National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference

NATIONAL21 CONFERENCE UPDATE – REGISTRATION CLOSED!

Due to strong registration numbers, we have currently CLOSED registration in order to confirm safe capacities and procedures at the Hyatt Regency in Houston.  We thank you for your patience as we plan this event in unusual times.   

We are so excited by the response to the desire to gather together, learn from God’s Word and each other, and prepare for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering.  If you are interested in attending the event, please register and you will be added to a “waitlist”.  You will not be charged until a spot is secured for you.  Final decisions on capacity will be made no later than June 18, 2021. 

About the Conference

The National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference (#NATIONAL21) is a standalone Youth Ministry practitioner conference, but also provides a wonderful opportunity to prepare for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering. 

  • Are you planning to take a group to Houston in 2022 and want to familiarize yourself with area hotels, facilities, and restaurants? 
  • Are you a first-time adult leader and desire to connect with other new and seasoned adult leaders? 
  • Are you looking for training and networks which support your service as a youth ministry practitioner?
  • Are young (high school) leaders in your congregation looking for an opportunity to sharpen their skills and meet other LCMS young leaders? 

Next year’s conference will be held July 11-14, 2021, at the Hyatt Regency Houston and we hope to see you there!

(Each #NATIONAL21 adult registration and guest room reservation at the Hyatt Regency provides for a complimentary adult leader registration for the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering.)

This event is organized by LCMS Youth Ministry in Saint Louis, MO. For additional ways to connect to LCMS Youth Ministry, please visit www.lcms.org/youth.

Conference Specifics

 

Dates: July 11 – 14, 2021

Location: Houston, TX

Conference Location: Hyatt Regency Houston

Cost: Youth and Student ($250) / Adult ($375)

Conference Hotel Information
Conference Schedule

Download the #NATIONAL21 App

The NATIONAL21 App will be the best place to follow the event schedule, plan your breakout session schedule, and make the most of the conference. To access the program app: 

  1. Download the “LCMS ONM Events” App from the App Store or Google Play Store. 
  2. Inside the app, download the “National Youth Workers Conference” app to your device. 
  3. Log into the app for personalized schedules and event notifications. 
  4. Create your own schedule inside the app and prioritize your selections in the nine session slots. 
  5. Check out the list of our amazing exhibitors and sponsors. We are so thankful for their support of the event. 

If you don’t want to download the app or are unable to do so, you are always able to access the web version using any internet browser (i.e., Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox) at the event. Visit event.crowdcompass.com/national21.

Conference Session Tracks

An important part of the program at NATIONAL are the sessions that take place throughout the conference. We are thankful for the many speakers who have invested their time and energy to bring their insight and knowledge.

At the time of registration, you were asked for your interest in a session “track”. Thank you for taking that time to provide feedback as it helped us place and plan sessions. 

Notes:

  • You will not be strictly registered or assigned to a track, however, we have kept “tracked” two sets of sessions (Gathering and Seven Practices) to enhance learning cohesiveness and connection with participants. We recommend participants attend as many of these sessions as possible to maximize learning on the topics.
  • The Youth Gathering Focus track will be the “overflow” room for each session. If you are unable to find seats in your top session(s), seats will always be available in Imperial Ballroom. 

NATIONAL21 General Schedule

 Youth Gathering Focus (Imperial Ballroom)
This track will dive deeper into preparing for the 2022 Gathering and may especially benefit first time primary adult leaders. This track will also look at the 7 Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry, in the context of preparing for the LCMS Youth Gathering. (Note: Bolded topics are repeated in “open” sessions throughout NATIONAL). Session topics include:

  • 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering Overview
  • Registration and Housing 101
  • Gathering Theme Exploration
  • Traveling and Risk Management
  • Deepening Discipleship and Managing Issues
  • Forming Your Adult Leader Team
  • Congregational Support
  • Encouraging and Equipping Youth to Serve and Lead at the Gathering
  • Build Youth Ministry with the Gathering
  • First Time Leaders (separate session, held in separate room)

7 Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry
LCMS Youth Ministry has spent significant time in the last five to ten years listening, reading data, conducting research and digging into Scripture around what is key for healthy congregational youth ministry. Whether you are a parent, pastor, commissioned minister, church staff, or volunteer, we hope learning more about these practices and applying them will benefit your ministry to young people.   

