Youth Ministry

Our Youth Ministry is for those who are in 6-12 grades.

The Jr. High Youth Group meets from 6:15-7:30 on Wednesday nights during the school year. The Sr. High Youth Group meets from 8:00-9 on Wednesday nights during the school year. We also have at least one special event each month and regular service projects.


To download our Fall Youth Calendar CLICK HERE!


To download parent consent form for trips CLICK HERE!


You can get regular updates on our Facebook page here.


You can download sub sales info and an order form here.

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, or ask Pastor Craig at St Paul's.


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'. 

BIBLE CAMP

Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp has been a valued partner in ministry for many decades. We celebrate 'our' Lutheran Bible Camps because over the years they have consistently kept the main thing, the main thing: Jesus. St Paul's is committed to our youth and our camp, and aims to send all youth of our congregation to camp, fully paid for by the congregation.  Our camp committee organizes fundraisers to sustain funding for 'camperships.' Youth and parents must participate somehow in these fundraisers in order to get a campership. Families sign an agreement to repay the camp committee if their daughter or son signs up for camp but doesn't attend.