Youth and Family Ministry Opportunities


From the Open Files of:

NW Synod of Wisconsin Resource Center (715) 833-1153

Contributed by:

Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Menomonie, WI

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Sunday Night Youth Group
6:30 - 7pm

Youth Sponsor - someone who enjoys youth, willing to share their time, some of themselves, and able to commit to being at the church Sunday evenings during the school year.

One Year Commitment
Your choice of 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, Sr. High
Training once per quarter
Attending Youth Specialties Workshop May 5, 2001, in Burnsville
Contact - Yvonne

Meal Coordinator - someone who enjoys youth, willing to make phone calls, and able to help plan meals.

One Year Commitment
Not expected to attend Sunday evening youth group activities
No training necessary Contact - Yvonne

Meal Provider - someone willing to provide a simple meal (ideas provided) either by themselves or with another person/family.

One time or as often as you choose
Must be willing to set up, serve, and clean up after the meal
Provide enough for 30 youth and 6 adults
Currently contact _ Mary Beth Smith

Game Coordinator - someone willing to choose and help execute games with youth grades 6 _ 12.

Quarterly commitment
Expected to attend Sunday evening youth group
Training quarterly
Attend Youth Specialties Workshop, May 5, 2001, in Burnsville
Contact _ Yvonne
Youth Leadership Team

OSL's Youth Leadership Team is made up of Sr. High youth that are chosen through an application, reference, and interview process. This process takes place each May. Four weeks of training are required immediately after the team is formed and a mid-year retreat will be held for further training.

The team meets on the second and fourth Sundays of the month during the school year at 5 pm - just before youth group. The purpose of the team is to strengthen the ministry concept in our youth by team and individual ministry projects.

Youth Leadership Mentors are a group of adults who have a love for youth, willing to give of themselves and their time, and have been suggested by the Youth Leadership Team to join their group. Mentors are also asked to go through the same application, reference, and interview process as the youth.

Family Nights

As a planner of a family night activity, you would work with the Children and Family Ministry Group as well as the Youth Committee to plan meaningful activities once a month that will:

1 . Provide intergenerational activities
2.Be fun for everyone
3.Allow for personal interaction
4.Include some spiritual activity, but not necessarily be a spiritual event (include prayer or short devotion)

Some examples of what has been done -

Games Night
Easter Party
Mother's Day Pie Social
Father's Day Fun Night
Bonfire
Halloween Party - planned for Oct. 29

Your commitment would be for one event. It will take about a threemonth time frame to plan and carry out each event.

 

5th Sunday Youth Worships 2001
1. April 29
2. July 29
3. September 30
4. December 30

Music Coordinator - help choose songs for the worship experience and lead, or arrange for someone to lead, a youth choir.

Servant Coordinator - arrange for youth to be ushers, greeters, lectors, or servers at coffee fellowship.

Worship Coordinator - find youth to participate in the procession, share the prayers of the church, deliver the children's sermon, lead the worshiop, and share the message.

Publication Coordinator - help the youth write and print the bulletin.

One service per year commitment.

Confirmation

Luther wrote the Small Catechism as a tool for families. The intention was to help parents teach their children. Over the years, our teaching has been brought into our churches, but the foundation of who we are as a people of faith still is primarily "taught", or "caught", in the home.

In order for the congregation to help with the faith development of our youth, parents and our faith community have to come together to provide a learning and growing atmosphere, That partnership is crucial.

How can you be a part of this learning and growing opportunity?

1 .PRAY - Keep the pastors, parents, and youth in your prayers.
2.TALK - Take the time to talk to our youth about their faith and how God is working in their lives.
3.CONTRIBUTE - Help financially with providing Bibles for the new Confirmation class.
4.LEAD - Be a Confirmation Small Group leader. Each group has approximately seven youth that meet for about 45 minutes each Wednesday evening.
5.WORSHIP - Lead Worship time with the youth as a way of focusing on the evenings lessons and activities.
1 and 2 are a lifetime commitment.
3 and 5 are a yearly commitment.
4 is a two year commitment.

 

Puppets

Once a month the puppets participate in the opening activities of Sunday School. As the year progresses, puppets will have more and more opportunities to minister through this medium.

