The ELCA Youth Leadership Summit is an annual gathering for high school youth identified as leaders and an adult representative from each synod.
This year’s theme is, “Beloved.” The YCLT chose this theme after thinking through what they and their peers needed most to hear after these last few years. Their tag line is, “no matter what”. Based on the Colossians 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” God’s love is expansive, inclusive and unconditional and because of that love we can not only love ourselves and we can reach out and love others no matter our differences.
The 2022 ELCA Youth Leadership Summit will equip youth leaders through Peer Ministry Leadership Training. They will learn to welcome and include others in all situations promoting diversity and acceptance. They will learn to
share God’s love and grace through their daily connections, becoming aware of the hurts and needs of those around them while living out the Good Samaritan story. Through the peer ministry training the participants will learn how to be careful listeners, to guide healthy and purposeful conversations, to clarify concerns and values, to ask open-ended questions and make observations, and know when a situation is too large and how to ask for help. The youth and adults will be challenged to take home their learnings at the Summit to inspire action, teaching what they learned in their own synods, congregations, and communities.