The Missouri District has a long history sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with students through District Youth Gatherings. Over the years our gatherings have taken place at different times, in different places, and with different audiences. One thing that has remained the same is the love the Missouri District has for our youth and all of the church workers and volunteers who share God’s love with them.

Our goal is to partner with our Missouri churches – whether led by volunteer, DCE, teacher, or pastor – to create an experience that will help youth grow in faith, fellowship, and community in Jesus Christ.

Here’s what you can expect from our Combined Missouri District Youth Gatherings:

Time together. Our main sessions will bring all ages of youth and adults together to grow in our faith together as we sing, learn, and experience surrounding a theme rooted in scripture.

Experience & Learn with Peers. We recognize that Jr. and Sr. High youth have vastly different needs, and our team intentionally works together to provide separate experiences with their peers.

Senior high school youth have the opportunity to attend topical breakout sessions led by talented and passionate leaders. Past topics have been on vocation/church worker careers, anxiety, relationships, youth leadership, and even some time with comfort dogs!

Junior high school youth have a variety of activities including service projects, scavenger hunt, and games that encourage fellowship together.

Schedule. Sample schedule can be found here.

Registration. Registration Cost: $120 per individual. Registration will open January 15, 2025 and close March 5, 2025.

Lodging. Cross Pointe Retreat center has multiple options for lodging including hotel rooms with a 2-5 person capacity, motel rooms with a 2-4 person capacity, and a more economical dorm housing option. Costs are as follows: Hotel Room ($150 each, houses 2-5 individuals), Motel Room ($120 each, houses 2-4 individuals), Dorm Room ($30 per individual).

Food. Cross Pointe Retreat center provides our meals, and they work to have as many options as possible. In addition to the regular meal offerings (entrée, side, fruit/vegetable) there is a salad bar at lunch and dinner if the meal does not meet dietary needs for an individual. Unfortunately, we are not able to guarantee entrees and sides that are gluten/dairy/nut free. In the case of strict dietary needs the individual may need to supply their own food, and we can work with the camp to provide necessary refrigeration/storage.

Medical forms. Each individual church is responsible for their own medical and permission forms for this event. Please make sure that primary adult leaders have medical forms on hand in case of an emergency.

Let us take care of the programming while you build relationships rooted in Christ with your youth!

“Believe!”

It was 15 years ago that the chants of “We Believe!” filled the dome in New Orleans as thousands of LCMS youth gathered from around the country for the LCMS Gathering.

Since this is a year where many groups from around Missouri are making plans to head back to New Orleans this summer for the LCSM Gathering, our team thought it would be appropriate to reflect on a familiar theme for our spring Missouri District Youth Gathering on April 4-6, 2025!  We are excited to announce that Pastor Brian King will be leading us through the Apostle’s Creed to help us understand what it means when we confess what we BELIEVE.

Rev. King serves at the Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens in Webster Groves, MO. Raised in the Detroit area with a brief stint in Chicago, Brian graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1998, only notable because his father was a proud ROTC graduate of “the” Ohio State University. Moving to St Louis and marrying his wife Liz that same year, Brian joined the staff of the Lutheran Church of Webster Gardens. He then received his MA in Systematic Theology, followed by his Pastoral ordination at Concordia Seminary in St Louis.

Pastor King lives in the St Louis area with his wife Liz, son Simon (sophomore, University of Missouri) and daughter Alice (freshman, Lindbergh High School), where he continues to serve at Webster Gardens as the Pastor of Family Ministry, and is frequently referred to as “Pastor BK”. In his free time, Pastor BK is a powered paraglider pilot (imagine a parachute with a propellor attached to a lawn chair), Bob Dylan fan, and is in the process of teaching his daughter to drive in his 1988 Oldsmobile station wagon.

This event is for both high school and junior high youth! Our main sessions will unite youth of all ages and adults to grow in faith through singing, learning, and experiences centered on scripture. We also recognize the differing needs of junior and senior high students, so we strive to provide tailored experiences for each group. Senior high youth can attend breakout sessions led by passionate leaders on relevant topics, while junior high students engage in activities such as service projects, scavenger hunts, and games that promote fellowship.

You can find more information about what we do on our website.

Adult Leaders

If you are serving as an adult leader for the 2025 Gathering, there are a few things already underway to help your journey to New Orleans!

Zoom Meetings

There are adult leader Zoom meetings that take place on the second Thursday of each month. Go to www.lcmsgathering.com and click on the link at the bottom right of the page that says "Subscribe for Gathering Updates". From here, you will receive invitations to join the monthly Zoom meetings from these updates.

Facebook

Join our Facebook Page "Missouri District 2025 NYG Adult Leaders". It's a great way to stay connected, plus sign up links will be shared through this page.