Images of ministries of the Nebraska Synod, ELCA

Upcoming Events

Lutheran Youth of Nebraska (LYON) Assembly

Basic Info

  • For youth in grades 9-12 and adults who work with youth
  • November 21-23 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Kearney, Neb.

Invitation

This year’s assembly is the fourth weekend of November (Nov. 21-23) and will be held at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Kearney, Nebraska. Registration will begin at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and the weekend will conclude with closing worship on Sunday.

The theme of this year’s LYON Assembly is Accelerate 2008. It is based on 1 Corinthians 9:24 (NIV), “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” The board is working on three great days that will include a hypnotist and an awesome worship leader and band. We will wrap up our weekend with Bishop David deFreese as our Sunday morning worship preacher. We will have workshop opportunities, small groups, fellowship, and fun. Don’t forget your swimsuit for the pool area with slides. Also, this year each participant will receive a free t-shirt! Please provide t-shirt sizes for all who are attending (adult sizes only).

This year we have added two meals to the weekend which has increased registration costs by $10. The LYON board wanted to add those meals so all events could be on-site following check in. All meals from Friday dinner through Sunday continental breakfast are included.

Election of officers for the LYON Board will take place on Saturday afternoon. We have positions open for every conference coordinator, president elect and treasurer. We will also be sharing some information about the upcoming LYO Convention at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, La., in the summer of 2009. It is a great opportunity for the youth of Nebraska to take part in a leadership role.

The nomination forms are posted here, so you can get the excitement going in your congregation before the assembly begins. Please encourage those youth who are attending the assembly to consider running for a position on the board or as a delegate to the LYO convention. Have them fill out the nomination form prior to the gathering and also get a parental signature on the form. We are always looking for adult advisors to be on the board. It is a great opportunity to see the youth of our church in leadership positions. It is also an excellent opportunity to be a part of planning the LYON Assembly.

You will find a downloadable registration form on this page (please copy one for each participant), as well as a housing form and nomination form (copy as you wish). We are asking that you make the room assignments for your participants. We, as a LYON Board, recommend that adults not share a bed with a youth unless it is their own child.

Please try to fill your rooms to capacity which means four youth of the same sex or one adult with at least two youth per room. If you have rooms with less than four occupants we may fill the room with youth from another congregation. Early registration closes Oct. 17, and all registrations and housing forms must be postmarked and returned to the Synod office no later than Oct. 31. No registrations will be accepted after that date.

Only requests for refunds received in writing at the Synod office, postmarked by Oct. 24, will be honored.

We’ll see you at the 2008 LYON Assembly.

Registration and Forms

Questions

Lori Lindberg +

Middle School Gathering

Basic Info

  • For youth in grades 6-8 and adults who work with youth
  • December 29-30 at the Leadership Center in Aurora, Neb.

Invitation

The planning team is proud to announce the dates for this year’s Synod Middle School Gathering! The Gathering will be at the Leadership Center in Aurora on Monday, Dec. 29 and Tuesday, Dec. 30. Registration will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. Departure on Tuesday will be following worship which begins at 2:00 p.m.

Links below will take you to the forms your congregation needs to register. You must send in all of the following to be considered registered. Be sure to send the Congregation Registration List, one registration form for each adult or youth, one health history form for each adult or youth and $75 per youth for registrations submitted by Oct. 30 and $90 per youth for registrations submitted Oct. 31 to Nov. 30.

The theme for the event is LOSER. We will be exploring what it means to lose your life for Christ. We will actively find out that being a loser may be the best thing in your life. The event will include time for worship, fellowship, recreation, concert by “September Project” and much more!

The cost of the gathering is per person attending and covers three meals, lodging and all activities. Adult sponsors do need to pay the registration fee. The early registration cost is $75 and applies to complete registrations postmarked by Oct. 30. After Oct. 30 the cost goes up to $90. The final deadline for registrations this year is Nov. 30. Please help us plan the best event possible by honoring this deadline. Workshop Request Forms will be sent to you with a confirmation letter upon receipt of your registration. This form will allow your youth to choose which workshops they would prefer to attend during the gathering. Please have your group fill out these forms and return them together by the deadline assigned.

Once again this year, your housing will be determined by the date your complete registration is postmarked. Therefore, the sooner you send in your registration the better chance you have to stay in the hotel. On your adult registration forms please complete the housing forms of the rooms your youth will stay to insure that your youth are housed appropriately. If you choose to have your groups stay in the cabins rather that the hotel, please indicated so on your Congregation registration form.

We ask for a ratio of one adult (over 21 years of age) for every six youth. Youth are housed with adults, but do not share the same bed. We expect all adult volunteers to participate in all activities and will be having each adult sponsor to lead a small group of five to seven youth at various times during the event. The small group materials will also be sent out with the confirmation letter. Please let us know if your adults are unable to lead a small group. We thank you in advance for your help with this.

The gathering will be held at the Leadership Center in Aurora, Neb. Approximately 1/4 mile east of Highway 14 on Highway 34 (on the north side of the road).

Registrations should be sent to the Gathering registrar:

Middle School Gathering Registrar–Amy Serflaten
Sheridan Lutheran Church
6955 Old Cheney Rd.
Lincoln, NE 68516
Checks need to be made out to Synod Middle School Gathering.

Registration and Forms

Questions

Amy Serflaten + 402.423.4769 (office) +

Last Year’s Highlights

National Youth Gathering

Basic Info

  • Info on www.elca.org
  • For youth entering high school by September 2009, those already in high school, those who will graduate high school in 2009 and adults who work with youth
  • July 22-26, 2009 in New Orleans, La.
  • Registration opens online September 15, 2008 and ONLY online registrations are accepted.
  • Info for Nebraska Youth at www.nebraska2009gathering.webs.com
  • Official site at www.elca.org/gathering

Questions

Andy Gregory + 402.291.8868 (office) +

Amy Serflaten (Eastern Nebraska Resource) + 402.423.4769 (office) +

Marcia Dorn (Western Nebraska Resource) + 308.532.0250 (office) +

Past Events

Mission Trip

The 2008 trip was held June 14-21. 350 youth and adults traveled to the Ocean Springs/Biloxi area of Mississippi to work as partners with Lutheran Disaster Relief to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

To view pictures from the trip, visit the Gallery.

The next Mission Trip is being planned for the summer of 2010.

Questions

Pastor Jan Peterson + 402.571.1622 (office) +