  •  7 Practices Overview
  • 40 End Goals for 13th Grade
  • Warmth, Challenge and Grace
  • Supportive Adults
  • Engaged Parents
  • Opportunities to Serve and Lead
  • Baptismal Identity
  • Resiliency
  • Unique Vocation

Hot Topics/Open Sessions (Various Rooms)
These sessions will provide insight, discussing, and learning around important topics in youth ministry and the lives of young people. Sessions will provide conversation and practical application and some will be repeated throughout NATIONAL. Topics include: 

  • Congregational Life for a “Sticky Faith” in Young People
  • Encouraging the Next Generation of Church Workers
  • Equipping Youth for Evangelism
  • Leading Youth Through Grief
  • Life Issues (Abortion, Suicide, etc.)
  • Mental Health and Resiliency
  • Ministering to and with Gen Z
  • Resource Sharing and Feedback
  • Social Media and Technology
  • Tough Spiritual Conversations

Youth Gathering Topics:

  • First Time Gathering Leader
  • Forming Your Adult Leader Team
  • Congregational Support
  • 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering Overview
  • Registration and Housing 101

Seven Practices Topics:

  • Engaged Parents
  • Opportunities to Serve and Lead

YouthLead (High School Students)
The YouthLead track is full. We give thanks for the youth who have registered to participate in this track. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they have full days of learning and relationship building. Adults bringing youth, note that youth-focused sessions will take place during each session time slot. View the YouthLead track schedule.

NATIONAL21 COVID-19 Update

We give thanks to God for the opportunity to gather together in Houston for the National ’21.  We wait with anticipation to be in-person with you all and celebrate God’s grace in Jesus Christ.  We give thanks for the caring staff of Hyatt Regency who continue to keep us appraised of safety guidelines of Harris County (TX) and the City of Houston.   

We are prepared for safety precautions to change in the coming months, but we wanted to start communicating expectations for our time together in July.  We will continue to update this information as things change in Houston and our nation. The Hyatt has provided their current heath practices and information about parking at the property.  In addition to information from the hotel, we also provide these additional insights for components of the conference: 

We will prepare a process for daily health check-ins and screenings.  Expect for your temperature to be checked and a short on-line health form to be completed.  Thank you for your patient with our process.   

  • As stated in the Hyatt information, face coverings are currently required in the Hyatt’s health plan.  Regardless of the guidelines in July, these will be suggested and always be welcomed by those who prefer to wear them around others. 
  • In our plenary session, we will social distance at our seats at either round tables, or spaced-out, theater-style seating.  This could happen in a variety of ways, such as: 
    • We value the opportunity to network during the plenaries, but this may look different than past conferences.  Seating at tables or chairs will be assigned.  We expect participants from the same congregation will sit together at the same table or same area. 
    • No more than 6 people per round table, that normally holds 12.  We will keep the numbers at a table as low as 4.   
    • Expect staggered entrance and exit times. 
  • In our smaller meeting rooms, chairs will be distanced and at this time rooms would be no more than 50% of standard capacity.    
  • We will plan with hotel staff to safely provided any meals and food breaks.     
  • Please be prepared for entry into the plenary sessions and other areas to take additional time.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the National Lutheran Youth Workers Conference (NATIONAL21)?

The dates for the conference are July 11-14, 2021. Registration will open Sunday afternoon and we plan for sessions to begin at 3:00 pm. Sessions will end by noon on Wednesday.

Where is the Conference Being Held?

The NATIONAL21 conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Houston hotel in sunny Houston, TX. The Hyatt Regency is located in downtown Houston within a 15-minute walk of major attractions and facilities. The hotel is newly remodeled, and the staff look forward to serving you and participants of the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering!

Hyatt Regency Houston
1200 Louisiana Street
Houston, TX 77002
Ph: 713-654-1234
Hotel Website

How Much Does the Conference Cost?

The cost to attend the conference is $250 for youth and student (25 and under) attendees and $375 for adults. Each adult registrant receives a complimentary registration to the 2022 LCMS Youth Gathering. To be eligible for the complimentary registration, participants must stay at the Hyatt Regency Houston.

What is the Conference Hotel Rate?

The hotel conference rate is $139.99 (plus tax, around 17%). Reservations can be made using this link.   

How Do I Download the NATIONAL21 App?

The NATIONAL21 App will be the best place to follow the event schedule, plan your breakout session schedule, and make the most of the conference. To access the program app: 

  1. Download the “LCMS ONM Events” App from the App Store or Google Play Store. 
  2. Inside the app, download the “National Youth Workers Conference” app to your device. 
  3. Log into the app for personalized schedules and event notifications. 
  4. Create your own schedule inside the app and prioritize your selections in the nine session slots. 
  5. Check out the list of our amazing exhibitors and sponsors. We are so thankful for their support of the event. 

If you don’t want to download the app or are unable to do so, you are always able to access the web version using any internet browser (i.e., Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox) at the event. Visit event.crowdcompass.com/national21.