First Lutheran Church

Upcoming Youth events

Full Calendar of Events for Middle & High School - Spring 2021

2021 Lenten Family Devotional

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and join our Remind App for up-to-date notifications!

Instagram handle: first_lutheran_church_youth

Elementary School Remind, click here to sign up.

Middle School Remind, click here to sign up.

High School Remind, click here to sign up.

The Youth Group Permission and Health Form can be found and signed digitally here. This is needed for all Middle School and High School Youth Group.

The printable version can be found here.

Sunday School - Preschool & Elementary

At First Lutheran we strive to make Sunday school a place where children experience the unconditional love of God and the joy that comes with it. Through teaching, music and service projects they learn what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Sunday school meets via Zoom
We have a dedicated staff of teachers who make a year-long commitment, offering consistency for the students. Our teachers are carefully screened and background checked.

Our theme this year is Love Your Neighbor. We couldn’t imagine a better theme for this time in the pandemic and a better calling for our Children’s Ministry.

Preschool Zoom 11 a.m. on Sundays

Kinder-1st Grade Zoom 7 p.m. on Mondays

2nd-3rd Grade Zoom 7 p.m. on Saturdays

4th-5th Grade Zoom 7 p.m. on Tuesdays

6th-7th Grade Zoom 7 p.m. on Wednesdays

If you have not received previous emails from Shelly, our Director of Children’s and Youth Ministry, or are interested in these gatherings and would like the zoom links, please email her at shelly@flccs.net.

Preschool

Preschool is meeting online through Zoom. Their teacher will share a story, a finger play or a possible snack that they can prepare at home to go with the lesson for the day. There will also be conversations with the preschoolers so they can share what is going on in their lives, and so they know that their teacher and the people at First Lutheran care about them very much.

Little Lambs (PreK): Postponed till the Fall

Each year we welcome our newest pre-schoolers to join the little lambs class in January! The little lambs and their parents are welcomed in church by the congregation, the pastor and their teachers given a blessing and a little lamb and then head off to their first Sunday School class!

Kindergarten thru 5th grade

Our kids are meeting online during this time. Each lesson will be led by our talented teachers and will include storytelling and conversation. Find links at the top of this page.

Minecraft Game Nights (3rd-5th grade): 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 6-7 p.m.
We are hosting a zoom call alongside a private Minecraft server so that the kids can talk and interact while building and playing in the Minecraft World. For any questions or to sign your kid up, email Kristi, the Youth Intern.

Game Nights (3rd – 5th grade): 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 6-7 p.m.
Kristi will host monthly game nights over zoom. These will be a great way for kids to connect and have fun playing new games each month and of course the classics like Mafia.

First Communion (5th Grade): April 1st, Maundy Thursday

First Communion instruction happens in the Spring of 5th grade for our youth. Part of the 5th grade curriculum includes instruction on Passover and the Last Supper which provides the background for further instruction with our faith formation leadership and parents. Some youth might feel moved to begin receiving communion prior to 5th grade and that should include a conversation with the pastor and parents.

This year due to Covid-19, we will be doing two self-study class videos with interactive worksheets and an in-person practice by appointment on either Sunday, March 28th or Wednesday, March 31st. Please email michaela@flccs.net for more information.

6th and 7th grade

Youth join our weekly Wednesday Night LIGHT worship at 7pm, then meet for the remainder of the hour in their own small group time. This is considered our pre-confirmation class. Therefore, participation with the confirmation students on Wednesday night allows them to get a foretaste of the confirmation community and content, but in a way that is appropriate for their own spiritual development.
Should weather and the pandemic not allow for Wednesday night LIGHT to continue, the 6th-7th graders will still meet on Wednesdays via Zoom.

First Bibles - (6th grade): September 20th

At the beginning of each year, we recognize our 6th graders as they transition from elementary Sunday School into Middle School Youth Group. To help prepare them for the affirmation of faith we equip them with new study bibles which they receive on the first Sunday of the new school year during 9:15 worship.

Kids Kamp

We are intending to offer Summer Kids Kamps this summer! Come to learn and play through stories, games, crafts and snacks. Mark your calendars for June 10th, 17th, and 24th, 2021.

Vacation Bible School - VBS

July 11th-16th, 2021 - 5-8 p.m.

We are moving our VBS this Summer to the evenings. We will eat dinner together first, then break-off into age-appropriate groups. Parents are welcome to stay for their own spiritual formation offerings or to volunteer with the kids programming! We will be continuing the theme of the Book of Daniel from Kids Kamp, but you don’t have to attend Kids Kamp to have fun and enjoy the stories, music, games, and fun! Open to all students currently in Preschool through 5th grade.

Additional Opportunities for Children

There are numerous additional opportunities for younger children to be involved in the First Lutheran community. Please visit our music page to learn about bell choir opportunities and our Gallery of Living Art page.

Confirmation

Confirmation in the Lutheran tradition is a public profession of faith after two-years of intentional instruction on the topics of the Bible, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed, Church History, Spiritual Practices, and Christian Living. Our 8th and 9th graders come together once a week to worship together and dive into the ancient questions of our faith in large and small group discussion. From why do bad things happen to good people? To is the New Testament more important than the Old Testament? To why did Jesus have to die? Or even I have doubts, is that okay?

