Youth Ministries

Youth Ministry programming is broken down into three separate teams based on age.

• Grades 3-5: God’s Power Gang
• Grades 6-8: C.I.A. (Christians In Action)
• Grades 9-12: LYF (pronounced ‘life’)

Family events are also planned to bridge all youth ministry age groups as well as encourage fellowship with all members and families in the church. 

One weekly family opportunity sponsored by St. John’s Youth Ministries is Pizza, Subs, and More. This Wednesday evening meal opportunity is a time to eat, fellowship, and learn together as a church family. A meal is available during the school year between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Wednesdays are full of education, music, and youth programming throughout the church. This meal is a wonderful chance to eat a meal together as a family while balancing the busy schedules of school, church, and other activities. A small suggested donation is asked to help finance the meals. Meals rotate weekly between pizza, subs, tacos, and possibly other meals. The youth director organizes the meal each week. 

God’s Power Gang consists of youth from St. John’s in grades 3-5. For these youth, monthly fellowship activities are frequently offered the 2nd weekend of every month typically on Friday or Sunday. Activities range from one-day fellowship events, service projects, and overnight events. One of the favorite activities includes a lock-in at St. John’s held during the fall of each year. 

C.I.A. stands for Christians in Action and is the name of St. John’s Junior High youth group. For youth involved in C.I.A., monthly activities are frequently offered the 4th weekend of every month usually on either Friday or Sunday. Activities include one-day fellowship events, service projects, and overnight events. The purpose of these activities is to bring youth together to build relationships with each other and with Christ. At the heart of this effort is our Sunday morning education, G.A.P. (God Answers Prayers). 

Junior High G.A.P. meets at 9:40 a.m. in the youth room. Designed for youth grades 6-8, this time is great  for coming together, laughing, praying, and learning more about God as we dive into scripture, film and activities. During this hour we focus on topics that are important for junior high youth. Themes and topics of the lessons vary throughout the year but share the ultimate purpose of bringing God’s message alive!

LYF (pronounced “Life”) and is the name of St. John’s Senior High youth group. The purpose of the Senior High Youth Ministry Program at St. John’s is to further develop relationships with Christ and others through fellowship, service, and shared experiences 

Senior high youth at St. John’s help develop programs for their own age group with the aid of the youth director. Fellowship and service events such as the annual 30-Hour Famine encourage youth to build relationships with each other as they grow in their own relationship with God. Summer trips are also planned that continue to assist the youth in building these relationships. In July 2004 we participated in an Urban Immersion week long retreat in Minneapolis, MN. In July 2005 we were called again to build a house in Juarez, Mexico working with Casas por Cristo. This past summer, July 2006 a team traveled to New Orleans to assist in the clean-up and building after Hurricane Katrina. 

There are two special weekly programming opportunities that lie at the heart of our Senior High ministry. 

Wednesday night 7:11 is a fellowship, youth group time for our senior high youth to gather for devotions, friendship, and sharing. This is laid back time together to take a break from the busy week and refocus. 

Sundays during the 9:40 education hour we have a Senior High Bible study in the youth office, usually led by the youth director, other adults, or by older peers. Youth in grades 9-12 come together for their own Sunday morning hour of learning and growing together in God’s Word. This time together is spent in a small group Bible study format on various topics and themes relevant to the current concerns of youth today. It is time to come together to pray, participate in activities, and to share. 

For questions and concerns please contact:

Peter St. Lawrence

St. John's Youth Director   (952) 469-4916  peter@sjlcl.org