Practice is held on a regular basis - when an agreed upon time is set.

Adult leader - Facilitates practices, devotions, performances, and materials used.

Youth - Attend practices, help choose skits and music, lead devotions, set-up and tear-down the equipment, and communicate with the leader.

A one year commitment includes:

1. Practices
2. Performances
Youth Support

Prayer - Keep the youth and those in ministry with them in your prayers.

Smiles - A welcoming smile to one of our young people will brighten their day and make a lasting connection that could change a life! Besides "a smile completes every outfit. "

Take a minute to ask a youth about a class in school, a sport they may be involved in, or a special interest they have.

Attend a sporting, musical, academic or drama event that one of the OSL youth might be in. Then take the time to tell the youth how much you enjoyed being involved in that way.

Be a safety stickler. When you are with youth, make sure they are in a safe environment.

Share an idea or opinion with a young person. They'll think its pretty special that you took the time to care.

Be a Role Model in your talk, actions, and beliefs. Our youth are watching!!!!!!

Checkbook Boxes - save checkbook boxes and bring them to Yvonne's office for use in sending "gift packages" to those who have recently graduated and are away from home, at school, etc.

Packer Parties 2000
*October 1- Packer vs. Bears
*November 13 - Packers vs.Vikings
*December 10 - Packers vs.Lions

Games Coordinator - someone willing to bring together board and indoor games to play during the Packer games.

One party commitment
Idea books and some board games are available.

Meal Coordinator - someone willing to arrange for a mass meal for youth ranging from grade 6-12.

One party commitment
Funds are budgeted for this meal and the youth look forward to pizza, sub sandwiches, etc.

Spotter - someone willing to come to the church, watch a Packer game with youth ranging from grade 6-12, and help keep the atmosphere one of fun and safety.

One game commitment
Three adults needed
Communications

Newsletter - help produce and send the monthly youth newsletter.

*Making the copies
*Folding
*Labeling
*Sorting

Commitment - one quarter
Except for the copying, can be done at home.
Usually takes about two hours

Bulletin Boards - design, decorate, and coordinate the youth bulletin boards in the hallway downstairs.

Commitment - one quarter
Some materials are available
Usually takes about three hours

Phone Calls - can be done from home or from the church. You would call for such things as:

*Activity reminders
*Coordinating activities
*Asking for chaperones drivers, etc

Commitment - one quarter

Post Cards - design, label, and send post card reminders for a variety of activities. Can be done at home or at the church. Postage is available from the budget. Commitment - one quarter

Web Page - design and develop a continually changing sight on Our Saviors Web Page. Can be done at home or at the church, then emailed to Doug Hyde for posting.

Commitment - one quarter
Fund Raisers

Super Bowl Subs - January 28, 2001
As coordinator you would work with the youth to:

*Decide on the menu
*Make a shopping list
*Publicize
*Gather a list of helpers
*Make the sandwiches
*Have them available after each worship service on Super Bowl Sunday

Easter Breakfast - April 15, 2001

Tom Johnson and Larry Barnhart coordinate this fund raiser each year. Please contact them or Yvonne if you'd like to be involved to:

Set up on Saturday night
Cook
Serve
Bus Tables
Clean up

Pies in the Park - the drawing each year for the dates for "Pies in the Park" is held in April at Stout. If OSL youth are chosen for a date, you would, with the help of the youth:

Decide on a menu
Make a shopping list
Gather a list of bakers and sellers
Make the pies
Set up the tables in the park
Sell pies at the concert

Pop Machine - The pop machine needs to be refilled every two weeks during the school year and monthly during the summer. As coordinator, you would order the pop and keep the machine filled.

One year commitment
5th Quarter

Financial supporter.

The cost of live music or DJ will run approximately $200-300 per evening. You could be:

Team Owner - $250
Head Coach - $100
Offensive Coach - $50
Defensive Coach - $26

Line's Man: Someone who is a "Presence" at the event.

Your duty will be to see that the activities remains safe and respectful without be too visible.

Water Person: Food coordinator

Duties would include seeing that there are snacks (popcorn, pop, etc) available for purchase.

Groundsman: Clean-up Crew

Duties would include making sure there are garbage receptacles available during the event and emptying them and sweeping up after the event.