Curious spiritual seekers of all ages are encouraged to join us each week at our 7pm Wednesday Night LIGHT (Living In God’s Holy Truth) Worship Service. After the service our youth will break off into large groups and adults are welcome to enjoy their own faith formation time.

During this time of COVID-19, our Wednesday services will only be offered through mid-November and will hopefully resume in the Spring. We will be in Online Zoom meetings this Winter.

Program Expectations:

1. Wednesday Night LIGHT Worship or Online Zoom Class time

 Attendance at no less than 25 out of the 32 offered Once a week the class will meet with Michaela and adult leaders. In this time together we will explore scripture, learn about the catechism and Lutheranism and spend time connecting this information to our everyday experiences.
2. Small Groups
Led by trained adult volunteers, students will discuss the sermon, apply lessons to daily life, share highs and lows, and pray together. 

3. Service in Worship 

Students will serve as acolytes, ushers, greeters and communion assistants, using their gifts to bless the congregation and grow new relationships.

4. Camp and Retreats 

Students who have finished 8th grade will attend Confirmation Camp at Rainbow Trail June 27-July 3, 2021. Students will also participate in a variety of retreats throughout their two years in confirmation.

All Students - Spring Retreat
Rainbow Trail
April 16-17, 2021
Cost: $35

Click here for the 2020 - 2021 schedule.

Get the 2020-2021 Confirmation information packet here.

Sign up for Confirmation by clicking here.

Middle and high school youth groups

We work to develop our youth into mature leaders for the mission of Jesus. Through weekly meeting, Sunday school classes, retreats, and leadership training we create fully committed followers of Jesus. Our youth love one another and develop a community that is both closely knit and welcoming. Our director of youth and children’s ministry, Shelly Schmidt, is always available for conversation and mentoring.

Middle School

We have Sunday school for our 6th and 7th graders which meets alongside our 7 pm Wednesday Night LIGHT worship service. During COVID-19 they will be meeting online via Zoom during the same time. See link at the top of the page. This is our pre-confirmation class.

We have Confirmation class for 8th and 9th graders taught by Michaela Eskew, our Minister of Faith Formation. It meets on Wednesdays from 7-8pm, details below.

Our middle school youth also have the opportunity to be part of the KICK Team (Kids In Christ Helping Kids.) The KICK team helps in the ministry of Preschool and K-5 age group kids.

Minecraft Game Nights (6th-8th grade): 2nd and 4th Thursdays, 7-8 p.m.

Minecraft is a fun computer game and it is a great way for Kristi and the kids to be in community with each other while not being able to be in person. We will be hosting a zoom call during the game so that the kids can talk and interact while building and playing in the Minecraft World. For any questions or to sign your kid up, email Kristi, the Youth Intern, at youthintern@flccs.net In order to join this event, Kristi must add youth as a friend on Minecraft and accept them into the survey. This allows the Minecraft server to be a completely safe and controlled environment.

Game Nights: 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 7-8 p.m.

Kristi will host monthly game nights over zoom. These will be a great way for kids to connect and have fun playing new games each month and of course the classics like Mafia.

High School Youth Group

In this time of COVID-19 we are being careful to balance our time together with offerings that are safe for all those that can attend. We will be alternating our meetings between interactive zoom youth group lessons and community-building outings.

High School students also have the opportunity to be part of the KICK Team (Kids In Christ Helping Kids.) The KICK team helps in the ministry of Preschool and K-5 age group kids.

High School students can also serve as Sunday School Shepherds and assist in teaching the faith to our children during Sunday school.

High School Bell Choir is called the Celebration Ringers and they meet weekly for practice and then go on a week-long concert tour in the summer.

Each summer we offer two youth trips: one for our middle schoolers at First Lutheran and one for High Schoolers out of state. These trips help our youth to grow in faith, serve the community and deepen their friendships. The high school trip’s location is TBD.

The Youth Group Permission and Health Form can be found here. This is needed for all Middle School and High School Youth Group.

Family Ministry events

Spirituality Forums are a bi-annual event that helps parents to understand new ways of connecting faith into the everyday. This year’s Spirituality Forum theme will be Mental Health. The Pandemic has caused many children and youth to experience mental health problems including anxiety, stress, and depression. This year’s events will be focused on ways for parents and families to discuss and hopefully ease some of the daily stressors, both now in the midst of a worldwide virus and for years to come.

Children’s Spirituality Forum: Mindfulness Practices for Children

Sunday, April 18 from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. on the First Lutheran lawn

This event is for preschool and elementary-school children and their parents. We will be doing mindfulness practices (think yoga poses and breathing techniques) from Tracy Daniel’s book Mindfulness for Children: 150+ Mindfulness Activities for Happier, Healthier, Stress-Free Kids. We will also be doing mindfulness games that will help us get in balance with our bodies and snacks will be provided!

Mindfulness is a way to connect to your body and your mind in a way that is relaxing and fun. It is good for when you feel moody, stressed, or just need to relax. These practices are great ways for your children to settle their bodies after long hours in front of screens. We hope this will be a helpful resource for you during this stressful pandemic time, but also activities that you can use whenever you need them.

Youth Podcasts