St. John's Youth

St. John's Youth News
"Growing Together in our Faith as we Serve Others"

2021-2022 Sunday School "Rally Day"

The 2021-2022 Sunday School “Rally Day” activities started our year off in a big way! We are blessed to have classrooms full of eager students… and there’s always room for more! Join us at 10am! We say “Thank You!” to this year’s teachers: Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd — Sarah Coss, Melissa Doll, Linda Erlenborn & Lynette Piller; 3rd and 4th — Melissa Nosalik & Dawn Kendall; 5th and 6th — Charnelle Fara & Ronnie Bailey; 7th and 8th (Confirmation) — Pastor Ken Gibson; High School — Lauren & Eric Anderson, Steve Dancey, Aimee & Troy Holland, Theresa Komitas, Kevin Wohrley, Laura & James Younger, and Monica & Todd Zimmerlein. After enjoying a snack in the Fellowship Hall, our 3rd and 4th graders were gifted with their study Bibles, everyone had a craft activity to complete, and students were able to visit their classrooms. Our Confirmation and High School students, along with Pastor Ken & Yvonne Gibson, Steve Dancey, and James Younger, spent the morning sprucing-up Apple Orchard Park with fresh paint on the building, big swing set and picnic area. We’re off to a great start!

Confirmation Class News

Please keep our Confirmation Class in your prayers as they continue their studies this school year — Sarah Brown, Addyson Champlin, Collin Coss, Ally Denault, Ty Florschuetz, Brody Hartt, Alex Holland, Grady Jones, Abbie Kreiser, Cole Nosalik, Gracie Politsch, Meredith Politsch, Joshua Shakespeare, Karson Sundberg, and Aden Tillman.

High School Sunday School

High School Sunday School will meet on Sun-day mornings at 10am in the high school classroom upstairs, The Upper Room. This year, our high school class will be led by a variety of adults — Lauren & Eric Anderson, Steve Dancey, Aimee & Troy Holland, Theresa Komitas, Kevin Wohrley, Laura & James Younger, and Monica & Todd Zimmerlein.

The high school class will continue their tradition of enjoying breakfast treats as part of their time together. If you are able to provide breakfast treats for the class, please sign up on the orange sheet at the sign-in table, call the office, or send an email to laura@stjohnsmendota.org. Thank you to those who have already signed-up!

Sky Ranch Mission Trip Team

Thank you to everyone who supported the Sky Ranch Mission Trip Team! We also say "thank you!" to the incredible team of high school students and chaperones who represented our St. John's family so well throughout the trip to and from Colorado.

Pastor Ken Gibson, Bob, Yvonne Gibson, Ella Martin, Ella Coss, Gracie Zinke, Bailey Baird, Samantha Katschke, Jillian Younger, Alayna Nosalik, Garret Zinke, Matt Miller, James Younger, and Mike Anderson

St. John's Youth Volunteer at OSF Community Garden

Our Junior High and High School youth along with some adult friends helped care for the Community Garden at OSF St. Paul Medical Center the week of July 18th. On two different mornings, we weeded and tore out beds that were done and replanted beans in their spot. We also harvested, washed, and bagged 43 pounds of assorted peppers, summer squash, zucchini, beets, and green beans. Food grown and harvested from the garden is first offered to the hospital’s kitchen to be used in providing fresh vegetable meal options to patients. Remaining produce is donated weekly to the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry and/or the Body and Soul Food Pantry run by the Baptist church. What a fun way to be together while helping to feed those in need!!

Operation: St. John's Cares!!

On August 3rd, we had a masked & gloved crew safely meet in our courtyard (while social distancing) to put "Operation: St. John's Cares!!" into action. Lots of care packages were assembled for the residents and the staff of Heritage Health. Thank you to Gracie, Garrett, Cole, Karen, Aimee, and Sophie for your work. A HUGE THANK YOU!! goes to everyone who donated items to our effort. We couldn't have done it without all of the very generous support we received from you! We delivered 25+ cases of water, snacks, treats, and candy for staff, and gift bags for residents that consisted of magazines, adult coloring books, colored pencils, puzzle books, pens, and a craft. Please keep the residents and staff of Heritage in your prayers.

