Lunch will be provided each project day. Project supervisors are expected to sleep in their own homes each night. A wristband to get into other Gathering activities will also be included, as the schedule allows. If interested, please submit an application online. Please contact Curtis Bradbury should you have additional questions. 

Celebration's The Nest provides a safe place as a radically welcoming ministry for families of LGBTQ persons. Starting in August they will once again gather on the fourth Tuesday of each month in Cypress from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. Please contact The Nest to confirm meeting date and location. 

Wheat Ridge Ministries is searching for an  inspired, young leader to be honored with The Richard E. Herman Emerging Leader Award. The Emerging Leader Award is an opportunity intended to lift up the innovative, creative, and committed work of emerging leaders, encouraging and honoring them through a monetary award and support resources. This year, Wheat Ridge wants to recognize the commitment and service of one leader changing the systems that perpetuate poverty, whether through their professional work or as a volunteer. Apply or nominate a candidate. Applications are due by August 1.

Would you like to volunteer at the Gathering and help our young people grow in faith and encounter Christ? Serving the youth of this church is a vocational calling that requires careful discernment. There are four volunteer categories:

• Community Life
• Gathering Volunteer Corps (GVC)
• Servant Companions
• Local Volunteers

Are you encountering unhealthy patterns within the church related to unresolved conflicts from the past? Are you interested in enhancing your ability to manage self in a non-anxious manner in the midst of congregational anxieties? The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center is hosting a Clergy Clinic in Family Emotional Process, designed to enhance the ability of participants to function as self-differentiated leaders within their own ministry setting. Read more.

You are invited to summer evenings with Godly Play - story and conversation. 

• July 20 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm at St. Philip Presbyterian in Houston, hosted by Ruthie Waldrop, 281.685.8766
• August 15 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm (host and location to be determined) 

Louisiana Governor's Office of Disability Affairs is hosting the ADA Symposium on July 26. The featured presenter will be national accessibility expert Kristi J. Avalos, President and CEO of Accessology. Following her presentation and a Q&A session, there will also be breakout sessions on disability awareness and education. These sessions will be geared towards collaboration through sharing information, success stories, and challenges. The ADA Symposium is free and open to anyone to attend. Please RSVP online. 

You are invited to the fifth annual Tune Up Worship Band Gathering on August 5 at Messiah in Cypress. For those who have never experienced this event, it is an opportunity for contemporary worship musicians to learn and grow through specific learning tracks. Cost is $25 per person, $150 maximum cost per congregation (includes lunch). Read more.

Kristen Schulze, our Gathering Synod Coordinator, will be hosting a training for adult leaders in preparation for the upcoming 2018 Youth Gathering in Houston. The first training will be held on August 13 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Kinsmen in Houston. Please RSVP with Kristen if you plan to attend. Read more.

"God's work. Our hands." Sunday is an opportunity to celebrate who we are as the ELCA - one church, freed in Christ to serve and love our neighbor. 

This year, this ELCA day of service will be held on September 10. Every act of service, in every daily calling, in every corner of life flows freeling from a living, daring confidence in God's grace. Read more.

Evening with Bishop is a time for called rostered ministers and lay leaders from each congregation within the conference to gather for worship, dinner, and conversation.

Each congregation is invited to bring up to three leaders, including their pastor. All three guests must register online.

• Colorado River & Brazos Valley Conference
• September 24 at St. Paul's in Brenham
• Bayou Conference
• October 8 at Grace in New Orleans
• Southwest Houston Conference
• October 15 at New Hope in Missouri City 

Have you thought about how fun it would be to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in Germany?

Bishop Mike will be leading a group to Germany on October 29 - November 7. There are still a number of spots left on the trip. If interested, please register online and send your deposit to reserve your spot. Read more.

Travel with Acts of Wisdom to Ethiopia on January 12 - 22. These trips are both working as well as sightseeing trips. You will experience school books and supplies being delivered to the schools with whom Acts of Wisdom is working, help make plans for the future, and hang out with the kids and families of the villages. You will also get to see the beauty and wonder that Ethiopia has to offer. Read more.

	In Search of Paul

Are you serious about studying scripture and growing your understanding of the first century Christian movement?

Study Paul's letters in the context of the 1st century empire on LEAD's 2018 In Search of Paul immersion to Greece and Turkey on April 3 - 19. Read more.

The ELCA Strategy on HIV and AIDS calls upon all ELCA congregations to be intentional in their inclusion of language that lifts up people living with HIV specifically in worship services. Check out these HIV/AIDS awareness worship resources including prayer petitions, litany, and more. Read more.

Financial assistance is available for the 2018 Gathering. The application for financial assistance opens July 15. Assistance is given based on the financial need of an individual and their family. Adult leaders should apply on behalf of their young person, using the same congregational ID that they will use when registering for the Gathering. Up to $300 per person may be provided. Please email the Gathering office should you have additional questions about financial assistance. 

First in Lafayette is looking for a worship leader who will serve as the "producer" of each worship service and special programs throughout the year. The worship leader must be a visionary who is creative in leading people into a deeper relationship with God. If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to Jeannie Brister. 

Why are we called to be involved with advocacy? Here from ELCA staff in the Washington, D.C. advocacy office and community leaders describe this important ministry and how you can get involved.