By Chad Hershberger

When I was a youth, I never went to an ELCA Youth Gathering. My high school days were the transition to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and these gatherings took a hiatus the whole time I was eligible. I did get to go to New Orleans in 1997 as a chaperone, so I finally experienced one that way.

Large youth gatherings certainly have their merit, the most important thing probably being for youth to be with their peers and express their faith. I’m more of a small group guy, so going to Winterfest in Lancaster these past two Januarys was more my style. Sure, it’s a bigger event but it certainly wasn’t thousands of people!

The first year I went, I attended as a bit of a recognizance mission. We wanted to get a synod youth contingent together to attend and I wanted to see what it was all about. Our associate director, Jim Vitale, served as chaplain that year and so tagged along to experience Winterfest.

I was impressed! There was energy in the auditorium with a few hundred youth and their advisors. There was time to be with those you came with and time to get to know others. It was amazing to me how many people in our neighboring synod I knew. I got to get reacquainted with them and catch up. The accommodations were fantastic, the food was good, but the fellowship was what was top-notch for me. The worship experiences were enriching, and I know my faith grew in those two short days.

Last year, the highlight for me was leading a small group. I learned about the eight young adults, where they were from, what they were studying, and what schools they went to. We had guided discussion questions that followed up on our theme. The discussions were livelier each time we met. They had more to say and more reflections, particularly on what they heard on the big stage. I liked hearing about how they felt their chosen course of study and profession would lead to living out their calling in life. I found their answers to be thoughtful. We some activities to do together and seemed to get into processing the theme in that way, too. Sunday, we wrapped up our time together and had one last table discussion. I was sad to see our time end. I wished them all well and hope that someday I can hear about all their adult accomplishments.

If you are in high school or are a young adult, consider coming with our synod group this year. We’d like to get a small contingent to be part of Winterfest. If you are interested in attending, please contact us at cml@campmountluther.org by December 1.  Please reach out if you have any questions. I’d be happy to tell you more stories about my time at Winterfest.

More information at www.lss-elca.org/winterfest/