IMPORTANT: Regardless of how you submit the data, your file needs to include all youth, even if they have been submitted in previous years. When the new youth file is received, it will replace all the youth currently on record for your congregation. If the file is only a partial listing, then the rest of the youth in the congregation will be removed.

If you have questions, please contact the LCMS Office of Rosters and Statistics at YouthList@lcms.org.

Step 1. Information to include

The submitted youth file must contain the following information in the exact order it is given:

First Name
Middle Name
Last Name
Suffix
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
City
State
Zip Code
Country
Phone Number
Birth Date
High School Graduation Year

The bold items must be included for every youth in the file or the file will not be accepted. (State and Zip are required only for USA and Canada.)

The "Birth Date" column must be one of the following formats:

MM/DD/YY (02/21/86)
MM-DD-YY (02-21-86)
MM/DD/YYYY (02/21/1986)
MM-DD-YYYY (02-21-1986)

The "Graduation Year" column must be in four-digit format (for example, 2011).

Step 2. Type of file to send

Submit the file as one of the following types:
[For instructions on creating your file, see Step 3. Creating a youth file]

• Microsoft® Excel document (with an .xls or .csv extension)
• Comma Delimited Text file
• Tab Delimited Text file

Step 3. Creating a youth file

A. First, check to see if the electronic record keeping system you use contains the information fields listed at the top of this page. You may discover one of the following:

• Exactly the right information (go to step B below)
  
  
• The correct information and more (you will need to create a copy of your records in which you eliminate the unnecessary data)
  
  
• Some but not all the necessary information (you will need to create a copy of your records in which you add the necessary data)
  
  
• Some or all of the information in a different order than it must be submitted (you will need to change the field order to match the order given above)
  

B. Once the file matches the field list and order on page 1, you can save it as a Microsoft® Excel document with an xls or csv extension, or as a comma-delimited or tab-delimited text file.

Microsoft® Excel

1. Left click on the “File” menu button at the top of the screen and select “Save As…”

2. When the “Save As” window appears, choose a name for the file

3. In the “Save as type:” box select “Microsoft Excel Workbook(*.xls)” or “CSV (Comma delimited)(*.csv)”.

4. Your file is now ready to be sent. Go to Step 4 at the bottom of this page.

Microsoft® Access

1. Open the table you will use for the file

2. Left click on the “File” menu button at the top of the screen and select “Save As/Export…”

3. When the “Save As” window appears, make sure that “To an External File or Database” is selected and then click OK

4. Choose a name for the file

5. In the “Save as type:” box select “Microsoft Excel (*.xls)” or “Text Files (*.txt;*.csv;*.tab;*.asc)” and click on “Export”

6. If “Microsoft Excel (*.xls)” is selected, then you are finished

7. If “Text Files (*.txt;*.csv;*.tab;*.asc)” is selected, then the “Export Text Wizard” window will appear

8. Choose “Delimited” and click “Next>”

9. Choose either “Tab” or “Comma” as the type of delimiter and click “Finish”

10. The file is now ready to be sent. Go to Step 4 at the bottom of this page.

Other applications

Follow the steps outlined in your users manual for saving a file as comma or tab delimited text. Remember, the extension on the file should be *.txt.

Step 4. Sending your youth file

Send the file in an e-mail message to YouthList@lcms.org

Be sure to include all of the following in the body of your e-mail message, or your file will not be used.

Date you made the file
Congregation Name
Congregation ID (from top left corner of youth form)
City
State

Step 5. Missing some required information?

If your youth records are missing some information and it is not one of the required items mentioned at the top of this page, send the file anyway. It may be useable without that information. However, if a youth record is sent that is missing address information, he/she may miss out on important LCMS educational opportunities.

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