Saint Paul Youth Group is gearing up to take 10 youth and 4 adults to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation as a mission trip this upcoming July. We will be hosted by Next Step Ministries in Eagle Butte, SD. This mission trip is open to middle school and high school aged youth. We will be staying in the Eagle Butte School Dormitories. The entire cost of the trip will be around $7,000 for 14 people and this includes materials for the work we will be completing at the mission trip sites, food and lodging for the entire week.

We plan on raising nearly 90% of the cost of the trip through fundraising efforts. It is important to me to ensure that financial strain is minimal on the youth and their families. We will be asking only $100 dollars per youth for the trip. In return, each youth is required to participate in everyone of our fundraising efforts and as a team these goals are manageable.

As a group we are planning to fundraise in 3 main ways. This includes hosting football parking in our garage for home games, hosting multiple community meals open to the congregation and the last is our Share/Stock Program which the community can be directly involved in! The purpose of the share/stock program is that it allows the congregation to donate to the cause while getting something in return. This opportunity allows the congregation to be involved directly with our youth and a part of the journey while the youth get to be involved with all of you! Of course we appreciate any donation but I believe it’s important to instill the concept of community and teamwork to the youth and I think this is a great way to show that “we are all in this together.”

Youth group is a fundamental experience in the journey of faith for all young people. This youth group is a safe and accepting place for all youth to come and build connection and grow in their faith. We hope to create an environment where the youth want to come and spend their time and enjoy what they do. Our youth program will be a place where the youth come to learn valuable life skills and lessons, a place of comfort and peace.

Each month will be a separate theme based in faith. The first youth group meetings will be focused on team building, getting to know each other, and gathering the youth’s input on our plan for the year. They will have an opportunity to be directly involved in creating this program so that it’s a place where they want to be. We will have a monthly youth gathering or activity that is either a mission, fun, or fellowship.

Through the school year, join us at Saint Paul on Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. in the Youth Room in the West Tower. Bring a friend! Everyone is welcome! Dinner will be served from 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Wednesday evenings so the youth will have the opportunity to have dinner provided for them.

When a child is baptized, his/her parents reaffirm their profession of faith and pledge to guide and establish the child in faith. Some parents choose not to baptize their infants preferring baptism to take place when the child is ready to make their own profession of faith. Either way, sometime during adolescence, youth are given the opportunity to make their own claims regarding their faith. We call this Confirmation.

Before making a personal response of Christian faith, youth explore what that means through classes, discussions and activities. I believe all youth should be engaged in these foundational teachings as they enter the youth group in their Middle School years.

Our Confirmation program this year will be part of our Sunday morning Faith Studies class. During our class time, we will systematically review the main tenants of our faith: God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Grace, Salvation, Bible, Mission, History of UMC, John Wesley, Worship & Sacraments, Prayer, Spiritual Practices, Service, etc. On the Sunday after Easter, the 8th grade students will be given the opportunity to Confirm their intent to follow in the path of Jesus and continue the Christian journey. Those who have not been baptized would be baptized as part of that service; those who have been baptized will confirm the vows of their baptism. They may also officially join the church as a full member that day. Each year the 8th graders, after their middle school years of preparation, will celebrate this step of faith.

Confirmation is a meaningful time of spiritual growth; We hope you will be part of our journey together. Parents are encouraged to find a Faith Studies class to attend as well while your students are deepening their faith experience on Sunday morning.