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 Youth
& Family
Ministry Ideas
Check out
these ideas that have been created and implemented by our
Minneapolis Area Synod Youthworkers…..
If
you have ideas to share in our newsletter and on our web page,
please contact MAS Youth Ministry Network Steering Committee
member Sue Brown at 952-944-6510 or SusanB1234@aol.com.
Sue is Director of Youth & Family Ministry at Peace Lutheran
Church in Bloomington.
“Youth
First”
Idea
from: Grace Lutheran Church, Andover
Ms. Kim Skinner
763-421-6520
Ever
wish you had more space to run your youth ministries?
Ever want a gym or a bigger recreation room? Then check out what Grace Lutheran Church is doing in
Andover! They have begun a ministry outside in their parking
lot, called “Youth First”.
“Youth First” is “Getting kids off the streets…
and into the parking lot.” On a typical day, youth of all ages
(age 8 and under need to have a parent along) engage with their
friends and neighbors in a game of basketball, in-line skating,
street hockey, skateboarding and more!
Volunteers even built a great skateboard park, which
includes 3 ramps and a half-pike.
What
a great example of positive community action! Before Grace began
this ministry, many unsupervised youth would hang out and skate
in dangerous parking lots and on the streets.
Many local business owners have expressed their
appreciation for this ministry, knowing that the youth have a
safe place to be. Larry
Podany, Anoka County Sheriff, had this to say:
“Too often others do not take that extra step to do
something that makes a difference in another's life and
particularly for our children.
Any organization or church that reaches out or extends a
caring and helping hand to the community should be encouraged
and applauded. A
safe and nurturing environment for our children will reinforce
self-confidence and the power to make correct choices.”
Youth First is open during the summer months on Monday
– Wednesday from 12 noon until dusk, and Tuesday– Thursday
from 12 noon to 6 PM. If
you would like more information, you can contact Pastor Mark
Hellmann at 763 -421-6520.
No matter what
community you live in, programs for youth are always needed!
It is great to hear that a church and the community can
come together and provide a ministry that is positive for
everyone.
“Parents
Day Out”
Idea
from Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
Pastor Rob Norris-Weber
612-823-8281
In
most churches, ministries are designed to target specific age
groups. The
children’s ministry director works with the young kids, the
youth minister works with teens and the pastor might work with
the parents. Here’s a one-day idea that brings all these
ministries together for an awesome Christmas event!
It
all started at Bethlehem Lutheran, when a 6th grade Sunday
School teacher named Bob, was trying to give kids an awareness
of what gift-giving was all about. They decided to raise money
for the ‘Toys For Tots’ program. He promised the kids that
he would personally match whatever the amount they raised. Once they raised all the money, the class had an outing to
purchase the gifts together.
Now
it has grown into an event for over 75 4th through 6th
graders, who raised nearly $6,000 last Christmas, just by
asking! Obviously,
Bob can no longer afford to match the funds, but the event
continues to grow in other ways.
It has turned into an annual ‘Parents Day Out’, where
the parents can hopefully spend some time shopping for final
Christmas gifts. During
the day, every child from 6 months to 18 years old are busy.
The 7th – 12th graders are baby-sitting the
6 month old children to 3rd grade, the 4th
– 6th graders are out purchasing Toys for Tots and
the parents are off having some well-deserved free time. Every
year, people look forward to this wonderful day!
“Summer
Stretch”
An
Ecumenical Ministry across the Twin Cities area for Middle
School Youth
Tim Clark, 952-941-3150
Some
of our Minneapolis Area Synod churches are involved in a
wonderful summer ministry for middle school youth called
“Summer Stretch”. Once
a week, each individual church gathers together their Middle
School youth for learning, service and fellowship.
The day begins with some faith growing time together at
the church. This
may include worship, Bible studies or a topic study.
Then the group heads out and works on a service project,
such as yard work for elderly people or serving at a soup
kitchen. The work
site possibilities are endless.
The group breaks for lunch, which is followed by a fun
event such as swimming or hiking at a local park.
Some churches partner together, especially for the
service projects.
Currently,
there are over 44 churches across the metro and into Wisconsin
that are involved in Summer Stretch.
Throughout the summer, youthworkers from the various
Summer Stretch churches meet, share ideas and explore ways of
working together. At the end of the summer, the ministry closes
with a fun trip to Valleyfair. Last summer, there were over 2000
youth who went to Valleyfair!
