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Youth Ministries: |
Consistently throughout the year, we are planning
special events such as service projects, fellowship events, retreats, fundraisers and field
trips for St. Luke's youth, above and beyond our weekly meetings. Please check out our calendar or the "News and Events"
section of the home page for more information on specific upcoming special events, or check out the links below.
Youth from all the tri-cities, sixth grade and up convene once a week at youth group for fellowship and learning. Our format consists of welcome and social time, games, snacks, and then study time in which we do a Bible related activity and/or discussion. In addition to our regular meetings, we also periodically do service projects, fun outings, and fundraisers for special projects such as our summer mission trip. Please see our calendar for specific information on our upcoming meetings and special events.
Acolytes assist in the service by helping with lighting and extinguishing the candles for the service, carrying the cross or candles in the procession and recession, and other duties as assigned by the deacon or priest in charge of the service. Acolyte opportunities are available in all our services. We encourage all our youth to participate as acolytes in some service at some point in their lives... it is a great way to learn more about the traditions of our liturgy and be closely involved in creating the worship atmosphere for others. To be involved as an acolyte, please contact us and we will get you in touch with the acolyte trainer and scheduler. Usually, once trained, you will be put on the acolyte schedule about once a month. Acolytes are expected to arrive for the service they are scheduled for a 1/2 hour prior to the service in order to prepare and to get properly vested.
The Sacrament of Confirmation is
the liturgical rite which marks a person's desire to make personal
a commitment to Jesus Christ - to take ownership of the baptismal promises
made by his or her parents and godparents, and thus be responsible, in a new
way, for one's own belief and behavior.
The two primary goals for our
confirmation preparation program are:
- to help
learners become more familiar with what's important about the Christian faith.
- to help them discover what it means to be an adult member of the church.
ntcs (not your typical church service) Service:
ntcs is NOT your typical church service. Starting at 11:46 am each Sunday morning, this service is geared specifically for youth, young adults and families, though all are invited regardless of age. Whether you are 60 or 6, this new contemporary
service at St. Luke’s is
guaranteed to NOT be your typical church service.
In other
words, please don’t dress up, you don’t have to get up early, you won’t find a bunch of priests in fancy garb (well, we might let Fr. Mark wear a
stole), you won’t hear any organ
music, and we won’t kill any trees
printing bulletins.
You might find
guitars and drums, fun music, communion in a circle, music lyrics projected on
power point, off the wall sermons, kids crawling on the floor, teens jammin’ with Jesus, and other fun stuff.
ntcs Band (a.ka. guitar club):
ntcs Band is a great way for youth who are interested in learning to play an instrument to get involved at church. Our group started as "guitar club" with a group of middle school and high school students who were interested in learning guitar. We sought out a guitar instructor and developed a group lesson once a week. This group has since expanded to encourage anyone who would like to participate in the ntcs band whether as a guitar player, singer, drummer, bass guitar player etc. to join. This group typically meets during the 10 am service on Sundays. The first 1/2 hour of our time together focuses on learning and improving our instrument skills at each person's individual level. The second 1/2 of the hour, we focus our time preparing songs to play at the 11:46 am ntcs service. Not all participants play in front of the congregation at the service, but those who feel ready to do so are encouraged to join in this leadership opportunity.
In the last several years, St. Luke's youth age 7th grade and up have gone on several short-term mission trips during the summer to various locations across the United States. These experiences are truly awesome learning experiences and have also been a fantastic way to bond as a group. Through mission trips we put bible principles learned throughout the year into action, serving others in many unique ways. To find out more information on our next mission trip please please contact our
Our special events as well as our
regular programs could not happen without our wonderful volunteers!
If you have a heart for working with middle school or high school students, and would like to help out on a one time
basis or all year, please contact our
Please know that all our volunteers who work with youth are required, for the safety of our youth to have a background check and to go through Safeguarding God’s Children Training. To be on our volunteer team, please download and complete the following application and turn in to our Director for Children and Youth Ministries:
