FAITH FORMATION MINISTRIES
Family Hike at Banning State Park October 4th!
(Download letter for kids grade 7-12 from Pastors, shown here)
Every year our confirmation and high schoolers go on a hike at Banning State Park and experience God’s incredible creation and get to spend some time with their leaders and friends while doing it. This year we are widening the net and inviting whole families to come with on the wonderful day of adventure. We leave the church at 9:30am and once we get to Banning state park we eat our lunch. Each family will be in charge of their own transportation and meals. After lunch we head out on our hike to the Wolf Creek waterfall. This will be a 3.5-mile hike there and back, and it offers trails for every level of experience and ability. Though strollers and other wheeled instruments may have a very difficult time on some parts of the trails due to stairs and some possible trail conditions.
The hike has stunning views and overlooks of the kettle river and it will be peak time for our fall colors. It has always been an incredible day and I hope you can join us! Please let Pastor Jordan know if you are interested in coming or if you have any questions about the day. We should be back around 5:30pm.
Confirmation Orientation
Coming up on Oct 7th, we will be having our Confirmation/Affirmation Orientation for our 7th through 9th Graders at First Lutheran at 6:30pm. Please make sure to come with your youth and be prepared to fill out registrations. It should run about an hour. If you have any questions about the evening or our confirmation program please contact Pastor Jordan.
Faith Formation for the Fall
We have a strong history of Faith Formation here at First Lutheran and we are looking forward to opening up for Sunday School, Confirmation and even more adult classes soon! But in order to do that we need volunteers to make those great programs possible.
As October begins, we are setting a goal of having our first day of Sunday School to be October 25th. But that can only happen if people step up. Please take a look at this list, share it with your youth, encouraged them to see how they can help as well, and see how both yours and your youth’s gifts and calling can help in this ministry!
Sunday School Team Coordinator(s)
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Be the point person for Sunday mornings.
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Support teachers if they have questions or need training.
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Run calendar of teachers.
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Communicate reminders
Sunday School Administrator(s)
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Coordinate crafts and other Sunday school supplies needed for upcoming weeks.
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Get together craft and other supplies for take home packets at least a week early.
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Communicate with Church staff and team coordinator
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This does not need to be a Sunday volunteer job. This can be done any day of the week and most of the work can be done from home if you would like to.
Virtual Coordinator(s)
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Be support to teachers on setting up and running virtual zoom classes
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Be point person for parents and guardians on how to join into Sunday School Zoom Classes
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Communicate with Church staff, teachers and other coordinators
Teachers
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On Sunday morning, teach a bible lesson from the provided curriculum.
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You will have the freedom to pick which activities from the curriculum best suit you and your class.
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We are looking for a large pool of teachers so that every class can have a rotation of teachers.
Confirmation small group leader for 7th, 8th or 9th grades
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Be a part of our weekly Confirmation classes
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Be a caring, loving presence in the lives of the youth in your small group
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Guide small group discussions
Adult discussion leader
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Guide group of adults through group discussion of various topics
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Curriculum will be given and can be gone over with the pastors for any questions
We are in a strange place as a church and society, so we are sad that some things are not coming back immediately; like our Tiny Tots program, our Nursery, and Prayground. But please know that we are working on finding different ways to work on these issues that are pressing on all of us, trying to figure out the safest way to reopen what we’ve had before, and looking for new ways to do the things we can’t.
If you feel like you would want to try out a new way of doing ministry, we are also trying to start another experiment. Pastor Jordan is looking for a few people to do some brainstorming and creative thinking (and then some creative doing) about how we can support the people and families of our community at home. In other words, how can we bring the faith and bring church to people who can’t come to church? If this sounds like an exciting challenge to try and take on let us know!
The Spirit of our God, the spirit of mercy and love, has not stopped moving these past few months. It is here. It is calling us move with it. Calling us to show God to the world through our actions and through our words. Thank you for listening and supporting this ministry! Talk to you soon!
10th grade Confirmation
Every year our confirmation Sunday is a huge celebration with all of our confirmands who stand in front of the congregation and affirm their faith and baptisms. This year we get the opportunity to try out a new way of celebrating the hard work that our confirmands have put in and them becoming adult members of our church. Each confirmand is now picking their own Sunday to Affirm their Baptism in front of the entire congregation during our 10am services.
That means you’ll be seeing these 11 young men throughout this next year at different services confessing their faith and showing off some of their work that they have done. Please make sure to reach out to each of them and congratulate them and make them feel welcomed as full members of this church body! Thank you!
September 27th, 1pm Highway Clean-up for Confirmation, 7th through 9th Grade
Special instructions for this year
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We can’t transport youth or facilitate the transportation of youth due to our Covid Protocols
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We will all meet at church at 1pm. Then proceed to drop off youth at start of clean up sections after instructions have been given.
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1 hour later they will be picked up from end of their clean up section.
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Parents are invited to help provide leadership during the cleanup as well!
Roadside cleanup is an important way that we show we are stewards of God’s creation! It is also a great group builder for our youth and adults and some fun stories always come out of it! Please let us know if you have any questions!