Starlit
Garden
Idea
from: Bob Headly
Our Saviours Lutheran Church, East Bethel
763-434-6117
Imagine
the image of Jesus praying to God in the Garden of Gethsemane,
just before his death. For
anyone who has experienced the challenge of feeling like you're
right along with Jesus in that garden, you know that the outcome
usually turns into a faith growing experience. This is where the
idea called "Starlit Garden" came along, which is a
worship, Bible study and fellowship time for 8th - 12th graders.
This event has also provided a wonderful place for those young
adults who often feel less connected to the church once they
graduated. The name
"Starlit" comes from being at night, and
"Garden" comes from youth that come to grow.
"Starlit Garden" began back in 1994, and is
currently meeting on the 4th Saturday of each month. Here's what
the evening looks like: It begins with music and an hour of
fellowship (8 to 9 PM), an hour of Bible study (9 to 10 PM) and
an hour of worship (10 to 11 PM).
One
thing to emphasize about this idea is its depth of spirituality.
This is for youth that are ready to challenge their
faith, dig in and come out growing. Prayer and worship is taken very seriously, and youth are
challenged to take this to new depths.
Their time together is open to any faith background, not
just Lutheran. One
unique piece to this is that they never advertise the
experience. It is
all spread by word of mouth, and each month, there is at least 1
new person who comes. The
dream of "Starlit Garden" is that other congregations
will hold similar services.
This way, youth will know that thousands of their peers
are having this same experience!
“Youth
Led Monthly Ecumenical Worship Service”
Idea
from: Kyle Sidlo and Shayna Skalicky
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Park
763-560-8958
This idea started as Kyle dreamed about seeing youth from
several faith communities join together to worship the Lord.
The dream has become reality, as 50 - 75 youth gather
once a month to lead each other in music, worship and Word.
Each week a young person leads a talk, which is a witness
to their faith. After
the worship, the youth break into small groups and discuss what
they heard during the talk. The role of the youth directors from
each church is to make sure everything is in place so the
worship flows successfully.
Currently the youth are meeting at the Brooklyn Park
Community Center, which provides a neutral site for everyone.
And, as everyone knows, the way to teenager's heart is
through their stomach, so of course treats are provided at the
end!
"Wednesday
Night Live"
Idea
from: Mark Holmen, Director of Youth and Family Ministries
Calvary Lutheran, Golden Valley
763-545-5659
It's
late in the afternoon on a Wednesday, and many youth workers are
beginning to panic, as the evening activities such as
Confirmation draw near. The never-ending debate on how we can help our junior high
kids actually retain the Second Article of the Apostle's Creed
is consistent headache. Maybe
it has to deal with relevancy in their lives.
I think everyone agrees that learning about redemption is
very important, but it's a constant challenge in figuring out
how to make it come alive in the life of a young person!
Here's one idea that seems to be working:
"Wednesday
Night Live" has
replaced the traditional title of "Confirmation" at
Calvary Lutheran Church in Golden Valley.
The focus of the evening is on issues and topics found in
youth culture. The
Gospel comes alive through these relevant issues that are a part
of the everyday life of young people.
The staff at Calvary feels that this “Wednesday
Night Live” has revolutionized their confirmation
ministry. Not only
do junior high youth love it, but high school youth keep coming
back! The topic
ideas that are chosen come from the youth.
The
evening follows the Faith Incubators model of confirmation.
They start off with music and worship, meet as a large
group and listen to a talk on topics like "Lessons from
Littleton;" "Why
do bad things happen?;" "Going beyond Tommy Hilfiger;"
and other topics such as depression.
They then move into small groups where they discuss the
topic for the evening in greater depth. The small groups are led
by adults and assisted by high school youth, who are given
leadership roles depending on skills and training.
Some youth help lead music through the youth band.
Youth who have had T.I.M. Team training (Teens in
Mission) help with the skits.
Those with more in-depth training or experience are Jr.
Leaders for the 7th grade groups.
Churches
from all over have been requesting information from Calvary, and
the staff has been sharing some of the talks and topic ideas.
Because so many churches have become interested, a
curriculum will be available in about six months. This will have
all the information you need to get it going, including the
different talks and topic ideas.
If you like the way this sounds, keep watching for the
curriculum!
If
you have ideas to share in our newsletter and on our web page,
please contact MAS Youth Ministry Network Steering Committee
member Sue Brown at 952-944-6510 or SusanB1234@aol.com.
Sue is Director of Youth & Family Ministry at Peace Lutheran
Church in Bloomington.
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