Stronger, Better, and Young Adult-ing Together

Gather: Miami Valley

 

Rev. Andrew Thompson
Abiding Christ Lutheran Church (Fairborn)

 

There is a special joy in coming together with others. We were created by our Triune God to be social creatures, and gathering with people who have a connection with who we are and where we are coming from is especially nourishing and energizing.

 

Starting in November of 2024, young adults from across the greater Dayton-Springfield region began to gather twice a month for fun fellowship, deep conversations, and good food (who could ask for more, right?).

 

This group came to be known as Gather: Miami Valley, named for the geographic region that encompasses the greater Dayton-Springfield area and is where many of our participants call home. Gather: Miami Valley joins a nationwide network made up of other regional, young adult communities across the broader ELCA which is now 27 Gather groups strong!

 

Gather communities serve to provide a space for any and all young adults (defined at Gather: Miami Valley as folks from age 18 through their 30’s) to come together with others in this stage of life that is full of deep joy, discovery, and transformation. By coming together with others with such deep common ground, all are rejuvenated and, as a bonus, can dive back into their respective communities, including church communities, with even greater passion and energy. Such synergy bears similarities to the lifelong riches people share and receive through participating in specialized ministries like Lutheran Outdoor Ministry offerings, campus ministries, and Churchwide/Synodwide Youth and Young Adult Gatherings.

 

Diving into a new community and discerning what God is calling it to become can be both intimidating and immensely rewarding. With this in mind, I give thanks to God for the abundant support and engagement offered not only by my co-founder/facilitator, Pastor Benjamin Prill (St. John’s, Vandalia), but also by all the young adults who have been willing and excited to help build this community from the ground up.

 

We are all thankful for the generous support of the Southern Ohio Synod as Gather: Miami Valley continues to develop. We are excited to see what the future holds as we gather to do life together, especially as we continue to expand our communications and connections to the broader Miami Valley area and to other Gather communities in neighboring regions.

 

We currently meet every second Saturday at 2:30pm to 4pm for discussions on topics offered up by participants and every fourth Tuesday evening from 7pm to 8:30pm for a social event somewhere in the community. More details about our community and a calendar with details about future events can be found at our website.

 

If you have any questions at all about this ministry or know people who may be interested in learning more about Gather: Miami Valley, please feel free to connect with me through email.

 

The Spirit has been moving and continues to move, both through us and beyond us– we look forward to seeing what such sacred movements bring to life in the coming months. More photos, stories, and developments to come!