Vacation bible school
Vacation Bible School is open to students who are age 3 years old (and potty trained) by May 31st - students who just finished 6th grade.
Link for families to do it in their own homes. http://www.okoboji.org/virtualdaycamp
password: 2020daycamp
Sunday School
Sunday School normally runs Mid-September through Mid-May and happens after our worship service from 10:00-11:00. This time includes choir for the elementary and preschool students. There are classes for students age 3 through 12th grade. There are also periodic adult classes.
Due to COVID-10 we delayed the start of Sunday School (Rally Day) until November 1st. Sunday School will be in a larger group setting, with more opportunities to social distance, with family groups, and hand sanitizer and face masks..
To download the 2020-2021 Sunday School calendar, click here.
Jam - Jesus and ME
JAM is our midweek program for students in grades 1-5. We meet most Wednesday evenings from 5-6:00 pm. We have fun games, crafts, lessons, music time and we always end with dinner and prayer.
To download the 2020-2021 JAM Calendar, CLICK HERE!
Noah's Ark - Preschool, Nursery School
Noah's Ark Preschool is a ministry of St Paul Lutheran Church. Noah's Ark has its own board of directors, its own staff. Board members are members of the church, staff are not required to be members of the church.
FaitH 5
We encourage all households connected to St Paul's to develop practices of faith at home, or any place outside the church building. Prayer, anytime, anywhere. Reading & studying the Bible themselves or with others. Serving our neighbors.
One of the great tools we have found and like to share is Faith 5. This is just one way to think of daily family faith building time, that also reminds families to connect with each other as we spend time with God. Jesus reminds us that loving God is tied to loving others. Luther taught that every home is a church, every family a congregation. Visit here www.faith5.org for more information or here.
Rev. Rich Melheim, once asked his friend and mentor Dr. Tony Compolo a question: "What's the healthiest thing a kid can say?" The sociologist from Eastern College answered: "We always do it this way in my home."
Wow.
Let's think about that. "We" means together, not off in our own separate places. "Always" means there's a ritual and continuity--something that happens on a regular basis. "This way" means an action--not something passive. "My home" means ownership, identity, security, safety.
What more could anyone want than for their kids to be saying this?
Acts, of course, is also the name of the book in the Bible that connects to the Gospels to the rest of the New Testament. In the early church, they met in homes, dedicated themselves to the Apostles' teaching and prayer, and they shared everything.
These "house churches" changed the world once before. They can do it again.
Confirmation
From time to time, pastor is asked for information about our confirmation classes or program. This is a familiar topic among those who have grown up in the Lutheran tradition. Variations of this can be found in many other denominations as well, sometimes referred to as 'catechism.'
When does our confirmation program begin? It begins at baptism. And it's mostly taught at home, because faith is not established in 11 hours of class with the pastor during 8th grade. Faith is mostly learned from the people who spend the most time with us, who also happen to be Christians, as they show it in life & explain how following Jesus influences their choices, attitudes, priorities, actions, commitments, etc. Pastors can teach theology and faith practices, explain church history, and certainly be a significant mentor; but a family shows a child what it is to be a Christian, and it takes a congregation to teach what it is to be 'church.'
A "Confirmation" Sunday is a time when young adults are recognized during a worship service for being able to say for themselves that they believe in Jesus & pledge to follow Christ. They have just completed a series of classes and become full voting members. It's also occasionally referred to as 'Affirmation of Baptism'.