Commitment - one event per year.

Once a Year Happenings

C.R.O.P. Walk happens the third weekend in Oct. This coordinator would be involved with publicity, gathering kids to walk, and helping the day of the walk.

Confirmation Cross-stitch Gift - This is a tradition that was started last year as a gift from the congregation/parents to the confirmation students. The patterns are available from Yvonne and money has been budgeted for this gift. You would coordinate stitchers, purchase frames, and arrange for the gifts to be assembled and wrapped.

Conflrmation Reception - it has been customary that the grade parents plan and coordinate a reception for the 9th grade Confirmands on Confirmation Sunday. This has been held between worship services.

Mother' Day Celebration happens sometime during the month of May. You would work in conjunction with the Children and Family Ministry Group to plan and carry out an activity that would celebrate mothers.

Graduation Reception happens during the months of May or June. It has been customary that the Jr. class parents plan the celebration for the graduates. The reception has been held between worship services on Sunday morning,

Fathers Day Celebration happens during the month of June. Planning an activity for and with fathers falls into this job description.

Relay for Life happens the second Saturday in June - June 9 this year. The American Cancer Society holds planning meeting throughout the Spring. Tami Borcherding and Deb LaVoy are this years coordinators and need people (youth and adults) to help with:

Fund raising
Decorating our area
Walking

Senior High Servant and
Adventure Trip
July 14 - 21, 2001

We will be going to the Hungry Mother Lutheran Retreat Center in Marion, Virginia, to do service in the Appalachian Community. This will involve home repairs and painting. Time will be allowed for adventure activities like white water rafting or canoeing.

In order to be a successful event, we will need adults to be:

Financial Coordinator Handle the monies:

Gathering registrations
Keeping a running account
Alerting those going of financial progress

Bible Study Leader - Lead the devotions at the monthly planning meetings and arrange for devotions each day of the trip.

Fund Raising Coordinator - Find fun and creative ways to earn money that does not continually rely on the congregation and arrange for any available matching funds. Help the youth to carry out these fund raisers and bring any funds earned to the financial coordinator.

Publicity - Arrange for:

*Monthly updates in the youth newsletter and Scope.
*Periodic Temple Talks at worship
*Ways to involve the congregation in the excitement and energy of the trip planning
*Coordinate with fund raising needs

Chaperone Be involved in the fund raising. planning, and preparation for the trip as well as taking 10 days out of your summer to have a mountain top experience with the youth of OSL.

This will be a ten-month commitment - November 2000 through August 2001.
Camp Mentor Me - June 26-28, 2001
9 am to Noon

This four-day event will be filled with activities for those who have completed Middle School. We will be touring some of the places of business here in town, looking at future plans for work or careers.

Adult Opportunities include: Mentor -invite youth to your work place for about 20 minutes; include a tour and conversation. Driver -help transport youth on the day's field trip. Snacks - share their hospitality through snacks for the youth. Meal - coordinate a light lunch (this meal is included in the youth budget).

Camp Mentor Me 2 - August 6-9, 2001
9 am to Noon

This four-day event is for those who have completed grades 4-6. Our time together is filled with games, Bible study, visit to a congregational member's place of work, and sharing a snack and meal.

Adult Opportunities include:

*Mentor - invite youth to your work place for about 20 minutes; include a tour and conversation.
*Driver - help transport youth on the day's field trip.
*Snacks - share their hospitality through snacks for the youth.
*Meal - coordinate a light lunch (this meal is included in the youth budget).

Commitment is for one day

Canoe Trip

This is an event for Sr. High youth.

You will have the opportunity to journey not only in canoes with friends, but also take a spiritually journey during this outing.

Needed:

Youth who are interested in participating
Adults interested in chaperoning; which includes coordinating fund raising, meal planning, transportation, etc.
An adult interested in being a spiritual leader

This is an end of the summer celebration for Middle Schoolers and Sr. High that includes a variety of water games including water balloons. Each group meets separately.

Summer Splash is budgeted for and can be planned for any location or day desired.

Opportunities include:

Visioning - decide on point values and how those points will be earned.
Game's coordinator - to plan, coordinate and lead the youth in games.
Meal Coordinator- to plan, purchase, and serve the youth a meal.


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