At St. Paul’s, we love kids! We love their enthusiasm when praising God, their earnest prayer requests, their hunger to explore Bible stories, their desire to help the less fortunate, and their wide smiles when having fun!
Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry
Children’s Ministry takes place Sunday mornings during the 9:30 am worship service. Every Sunday, children start in worship with their families. On the 1st Sunday of the month, when we hold Feast & Celebration Sundays, kids and youth stay in worship and help as acolytes, lectors, communion assistants and ushers. On other Sundays, after the Children’s Message, kids are invited to class to further explore the Bible Story for the week. We’ll also often gather in the Fellowship Hall for special activities: GR8 ADVENTure, Secret Pals, Journey Through Holy Week & Easter, Earth Day, God’s Work/Our Hands Day, filling Halloween bags for our community outreach and filling College Care boxes!
Sunday Morning Youth Group
Once a month during the school year, middle and high school youth are invited to take part in Sunday Morning Youth Group during worship. Together, we explore God’s Word, ask questions, and build meaningful connections with one another as we grow in faith.
Check the bulletin or church calendar for upcoming dates.
Family Fun Nights
A seasonal fellowship gathering for young families! Held on a few Saturday nights during the school year from 5-7pm. Our evenings include fun large group games, music, dinner and dessert, free time for kids and youth in the Youth Room, and faith conversations for parents with Pastor Bill.
Check the bulletin or church calendar for upcoming dates.
Milestone Events
Let’s be honest…faith beings at home: dinner and bedtime prayers, reading the Bible together, commitment to church activities, serving together and shaping young moral values. It all starts at home! But we are aware that parents need help with this important job! The goal of our Children’s Ministry program is to not only provide faith developing activities for kids, but also for parents! We think it’s just as important to empower parents in their job as primary faith educators as it is to provide programs for kids!
WELCOME TO CHILDREN’S MINISTRY & MY FIRST BIBLE
Held mid-September, this open house event welcomes our newest preschool friends and their parents. Each child is given their own Spark Storybible to take home!
3RD GRADE BIBLE EXPLORERS
Each November, St. Paul’s presents a gift Spark NRSV Bible to 3rd graders. Prior to receiving their Bibles, our 3rd graders and their parents spend time with our Director of Christian Education exploring all the cool features of the Bible, learning about its history and how to look up Bible verses. Children officially receive their Bibles the 1st Sunday in Advent.
FIRST COMMUNION
Offered on three Sundays during Lent each year, this milestone event is for 3rd graders or older children who have not previously attended the class. Children learn about the first Passover and its relationship to the Last Supper that Jesus celebrates with his disciples before his death.
St. Paul’s Confirmation Program
St. Paul’s confirmation program is a two year period of catechetical instruction which shares the basic teachings of the Christian faith. For most of St. Paul’s teens, the program begins in their seventh grade and concludes with the rite of confirmation towards the end of the second instructional year. For Lutherans, the confirmation rite is understood as a young person’s affirmation of the awesome promises God made in holy baptism.
The catechetical instruction is held in conjunction with youth from five local Lutheran churches during the school year. The instruction follows a Lutheran confirmation curriculum with classes being taught by the pastor. The classes use a variety of means for stimulating learning and discussion about both the joys and challenges of living the Christian life.
As part of the congregation, confirmation students are also expected to periodically serve as Sunday worship lectors, greeters or acolytes, or as helpers in the Sunday children’s ministry program.
In the culture in which we live, young people are often bombarded with negative influences. To provide a more positive perspective, St. Paul’s confirmation program strives to help youth discover the deep blessings and purpose which God offers in Jesus Christ!
God’s Work, Our Hands
Throughout the year, children and youth of St. Paul’s participate in many different types of service projects, learning to do “God’s Work with Our Hands”.
Service Projects
Seasonal service projects have provided Christmas presents for boys and girls living at Silver Springs School, collecting soup for our annual Souper Bowl Day of Caring, bringing in nonperishable items for our Blessing Box, filling care packages for our college students and filling goodies bags for our Halloween Night outreach event.
Mini Summer Work Camps
Each summer we hold a 3-day work camp for 4th – 12th graders. These campers spend their days volunteering with Emmanuel Lutheran’s E-Meal program, Grace’s Closet, Generations of Indian Valley, Zion Mennonite’s Table of Plenty, Keystone Opportunity Center and The Lutheran Community at Telford.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School takes place every summer to the delight of children. We come together for a week-long camp experience that includes upbeat songs, games, crafts, science, Bible storytelling skits and snacks. This yearly event is a combined event with several local churches. This year’s VBS will be held from July 27-30, 2026! Stay tuned for more information!