All I Ever Needed To Know I Learned While At Confirmation Camp
by Karen Goy, Youth Director

Karen, Haden, Jace, Garret, and Gracie

Last week I was blessed to accompany four of our youth to confirmation camp… and can I be honest that I wasn’t feeling the “camp vibe” when I left. God is in the business of transformation and that was what our theme was all about. Our bible studies focused on how a community is transformed as they experience and then extend His inclusion, compassion, forgiveness, justice, and generosity. It was amazing to witness first-hand the transformation of the community of strangers that was at camp throughout the week as we spent time, prayed, ate, laughed, studied, enjoyed, and adventured together. Being in community over time and in a setting outside the normal routine indeed had transforming power. Not only did my mindset change very quickly, but I saw/heard the kids thoughts, mindset, actions, and words transform into an amazing community that was definitely different than the one that arrived on Sunday night. There is power in spending time in community – transforming power. There is power in hearing again and again about God’s compassion, forgiveness, generosity, inclusion, and justice – a message very different than those messages we are daily bombarded with. It is empowering to extend and live inclusion, compassion, generosity, forgiveness, and justice that happens in that community time too… and from there, think of all the other communities we are a part of that can in turn be transformed!!

We have an amazing opportunity to spend time in such a community right here at St. John’s! I’m grateful for the blessed reminder of the transformation that can happen in us, for us, and through us as we make the choice to leave our “typical” routine to also participate more fully in the community here. Thank you, St. John’s, for the opportunity you made for the five us to go to confirmation camp. What a generous and supportive community you are!

Thank You, St. John’s Family!

Your encouragement and support of the “Textathon” we held last month helped us pray for cancer patients, share information about free services available to patients, be part of a great community cause (Relay For Life March To A Million) and to raise over $6,000! The day was a memorable example of how we are to be Christ in the world!

Team Pictures from previous High School Mission Trips

2019 St. Louis, MO Mission Trip Team - Karen, Susan, Sophie, Samantha, Aaron, Bailey, Cole, Gracie, Garret, Andrew, Katherine, Ted, Hannah, Don and Alayna

2018 Benton Harbor, MI Mission Trip Team - Natalie, Tammy, Gabrielle, Grace, Gabbi, Maya, Bailey, Sophie, Sammi, Amy, Matthew, Mitch, Troy, Cole, Gavin, Ted and Logan

2017 Red Lake, MN Mission Trip Team - Maria, Natalie, Brent, Grace, Matthew, Gabrielle, Gavin, Gillian, Cole, Cameron, Aaron, Gabbi and Sammye

2016 Cincinnati, OH Mission Trip Team - Maria, Gavin, Jacquelynn, Haleigh, Gillian, Cameron, Natalie, Dave, Grace, Aaron and Roberta.

2015 St. Louis, MO Mission Trip Team - Mary, Jared, Grace, Brock, Natalie, Gillian, Mark, Cameron, Amy, Jacquelynn, Brady, Karen, Don, Maria and Joey

2014 Bayou La Batre, AL Mission Trip Team - Maria, Paige, Grace, Emily, Cameron, Gillian, Jacquelynn, Brady, Amy, Lukas, Jared, Joey, Mark, Brock and Barry

2013 Benton Harbon, MI Mission Trip Team - Jared, Mark, Erik, Brock, Brady, Gillian, Amy, Cameron and Jacquelynn (not pictured: Maria, Alice and Curt)

2012 Eastern Shore of Virginia Mission Trip Team with YouthWorks staff members and Jeff, Amy, Marcus, Mark, Jared, Brock, Paige S., Paige H., Brady and Maria.