Youth Ministry at Faith

Faith Church not only ministers to its youth, we make a deliberate practice of ministering with our youth, including them in the full life of our congregation.  Faith is a discipling congregation, and we believe that disciples need to be nurtured in scripture, discipleship, and service ministry from a young age.  Our Youth Worship Team takes an active part in leading worship at Faith.  Our Teen Forum class prepares and performs the monthly Peli-Puppet play during our Second Sunday Family Service.

Here is an overview of our Ministry with Children and Youth:

Age 3:  Presentation of their first "Bible" and entry into Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  A volunteer staffed nursery of two to three Nursery Buddies watch over our little ones during worship for those who wish to take advantage of this service.  Our teens are paired with one or two adults to entertain the little ones.  Members of our Clean Team Small Group maintain the nursery, its private bathroom and stock of toys.

At Faith Church, babies, toddlers and young children are very welcomed in the Sanctuary for all of the worship services!

Sunday School for ALL Ages!

Sunday School for all ages, beginning with Age 3, is held from September through May of each year.  Our Sunday School classes are group graded and we use a lectionary-based curriculum.  Our elementary age little ones are excused following the reading of the Gospel in the Sanctuary for their own class.  At the sounds of “Jesus Loves Me” they will follow their teacher out the back of the sanctuary and rejoin their parents during the coffee hour.

Kid Events

In order to disciple well-rounded followers of Jesus Christ, Faith offers fellowship and service events for our youngest children in a fellowship group called Kid Event.

First Communion Class

First Communion Class is taught by the pastor just before First Communion is celebrated on Maundy Thursday, the festival during Holy Week which commemorates the institution of the sacrament of Holy Communion as it remembers Jesus' own Last Supper with his disciples.  Children age 10 and above are the usual candidates for this class.

Catechetical Instruction

When young people reach the age of about 12, a physiological change occurs in the human brain which enables a person to move from concrete to abstract thought.  So, our first year catechetical class begins when young people reach the age or near the age of 12.  For 2 1/2 school years under the pastor's teaching they study the scriptures, church history and doctrine, the sacraments and matters of discipleship using ELCA materials with enrichments, including video units.  Confirmation in the Lutheran  Church is an affirmation of baptism.  The Rite of Confirmation is usually celebrated on Reformation Sunday following the second year.  There is then one final unit, taught by a specially trained lay-teacher, called See Through the Scriptures, a Crossways International curriculum that reviews their catechetical learning's through a unique visual approach, cementing in their knowledge in a way that can be retrieved the rest of their life.

Service Opportunities - We're part of something larger than ourselves!

Our children and teens are called upon to help out from time to time in serving their church family as acolytes, crucifers, lectors, greeters, worship assistants and even wholly leading the annual Youth Sunday service in October.  There are also plenty of opportunities to help with nursery, praise band and setting tables for special events.  Other service opportunities might be fundraisers for charity organizations outside our congregation, helping at our local food cupboard or the annual synod helping hands workday.

Vacation Bible School

One of Faith Church's favorite congregational activities, there are nearly as many adults and teens teaching and helping as registered children in the Vacation Bible School held the first full week of August every year.  Meeting Monday through Friday, from 9 am to noon, the event is free to all and is specially designed to reach out also to children in the community.