The Zion Lutheran Youth Group attended the LCMS National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas from July 7th – 13th. The ten youth group members attended a South Dakota event, bible studies, themed breakout sessions, and mass events to celebrate how God is “In All Things”. They also participated in a servant event where they built and delivered beds to children for the organization “Sleep in Heavenly Peace.” The event was attended by over 20,000 youth and it provided a great opportunity to learn and grow in their faith.

“This is the third youth gathering that I have attended, once as a youth member and twice as a youth leader. They just seem to get better and better! It is so rewarding watching our youth grow and learn throughout the week. They are able to celebrate their faith and serve others, while also having a lot of fun meeting new people. My favorite memory was watching our youth interact with the children and families after building and delivering beds to them. It is such a great experience and I am so glad we can provide this for our youth group!” – Becky Haenfler, Youth Leader

“This is my fourth gathering (1 as a youth, 3 as a leader). Each time I love the excitement the kids get at the mass events with 20,000 other youth! Seeing them grow in their faith, serving others, and hearing great speakers are a few of my favorites. The For King and Country concert was a favorite memory of mine! Also, building beds and delivering them to kids and families will forever remain in my heart! I am proud of our youth and excited for their future.” –Raja Brandt, Youth Leader

“I was so fortunate to be able to go on two youth gathering throughout high school. The Houston gathering was by far the cherry on top. My faith grew and so did my passion for helping kids. Raja and Becky have been great leaders and this wouldn’t be possible without them. I will forever cherish every moment. This year’s youth had such a big change in faith from start to end. Everyone grew day by day. That is what I love most about youth gatherings.” –Tiffany Pelton

“The trip to Houston was very eye opening for me. There was a lot of poverty among the people down there. It was also amazing to worship along with 20,000 other Christians. It gave a feeling that I’m not alone in my faith. My favorite memory from the trip was when we stopped at a gas station for a break and there was a homeless man there, so we gave him all of our leftover snacks and breakfast foods from the hotel. He was so appreciative. There was another homeless man that came there too and the one we gave the food to shared with him. He even opened a single bag of popcorn and split it in half with him. He didn’t have to share, but he did. It’s another eye opener to understand how God doesn’t let us do things alone” –Reese Powers

“I would like to say I liked all of the mass events and I enjoyed the bible studies. The funniest time was when we got stuck in the elevator at the beginning of the trip!” –Pierce Jonkers

"Thank you to everyone that supported our youth group so that we could attend the LCMS Gathering in Houston, TX. Our youth group had a great time learning about how God is “In All Things.” They not only learned through bible studies and from the many speakers they attended, but they also learned through the music and by serving others while there. A special thanks to April and Barb for helping to chaperone the group and driving the youth to and from Texas. Another special thanks to Pastor Johnson for all he does for our youth and our church. We not only enjoyed the youth gathering, but we also enjoy all the time we get to spend with the youth throughout the year." Raja and Dwight Brandt, Becky and Jeff Haenfler.

Youth Members: Reece Loewe, Tiffany Pelton, Reese Powers, Trace Pelton, John Fathke, Maesa Kuhlman, Pierce Jonkers, Devin Rucktaeschel, Cody Sassaman, and Macy Voigt.

Youth Leaders: Raja Brandt and Becky Haenfler

Parent Volunteers: April Powers and Barb Jonkers