Breakout Sessions

Being a teenager is exhausting. Balancing school, relationships, activities, family, and future is enough to overwhelm anyone. Engage with the candid wisdom of someone who’s been there—screw ups, headaches, and all—and wants to remind you that you can get through this, too.

Cassie Moore is an author, speaker, and Director of Next Generation Ministries at St. Mark Lutheran Church & School in Houston, Texas. She’s author of “Authentic Youth Ministry: Straight Talk about Working with Kids, Teens & In-Betweens,” contributor for “Connected for Life: Essential Guide to Youth Ministry,” and an upcoming women’s devotional, teenage devotional, and historical fiction series. She’s published over 80 articles on youth and culture, in addition to freelance curriculum writing. She grew up in Illinois & Minnesota, holds a degree from Concordia University in Irvine, California, has worked on national & district youth gatherings, and enjoys speaking nationally. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership from the Townsend Institute. She loves sushi, travel, & talking to strangers. She and her husband, Pastor Tyler, have two dogs. Connect with her at cassieahmoore.com or on social media at @DCECassie.

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Feel like we haven’t sung enough yet today? Here we will sing some more!  Songs to be sung on a day the Lord has made, which happens to be every day!! So come, sing a song! Learn a harmony! Learn a melody! Worship the Lord by lifting your voice! 

Sarah Wemyss has traversed from northern BC to sing a song with you. She plays guitar to help keep her in tune, and provide a little rhythm. Sarah has been a part of LCC since before she can remember. Music has been a part of her since the day before that. There is always a song in her heart that often spreads to her lips. She is tall for her height and young for her age. One of her favorite philosophers is Dr. Seuss.

In this session, Pastor Peter Knelson will reflect upon the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and how God was with them when they chose not to bow to a false god. We may not have the threat of being thrown into a fiery furnace, but we do experience pressure to bow to our own type of false god. That false god is sex. It is no doubt that sex has been a topic of interest since the beginning of time, but the creation of the digital world has moved the topic of sex from a private matter to a public matter for all the world to ingest. In fact, you may feel forced to take in or reveal sexual information about yourself in our world today. You may feel like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, forced to bow or be cancelled. This session will explore the pressures of sexuality in a digital age and encourage building an identity in Christ.

Pastor Peter Knelson grew up in Saskatchewan and graduated high school in Nipawin, where most of his family lives today. After high school, Peter studied at Concordia University of Edmonton and Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. Peter was ordained and installed as a pastor in 2020. While in university, Peter met Laurel and the two were married in 2017 and eventually had their first child, Austin, in 2020. Peter enjoys dabbling in creative activities but especially loves to write and record music. You can find him on YouTube as “Lutheran Leavener.”

Picture this: You walk into the sanctuary on Sunday morning, you sit down, the service begins, and throughout the next hour or so you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to the Lord with your heart; you hear readings from the Word of God: Old Testament, Epistles, Gospel; you confess your sins and receive absolution; the Word of God is preached; you receive the Lord’s Supper; you are given a blessing, and then you leave. Seems pretty simple, right? But if you’re not the one preparing for Sunday, how simple is it? From song selection to writing songs and putting themes together, hear from the members of Peace by Peace how a worship service is put together.

Rev. Glenn Worcester has been a pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Winnipeg since 2012, and he is also a member of the music team, Peace by Peace. They will be leading the music at this NYG, and they were also the music team at the 2013 NYG in Winnipeg! 

This will be a Q&A, discussion-based session to explore your questions about mental illness, mental health, and how it all fits in with Christianity. We will deal with topics surrounding stigma concerning mental illness even within our own Christian communities, and provide an opportunity to talk openly about suffering and faith. The session leaders will start things off by talking about their own experiences with mental illness, medication, and other treatments (Yes, even pastors and church workers are affected by mental illness!) Feel free to contribute to the discussion or to simply listen.

