Youth Ministry

Join us for our Middle and High School Youth Ministry all year round! We have fun and exciting programs for our 6-12 graders to help them grow in faith and life in Christ. . 


BRIANNA OETKEN is our Youth Director and would love to welcome you to all our wonderful activities for youth.


The Jr. High Youth Group (grades 6-7-8) will get together this summer from 5:45-7:15 pm on Wednesday nights, including going to our summer worship service that starts at 6:30 in the sanctuary.


The Sr. High Youth Group (grades 9-10-11-12) will get together this summer from 6:30-8:00 on Wednesday nights, beginning with our summer worship service that starts at 6:30 in the sanctuary. 


Youth will have opportunities to serve during worship, if needed, with things like lighting candles, passing the offering, greeting, ushering, audio and visual tech, etc. It's a great way to share and serve in worship! 

We will also be planning other special events throughout the year. Check Facebook and the church newsletter for updates. 


You can also get regular updates on our social media pages:


Youth Facebook Page 

or

Church Facebook Page 

or

Church Instagram Page 

or

Church YouTube Channel 


To download parent consent form for trips CLICK HERE.


Faith 5

We encourage all households connected to St Paul to develop practices of faith at home, or any place outside the church building.  Prayer, anytime, anywhere. Reading and 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.'


Our Confirmation program begins in Baptism, but enters a time of special focus in 8-9th grades with classes with the pastor. The students will review the Bible and Catechism, and take part special service projects, sermon notes, and fellowship events. 


We have Confirmation Sunday on Reformation Sunday (last Sunday in October), where they are recognized during a worship service, share their personal Bible verse, faith statements, and take part in the rite of Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation). 


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.