From July 9–13, more than 19,000 high school students, adult leaders, volunteers and exhibitors will convene in Houston for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Youth Gathering at the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park. The LCMS has hosted its triennial Youth Gathering since 1980. This year, attendees from across the United States and at least seven other countries will come together to learn how Jesus Christ is “In All Things.”

“A lot has happened since we last convened in 2019,” said the Rev. Mark Kiessling, director of LCMS Youth Ministry. “One thing that has been constant is the love of Jesus Christ and His church’s love for their young people. We are overjoyed to bring over 19,000 people to Houston to celebrate our faith in Jesus, in whom all things hold together. With so much uncertainty and change in the last two years, we hope an event like ‘In All Things’ will remind all attendees that they are not alone.”

Gathering attendees will spend the week in worship, study and fun, learning about Jesus Christ, the Christian faith and their Lutheran identity. They will also participate in community service events in the Houston area, including volunteering at area parks, food banks, churches, a camp, and other nonprofit organizations, and will take part in various service projects onsite that will benefit the Houston area and beyond.

“We give thanks to God for the city of Houston,” said Kiessling. “This event wouldn’t be possible without the teamwork and leadership of Houston First, Visit Houston, the George R. Brown Convention Center, Minute Maid Park, and the Houston hotel community. Their support, care, and determination continually showed us we made a great decision to hold our event here, especially as we walked together through the pandemic.”

The Gathering will kick off with a Mass Event the evening of July 9. (These events will be held for all conference attendees at Minute Maid Park nightly and will feature special speakers and musical performances.) From July 10–12, conference sessions, an exhibit hall and other activities will be held in the George R. Brown Convention Center. The Gathering will conclude with a worship service and closing event in Minute Maid Park on July 13.

For more information now on the Gathering, go to lcmsgathering.com. To learn more about LCMS Youth Ministry, go to lcms.org/youth.

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (lcms.org)

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), with nearly 2 million baptized members in some 6,100 congregations coast to coast, is a mission-oriented, Bible-based, confessional Christian denomination headquartered in St. Louis. Through acts of witness and mercy, the church carries out its mission worldwide to make known the love of Jesus Christ.