Chaplain Dongjoo (DJ) Kim, a native of South Korea, carries with him a shocking past—from renouncing his membership with the White Snake gang; witnessing horrific occurrences while serving in the South Korean Military’s special forces; to his enrolment at a Lutheran seminary in Canada. Rev. Kim eventually became an army chaplain for the Royal Regina Rifles, supporting soldiers returning from Afghanistan, and now serves as a chaplain for the Regina and Moose Jaw Police Services. Through his Street Reach ministry, Rev. Kim works with at-risk youth, and currently has over 150 hardcore gangsters under his care. Rev. Kim’s years of service under agonizing circumstances has taught him that it is important to ask for help even in the midst of helping others, and he is currently being treated for severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Alex Steinke serves as Lutheran Church–Canada’s Director of Communications, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Production with a minor in English. She studied at the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University, Canada’s premier school of media production and broadcasting. Alex’s self-described “misadventures in mental illness” led her to a colourful lineup of therapy over the years, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Truth Therapy, and more. You might find her curled up with a good theology book, dancing to one-hit-wonders, or drinking instant espresso.

Join Pastor Peter Knelson for an exploration of the purpose of music to understand why music is such an important part of our lives. We will then narrow our focus to exploring the different musical genres. If you haven’t already, you may discover that the musical genre you listen to says a lot about who you are and what you have experienced in life. 

Pastor Peter Knelson grew up in Saskatchewan and graduated high school in Nipawin, where most of his family lives today. After high school, Peter studied at Concordia University of Edmonton and Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. Peter was ordained and installed as a pastor in 2020. While in university, Peter met Laurel and the two were married in 2017 and eventually had their first child, Austin, in 2020. Peter enjoys dabbling in creative activities but especially loves to write and record music. You can find him on YouTube as “Lutheran Leavener.” 

Does “day” in the first chapter of Genesis really mean a literal day? How do we reconcile that with modern science that says the earth is billions of years old? Who did Adam and Eve’s sons marry? If we’re all descended from Adam and Eve, where did the different “races” come from? Did Noah really get all the animals on the ark, even dinosaurs? What does Genesis teach us about climate change? If you have questions like these about the historical account in Genesis, I can help you find the answers! And I’ll show you online resources you can use later when someone asks a question you don’t know how to answer. (If you were at the 2019 NYG, the session will be similar, but will have some different information, too.)

Michelle Heumann is a youth leader at Foothills Lutheran Church in Calgary, the co-chair of the IMPACT Youth Gathering, and is a freelance editor with a MA in history. She majored in English and history in her undergrad, and while taking geology for her science option she encountered a particularly hostile professor who inspired her quest for knowledge about how to defend the history we find in Genesis. She loves to research just about anything, usually with a big mug of tea and some snacks, and a cat or two for company.

Scripture tells us we are not OF this world, but we are still IN it for a time. As Lutherans, we believe not only do we sin (in thought, word, and deed) but also that we were born into sinful flesh in a sinful world. The curse of sin impacts our thoughts, words, and deeds; our physical bodies and mental wellbeing; and even the earth and all of creation! As Lutherans, we also believe it is important to properly distinguish between Law and Gospel. How does our sinful nature react to the Law and to the Gospel? How does my mental illness react to the Law and to the Gospel? Are my depressive inclinations and impulses rooted in the curse of sin? Does having these depressive inclinations and impulses make me a bad Christian? Join Alex Steinke to explore the effects of God’s Truth (THE Truth) through Law and Gospel on our mental state—and how Lutheran Doctrine can be helpful in equipping us to better understand our own suffering, and the suffering of others, while here on earth. 

Alex Steinke serves as Lutheran Church–Canada’s Director of Communications, and she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Production with a minor in English. She studied at the RTA School of Media at Ryerson University, Canada’s premier school of media production and broadcasting. Alex’s self-described “misadventures in mental illness” led her to a colourful lineup of therapy over the years, including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Truth Therapy, and more. You might find her curled up with a good theology book, dancing to one-hit-wonders, or drinking instant espresso.

Through Pastor Eric’s work on the University of Calgary campus, he’s learnt it’s vital to allow for safe space for people to ask the burning questions, the hard ones that maybe we’re afraid to ask, the ones that we may feel embarrassment over, the ones we just have to get off our chest, or the things we are just dying to know. At “Let’s Talk About…” Pastor Eric opens up the floor to youth, iBods, and leaders to come and talk about those things. Let’s start the conversation. 

