Attendance Plummets at ELCA National Youth Gathering

6/25/2024

The 2024 ELCA National Youth Gathering has announced "nearly 16,000 youth, adult leaders and others from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will participate in the ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans, La., July 16-20." (see here)

This is approximately half of the attendance numbers from 2018 (the last gathering) and 2015. Both of these previous National Youth Gathering attendance numbers where reported to be over 30,000. (see here and here)

This is disastrous for the denomination but a reason to praise God for those that have seen the wickedness proclaimed from the stage and the assembly at the previous ELCA Youth Gatherings. (well documented on this website)

Let's pray that even less attend and that it is completely shut down in the years to come.

9 Comments

Didaskalos link

6/26/2024 07:38:13 am

Pray that the Holy Spirit will take away all the ELCA-promoted godless blinders on the eyes of its youth. The denominational perpetrators of this sin are still unaware of just how close to hell they are; pray that they'll see the light and repent of their own sins and the monstrous debaucheries they're inflicting on their youth.

David Guzik's commentary on 1 John sets forth exactly what the sin-dominated ELCA needs to hear:
-- https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-john-3/

** "Whoever abides in Him does not sin": Since sin is lawlessness, a disregard for God (1 John 3:4), and since Jesus came to take away our sins (1 John 3:5), and since in Jesus there is no sin (1 John 3:5), then to abide in Him means to not sin.

i. It is very important to understand what the Bible means - and what it does not mean - when it says does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses, does not sin means does not live a life style of habitual sin. John has already told us in 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection.

ii. “The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken sequence” (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs with phrases such as keeps on sinning, continues to sin, and he cannot go on sinning.

** "Whoever abides in Him does not sin": John’s message is plain and consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true Christian can only be temporarily in a life style of sin.

i. Paul’s teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when his sins are forgiven and God’s grace is extended to him, he is radically changed - the old man is dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only be temporary for the Christian.

ii. In some ways, the question is not “Do you sin or not?” We each sin. The question is, “How do you react when you sin? Do you give in to the pattern of sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin, and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?”

iii. This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle - perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless.

iv. What is important is that we never sign a “peace treaty” with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, “Everybody has his own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands.” This completely goes against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life.

** "Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him": To live a lifestyle of habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not seen Him (in a present sense of the ultimate “seeing Him” mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you have not known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that kind of person.

i. Mark it, when one becomes a Christian, there is a change in his relationship with sin. Sin is not eliminated in the believer until he comes to glory, but his relationship to sin is changed when he truly become a Christian.

· A Christian no longer loves sin as he once did.

· A Christian no longer brags about his sin as he once did.

· A Christian no longer plans to sin as he once did.

· A Christian no longer fondly remembers his sin as he once did.

· A Christian never fully enjoys his sin as he once did.

· A Christian no longer is comfortable in habitual sin as he once was.

ii. “The Christian no longer loves sin; it is the object of his sternest horror: he no longer regards it as a mere trifle, plays with it, or talks of it with unconcern... Sin is dejected in the Christian’s heart, though it is not ejected. Sin may enter the heart, and fight for dominion, but it cannot sit upon the throne.” (Charles Spurgeon)

** "Whoever is born of God does not sin": In the battle against sin, it is all-essential that we keep our minds set on who we are in Jesus Christ. If we are born of Him, we then have the resources to be free from habitual sin.

i. John is repeating his idea from 1 John 3:6: Whoever abides in Him does not sin. The grammar in the original language makes it plain John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin.

Becca

6/26/2024 10:08:11 am

Leadership will glibly blame this on COVID/post-COVID, e.g., "Parents are still anxious about their children being exposed to large crowds."

Bob

6/27/2024 09:22:11 am

Parents are concerned about exposing kids to groomer propaganda

Becca

6/29/2024 07:43:11 am

That, yes, and many don't want their children coming home in a keffiyeh.

Rebecca

6/26/2024 01:11:53 pm

Praise God!!! This is prayers answered. I pray that even though many are registered, they will not show up!

Steve Gillespie

6/27/2024 10:01:25 am

A sinking ship if there ever was one. I'm sure the 16K number is inflated. I wonder if this drop in participation is reflective of worsening ELCA membership levels than those reported.

Born again

6/27/2024 07:58:40 pm

Parents are anxious about their kids being brainwashed by leftist communist ideologues.

Born again

6/28/2024 07:33:44 am

This is the season when demons are being exposed. The Lutheran Church, Catholic Church, Robert Morris, TD Jakes, Democrat Party, many Republicans, blm, antifa, MSM & many more. Maybe even people close to you. One person I used to respect was unmasked as a Hamas supporter. Another person I know & thought was Christian came out as a new ager. Listen to Pastor Allen Jackson sermons, we are in a period of major change.

Rebecca

7/2/2024 05:11:46 pm

I wish there was a safe place to name names and what has been discovered about them. We need to not be deceived.

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Attendance Plummets at ELCA National Youth Gathering

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Dan Skogen

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