High School Ministry (9th-12th Grade)
Renee Martin, our Director of Children & Youth Faith Step Ministries, keeps the High School youth calendar full with opportunities for faith, fellowship and fun. From year-round Sunday morning education, week-night small groups, fellowship events, (paintball, bowling, mall scavenger hunt, etc.) retreats, lock-ins, summer camp, to service projects, (ex: building with Habitat for Humanity, collecting can goods for World Hunger or preparing meals for the homeless with Mission San D'wich) there is always something going on for our High School Students. Please email Renee at rdramartin@aol.comwith any questions.
Summer 2010 Calendar
Middle School Youth Group: (6th-8thGrade)Renee Martin, Director of Children & Youth Ministries keeps things happening with focus on faith, fellowship and fun for our Middle School Youth. Year-round Sunday morning education, Sunday night S.W.E.E.T., monthly service projects (like those listed under High School Ministry), monthly fellowship activities, (laserquest, ice skating, bowling, etc.) retreats, , camplock-ins, and more provide great opportunities for the Middle School faith journey. Please email Renee with any questions @ rdramartin@aol.com.
Fall 2010 Calendar
SWEET
S.W.E.E.T. is an innovative way of approaching Confirmationinstruction. S.W.E.E.T. stands for Study, Worship, Eat, Engergize and Trust, and it describes the ministry that happens for young people in their 6th, 7th and 8th grade years. Taking a page from Luther’s Book (literally… Luther wrote the Small Catechism for parents to use as they taught Christian principles to their own children), the SWEET program is based on parent/family/mentor involvement in a young person’s life.
Twice a month on Sundays, SWEET convenes for lessons, fellowship, meetings with mentors and devotions. Twice a year, SWEET students and their families go away on retreat together.
The culmination of this three year confirmation** period is the Affirmation of Baptism which, at St. Andrew, usually happens on the Sunday after Easter of a student’s eighth grade year. Surrounded by family, mentors and other church members, the young people take part in a worship service of their own planning, in which they publicly profess their faith, receive a blessing and become full adult members of the church; having taken on the promises which were made for them at their baptisms. It is a sight to see! If you have questions about this exciting, innovative ministry, contact Renee at rdramartin@aol.com.
SWEET: Fellowship Sunday Events
2010-2011
September 26 Americas Incredible Pizza
October 24 Halloween Party @ Willett Home
November 14 Corn Maize
December 12 Christmas Party
January 23 Riverwalk & Dinner
March 27 Natural Bridge Caverns
April 17 Malibu Grand Prix
May 22 Mess-Fest
**What is Confirmation?
Confirmation, while it may look different at each church, usually refers to Biblical and theological instruction received by teenagers in their middle school years. In the Lutheran church, the instruction culminates with a blessing service called the Affirmation of Baptism in which the young person takes as their own the promises which were made on his/her behalf at baptism by parents and sponsors. What does that mean? It means, for example, that the parents made the promise to “bring [their child] to worship regularly and to place in his hands the Holy Scriptures.” At the Affirmation of Baptism, the child, now a young adult, takes on that promise herself, promising to attend worship regularly and to make a habit of reading scripture. The young person becomes an adult in the eyes of the church.