This year’s main speaker is Pastor Eric Moffett, Associate Pastor at Foothills Lutheran Church in Calgary, where he spends half of his time on the university campus interacting with students. He’s been involved with youth gatherings since he was a youth himself (no comment on how long it’s been since then), and is on two gathering planning committees. He enjoys playing board games with his lovely wife Kayla, teaching his twins, Wesley and Wren, about the toaster goblin and baseball, and has “terrible” taste in music. Originally from Kitchener, he’s a CREW Ministries alum, has a music degree from Concordia Edmonton, and was ordained and installed at Foothills in 2015. U of C campus outreach, youth ministry, and music are some of his greatest joys as part of his work there.

What does it look like to live as a Christian online? Is it any different from a non-Christian? Does it mean that I have to post a Bible verse everyday? Join Samantha Neeb to find out the answers to these questions and ask some of your own as we talk about what it means to be a Christian online.

Samantha Neeb has been serving as the Youth Director since September 2020 in two BC congregations: Trinity Lutheran Church, Richmond & Killarney Community Lutheran Church, Vancouver. She was born and raised on a farm in southwestern Ontario and has five sisters. If you need someone to get ice cream with, she will happily volunteer as tribute and this is her sixth time (in a row) attending the National Youth Gathering.

Words have immense power. God uses His Word to send His Holy Spirit into us. We use words all the time to talk and sing about God. How can you use the written word to talk to God, spend time in prayer, and grow in faith? If journaling or expressing yourself through writing interests you, or you’re interested in adding a spiritual dimension to your existing writing practice, join Pastor Scott Gamble and Michelle Heumann for a discussion of how they use prayer journaling in their own lives. They will also provide some resources, and a portion of the session will be set aside for you to do some writing of your own. Michelle and Pastor Scott are both English majors with vast reading and writing experience, and are looking forward to talking with you about how those gifts and interests can encourage your faith life. 

What are relationships supposed to look like as we live IN the world but not OF the world? There’s this old schoolyard rhyme that goes, “(Name) & (Name) sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.” However, when it comes to relationships, the world we live in doesn’t always follow that order: dating, love, marriage, sex, children. And the world we live in doesn’t necessarily teach that order either. As we explore relationships, we will cover God’s plan and order for sex & dating as found in His Word; how they relate to our personal experiences; where God’s forgiveness fits in to all of it; and how we can have God-pleasing relationships while we live IN the world but not OF the world. The second session will split the ladies (led by Kayla Moffett) and the guys (led by Pastor Glenn Worcester) into separate groups to allow for personal discussion and specific questions in connection with the first session.

Kayla Moffett is Edmonton-born and proud of it. She loves youth and serves the church in her care for them. She plays a mean piano and keeps the guitar players in check. She’s an amazing puzzler and loves her fiddleleaf fig tree. She’s a mother to twin one-year-old toddlers who are super cute and have strong lungs. She’s married to Pastor Eric…pray for her.

Pastor Glenn Worcester is originally from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Concordia University in Ann Arbor; Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne; did his Vicarage at Immanuel Lutheran in Lethbridge; and served as a pastor in Michigan until coming to Peace Lutheran Church in Winnipeg in 2012.  Pastor Glenn was the main speaker at the 2019 “Worthless” NYG, and enjoys talking about Jesus, playing board games and sports, music, and spending time with his family. Pastor Glenn met his wife Andrea at the 2007 “I Am” NYG in Ottawa.  They have three lovely children: Micah (born on the first day of the 2016 NYG), Ivy, & Jonah.

Singing is one of the best ways to remember God’s promises and be comforted. The Catechism is a book of comfort from the Word of God. What better way to receive that then to sing it! Almost two decades ago, Pastor Haberstock started singing the catechism with the campers at Aurora Lutheran Bible Camp inThunder Bay, ON. Come learn the Catechism through song and have your faith strengthened! (During the pandemic he and his 10 year old daughter memorized the whole thing though song!) 

Rev. David Haberstock has been a pastor since 2004 and currently serves as Central Regional Pastor for Lutheran Church-Canada. He toured for a year with the CREW ministries team “Unchained” and sang in choirs at Concordia College & High School for 6 years. He has served congregations in Thunder Bay and Regina and is a husband and father to 3 children in their 20s and an 11-year-old. While serving at Aurora Lutheran Bible Camp in Thunder Bay, he started writing memory songs for the entire catechism to help campers and confirmands learn these integral truths. During the pandemic he and his 11-year-old re-learned the entire catechism using those songs. 

