins, and while it is known as a politically progressive city, it has been affected by the same political polarization that affects the rest of the country, and it is searching for its identity as a community.
The energy, love and grace of thousands of ELCA young people, when injected into the life-stream of Minneapolis, would be a powerful witness of the work of God in a city that would deeply benefit from it. Wherever the Gathering goes, through the work of the Holy Spirit, it brings hope. We should all be excited to see what kind of transformation God will bring when the Gathering comes to the City of Lakes.
3. We’re finishing what we’ve started
Many of us know the story of the COVID-related cancellation of the 2021 Gathering, and then the attempt at rescheduling the event for 2022. The decision to cancel that event was one of the hardest (and most expensive) decisions the church has ever had to make. The ELCA was forced to walked away from a commitment it had made to a community. And it was the right decision.
But there is still a lingering sense of incompleteness in the ELCA’s relationship with the city. Whenever the Gathering makes a commitment, it’s like a relationship is forged with that community. We want to go back and complete the work that was begun. We want to fulfill our promises.
My friends, my first ELCA Youth Gathering, as a new youth director, was in San Antonio in 1988. The Gathering we just completed was my 12th. Every city we have been in has brought joyful opportunities and deep challenges.
Minneapolis will be the same.
But our God is a God who walks with us in moments of joy and in moments of challenge. And God will be with us as we journey towards Minneapolis in 2027.
I encourage you to look forward to the next Gathering cycle with hope and excitement. We are a Network that leads from the front. So, when you go home, and you hear your people wonder why we are going to Minneapolis, tell them the truth: “God is calling us there.”
Minneapolis will be a great Gathering city. Minneapolis needs the witness of the Gathering, and together, we are finishing what we’ve started there. Be bold in your belief that in 2027, Minneapolis is where the Gathering was Created to Be.
God’s peace, friends!
Todd Buegler
todd@elcaymnet.org
Executive Director; ELCA Youth Ministry Network
Pastor; Trinity Lutheran Church; Owatonna, Minnesota
Network is a Verb 
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