Hunger-Thon returns!  Join us on Friday night-Saturday, May 13-14, for an overnight lock-in at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Downtown Buffalo, where there will be games, mixers, activities and a spirit-filled worship experience.  The next day, we head out into the surrounding community in service to our neighbors, and end with an open community picnic and concert.  We are fasting and raising money for the Loaves and Fishes Dining Room!  Check out the event page, and get your group reserved by May 6.

CONVO is back!  It's a unique and committed gathering of senior high youth from across Upstate New York at the Radisson Hotel in Rochester (parallel to Synod Assembly).  This event gives youth an intense and amazing experience learning about their greater church through small groups, worship, activities, and much more!  It happens from Friday-Tuesday, June 3-7.  The cost if you register by April 16 is $260, $285 if you register from April 17 to the final deadline of May 8.  Some financial aid is available.  Get the details and registration forms at www.nfclyo.org/convo2011.html now!

How about that Volleyball Marathon!  152 youth and adults, all-night volleyball, awesome worship by Tara Eastman, bubble hockey, and best of all: $2,591.69 raised for Lutheran Charities of WNY!  That's an all-time high for an NFCLYO event!!!

We cannot thank enough for those that made this possible: Erie County chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for a 1/3 match on money raised and proceeds, Niagara chapter of Thrivent for donating the cost of the Bubble Hockey table, Frito-Lay for the chips, Zion, Clarence Center for the movie set-up, Andy Fitch for the trophies, Tara Eastman for worship, all the event volunteer staff who made the event run so well...and each and every one of you that came, as you made this event what it was!  Thanks all!

Pictures, a list of trophy winners, and a Q&A on this year's evaluations are all online now at www.nfclyo.org/volleyball2011.html.

The first of three training events in this series is coming to Buffalo on Saturday, May 7 from 12:30-2:30 pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 174 Cazenovia St. (following Spring Conference Assembly).  Free lunch included!!!

This event, the 2012 Spring Youth Leader Training and the entire Webinar series are free, the Fall Youth Leader Training is a Retreat at LCLC (October 28-29) does have an overnight cost, but will be well worth it.  See the Gathering Timeline or the NFC Youth Ministry Network page for when each piece of this program is happening.

It's not too early to begin thinking about the ELCA 2012 Youth Gathering, returning to New Orleans on July 18-22, 2012.  Registration opens this October!  Get more info on the Gathering at www.elca.org/gathering!