Sharing the Gospel with people can be hard; doing it across languages and cultures can be even harder, and yet the Bible is filled with stories and accounts of people going outside of their comfort zone to share God’s love: Jonah and the Ninevites, Daniel in Babylon, and Peter and Paul to the Gentiles. Learn the truths, myths, joys, and challenges of cross-cultural ministry through stories from Rhonda Kelman, Executive Director of the BC Mission Boat. 

Rhonda Kelman is the Executive Director of the BC Mission Boat Society. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and now lives on Vancouver Island. She had a passion for missions since she was a teen and once she was in University, she got involved with missions. It has been over 19 years full of learning, growing in her faith, and going on adventures to share God’s love!

No, we’re not talking UFOs, but we Christians are definitely aliens. To the world around us, we’re outsiders, misfits, oddballs. We’re strange because we don’t fit in. We’re exiles who are sentenced to live as outsiders to the culture because we don’t believe and act like the rest of the world. So how do we deal with that? Come and talk about how to live as outsiders who are full of hope in a world that’s full of constant pressure to fit in.

Pastor Michael Schutz serves at Concordia Lutheran Church & School in Penticton, BC. He spends a lot of time learning, thinking, and teaching about how to be a Christian who understands the times and knows what to do about it. He doesn’t have it all figured out yet but shares what he can to encourage and equip people to be faithful Christians in a very un-Christian culture.

Gender identity and multiple ways to understand and express it have become a major issue in our current culture. We’ll take some time to define and discuss the terms represented by the letters LGBTQIA2S+. We’ll also take some time to think about how best to respond to these questions and concerns about gender based on our Christian faith as young people.

Michael Gillingham currently serves as the Director of Youth Ministry at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park, Alberta. In addition to his work with young people, Michael has had the opportunity to study religion at the graduate level at the University of Alberta. He loves his family, his church, music, movies, and books.  Go, Elks!!!

Have you ever wondered what a pastor does the other six days of the week? Have you heard the word deacon and wondered what that refers to? Does DPS sound like just another confusing Lutheran jumble of letters? If you answered yes to any of these questions OR are curious about a professional calling to ministry, then this session is for you! Dr. James Gimbel from the Edmonton seminary and Deacon Amanda Hastings are excited to chat with you about what working in a church is actually like!

Dr. James Gimbel is the president of Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton. 

Amanda Hastings is currently the coolest DPS serving a congregation in the Central Region…but she’s waiting for you to come and make it a real competition! Amanda lives in Regina with her husband, two kids and assorted geriatric pets and serves at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church as a deacon, or Director of Parish Services. Amanda loves Jesus, her family, the colour purple, and owls. Probably in that order. If you were to ask Amanda’s youth what the best thing about her is they would say everything. Not that she asked. She was too scared of how hard they would laugh at her.

Canada is increasingly becoming home to many diverse religious traditions. We’ll talk briefly about religion as a category before discussing Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism. How might followers of these traditions understand Jesus and the message of the gospel? How might we better understand our neighbours of different religious traditions?

Michael Gillingham currently serves as the Director of Youth Ministry at Bethel Lutheran Church in Sherwood Park, Alberta. In addition to his work with young people, Michael has had the opportunity to study religion at the graduate level at the University of Alberta. He loves his family, his church, music, movies, and books.  Go, Elks!!!

Peace by Peace 

God chose young people to fulfill His mission. Many of them wondered “why me?”. Perhaps God is calling you. Whether at home or abroad you can be a missionary, too!

Lisa Jackson is the Managing Director of Lutheran Laymen’s League/Lutheran Hour Ministries Canada. She has a Masters in Leadership Studies from the University of Guelph and is currently working toward a Masters in Theology from Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catherines. Lisa is also the Coordinator of Team Zion, a long-term LCC Mission team that returns to Nicaragua every year in service to the pastors and deaconesses of Nicaragua by helping with Vacation Bible School and various building projects. She has been married for 27 years to Andrew and has two adult sons.