Travel with LutheranHANDS to the 2015 ELCA Youth Gathering!
Detroit, MI
July 15 - 19, 2015
LutheranHANDS travel options open to congregations in the following synods:
Lower Susquehanna Synod
Upper Susquehanna Synod
Metro-DC Synod
Delaware-Maryland Synod
Option 1: Pre-Gathering Mission Trip
July 12 - 19
$350 / traveler
Registration is now closed.
New Information as of 6/25/14
Details around Sunday 7/19 departure
We will be departing from our Gathering hotels. Before you catch the Gathering shuttles for worship, check out of your hotel and store your luggage the the space your hotel as designated. Catch the Gathering shuttles to worship and, after worship, back to your hotel. You will then have until 2pm to get lunch before our buses pick you up for the journey home!
What do I owe?
LutheranHANDS requires a $100 deposit for those notified that they are traveling to Detroit with LutheranHANDS.
Where can I send a check?
Please send a check or money order to:
The LutheranHANDS Foundation
Attn: ELCA Gathering Summer Mission Trip
P.O. Box 664
Hummelstown, PA 17036
When is the rest of the money due?
The full balance for each participant must be paid or postmarked by April 15, 2015. All late payments postmarked or paid after March 15, 2014 will be subject to a $25 late fee per person.
How do I take my name off of the waiting list, change my group size, or change any information on my entry?
Simply email registrar@lutheranhands.org if you would like to add / delete / or modify any entry you made to the waiting list. The $100 deposit is not refundable. The balance is refundable up until March 15, 2014. Substitutions are accepted up until departure day.
About the Pre-Gathering Mission Trip
Each Gathering, LutheranHANDS adds a few additional days in service for those interested. We believe that the service element of the ELCA Gatherings are powerful and something we are called to expand upon. Service is our mission, service is what we do.
Check back soon and often. We will continually update this site when more details become available. For now, here are the basics.
Bus Transportation
The group will travel by charter bus from a launch site in the Harrisburg, PA area on Sunday, July 12 at 6am. All travelers will be required to meet at the Harrisburg launch site. Limited overnight parking will be available. The group will then arrive in Detroit between 4-6pm, depending on traffic.
Lodging
This year we will be lodging at The Royal Dearborn Hotel and Conference Center. This is the second largest conference center in the state of Michigan. It is packed full of amenities and offers us great versatility to eat, lodge and worship all under one roof. As many of you know it is extremely abnormal for us to book a hotel however due to long and complicated discussions we have experienced (that we do not want to bore you with) we have found this to be the best possible solution for us to house in for this trip! We hope you love it!
This means this year you will not need an air mattress or sheets as we will be staying in hotel accommodations.
Each room will have:
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40 Inch LCD Flat Screen
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Complimentary Wireless Internet
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Full Sized Ironing Board
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Iron
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iPod Docking
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Hair Dryer
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Executive Desk Chair
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Work Desk w/ Built In Power
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Single Serve Coffeemaker
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Lighted Makeup Mirror
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Dual Bath Vanity
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TTY Kits Available Upon Request
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Hearing/Visually Impaired Kits Available Upon Request
Mission Work
There is plenty of work to do in Detroit. We will partner with local organizations to bring travelers a diverse set of mission work opportunities. Travelers will work two full days in Detroit, Monday July 13 and Tuesday July 14.
Going to the Gathering
The group will be transported to their Gathering hotels the evening of Tuesday, July 14.. When groups are arranging their hotel accommodations, they should reserve Tuesday night and expect to eat dinner after being dropped off at their hotels. This will allow groups to register for the Gathering with little rush or stress.
Registration
We are getting a head count of all interested travelers for both the mission trip and the bus trip. You can join the waiting list by clicking the link to the right.
September 15 - all those on the waiting list for whom we have space for on the mission trip will be notified that they are going with us. All others will be offered a space on the bus trip. A $100 per person deposit is due once you are notified.
The mission trip is likely to fill up quickly so sign up early!
January 15, 2015 - the waiting lists closed.
February 15, 2015 - all those on the mission trip will be asked to complete an online form with all relevant information pertaining to the mission trip such as emergency contact and health information.
Returning Home after the Gathering
After the Gathering worship service on Sunday, you will return to your hotels to gather your things and depart for home. The buses will then make their rounds to your hotels and pick you up for the journey home.
For those interested in participating in the Mission Trip but not the ELCA National Youth gathering...
If you wish to participate in the mission trip but not the ELCA National Youth Gathering, you do have the option of continuing work through the week while the Gathering participants go to the Gathering. You would then rejoin the larger group on Sunday for the journey home. This option is an additional $75 to cover the cost of housing and meals (total $425).
If this is the option for you, please sign the waiting list AND email Jesse Woodrow letting him know that you want to come on the mission trip but are not participating in the Gathering. jwoodrow@lutheranhands.org