2020 Winter Gathering
The 2020 Winter Gathering will be January 3-5 at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH. We will continue to update this page as new information is released! Registration forms and flyers are available below!
Registration is now open!
The 2020 Winter Gathering will be January 3-5 at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH. We will continue to update this page as new information is released! Registration forms and flyers are available below!
Registration is now open!
2020 Winter Gathering Registration Form |
2020 Winter Gathering Flyer |
2020 Winter Program |
2020 Winter Gathering Schedule |
About the 2020 Winter Gathering
The 2020 Winter Gathering is a weekend-long event held at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH, and is open to all high school youth, even if they are not a member of an ELCA church. Mature 7th and 8th graders are also invited. The event is focused around a faith-based theme, “God’s Vision for You is 20/20,” and is a life-changing event where youth can deepen their faith, meet new friends, and have a fun time. The weekend consists of a wide variety of activities planned by high school students; the event usually brings in over 300 participants!
Throughout the gathering, the Allan Scott Band will lead the participants in song; they have been featured on multiple local, national, and international TV programs! They will be joined by Petra Rickertsen, a young leader for the ELCA World Hunger Program, who will speak about God’s vision for her. We also have a variety of fun activities for the youth, including a dance, coffee house/karaoke, games, crafts, and a variety of youth-led workshops on topics like college, relationships, and opportunities to meet the band and speakers.
There are also ways for youth to get involved while they’re at the gathering! There will be a service project that all of the students can participate in, as well as the opportunity to get involved on the LYO Board. During our Delegate Luncheon, we invite two youth from each congregation to enjoy free food, run for board positions (if they are interested), and vote on the new board members. This year, positions available include: President-Elect, Secretary, Canton-Massilon Representative, Cleveland-East Representative, Multicultural Representative, Southern Representative, and Akron-Wooster Representative. Any high school youth is able to become President-Elect or Secretary, while youth must belong to a church in the listed conferences to apply for those positions. Any youth with a multicultural background may apply for the Multicultural position. Students can find out more about each position during our workshops at the event.
If any student is in need of financial assistance or if adult leaders have questions about rooming, please contact Mary Anne Sima, at [email protected]. Youth are required to be chaperoned by an appropriate number of adults from their church.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Rachel Drobnak at [email protected], or 440-213-2677.
The 2020 Winter Gathering is a weekend-long event held at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH, and is open to all high school youth, even if they are not a member of an ELCA church. Mature 7th and 8th graders are also invited. The event is focused around a faith-based theme, “God’s Vision for You is 20/20,” and is a life-changing event where youth can deepen their faith, meet new friends, and have a fun time. The weekend consists of a wide variety of activities planned by high school students; the event usually brings in over 300 participants!
Throughout the gathering, the Allan Scott Band will lead the participants in song; they have been featured on multiple local, national, and international TV programs! They will be joined by Petra Rickertsen, a young leader for the ELCA World Hunger Program, who will speak about God’s vision for her. We also have a variety of fun activities for the youth, including a dance, coffee house/karaoke, games, crafts, and a variety of youth-led workshops on topics like college, relationships, and opportunities to meet the band and speakers.
There are also ways for youth to get involved while they’re at the gathering! There will be a service project that all of the students can participate in, as well as the opportunity to get involved on the LYO Board. During our Delegate Luncheon, we invite two youth from each congregation to enjoy free food, run for board positions (if they are interested), and vote on the new board members. This year, positions available include: President-Elect, Secretary, Canton-Massilon Representative, Cleveland-East Representative, Multicultural Representative, Southern Representative, and Akron-Wooster Representative. Any high school youth is able to become President-Elect or Secretary, while youth must belong to a church in the listed conferences to apply for those positions. Any youth with a multicultural background may apply for the Multicultural position. Students can find out more about each position during our workshops at the event.
If any student is in need of financial assistance or if adult leaders have questions about rooming, please contact Mary Anne Sima, at [email protected]. Youth are required to be chaperoned by an appropriate number of adults from their church.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact Rachel Drobnak at [email protected], or 440-213-2677.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the t-shirt cost separate from the registration fee?
A:Yes. The t-shirt cost is separate and it is optional to get a t-shirt.When are the early registration and late registration deadlines?
Q: Early registration is due December 1. Late registration is due December 22.Where is the gathering this year?
A: The gathering is at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH.
Q: Can I bring students in 7-8 grade?
A: Yes. The gathering is mostly high school students, but 7-8 graders are welcome to come.
Q: Who do I write checks out to?
A: Write checks out to "Northeast Ohio Synod LYO" or "NEOS LYO"
Q: When does my youth group need to arrive on Friday?
A: Registration begins as early as 3 PM, but goes until 7 PM. The gathering starts promptly at 7 PM, so we ask that students arrive before 6 PM to move into rooms and not be rushed.
Q: How does rooming work?
A: All rooming questions can be sent to Mrs. Sima (find our contact information on the registration form or our website, neoslyo.weebly.com). Please let Mrs. Sima know if you have rooming suggestions when you submit your registration forms
Q: Does the schedule allow for late arrivals/early departures?
A: Although we ask that all students attend the entire gathering, students are able to leave early or arrive late as long as they communicate with Rachel Drobnak or Mrs. Sima and the student is in communication with their chaperone.
Q: Is the t-shirt cost separate from the registration fee?
A:Yes. The t-shirt cost is separate and it is optional to get a t-shirt.When are the early registration and late registration deadlines?
Q: Early registration is due December 1. Late registration is due December 22.Where is the gathering this year?
A: The gathering is at the Holiday Inn in Independence, OH.
Q: Can I bring students in 7-8 grade?
A: Yes. The gathering is mostly high school students, but 7-8 graders are welcome to come.
Q: Who do I write checks out to?
A: Write checks out to "Northeast Ohio Synod LYO" or "NEOS LYO"
Q: When does my youth group need to arrive on Friday?
A: Registration begins as early as 3 PM, but goes until 7 PM. The gathering starts promptly at 7 PM, so we ask that students arrive before 6 PM to move into rooms and not be rushed.
Q: How does rooming work?
A: All rooming questions can be sent to Mrs. Sima (find our contact information on the registration form or our website, neoslyo.weebly.com). Please let Mrs. Sima know if you have rooming suggestions when you submit your registration forms
Q: Does the schedule allow for late arrivals/early departures?
A: Although we ask that all students attend the entire gathering, students are able to leave early or arrive late as long as they communicate with Rachel Drobnak or Mrs. Sima and the student is in communication with their chaperone.