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

~ Updated Information ~

Our Sunday School classes for 2020-2021 continue to be on hold.  As soon as plans are finalized, we will send information and registration forms to our Sunday School families. 
 
Also, a date has not yet been set for the Confirmation our 2019-2020 Confirmands: Connor Bailey, Paul Bailey, Jace Baird, Cindy Bumgarner, and Haden Shakespeare.  We will share this information with everyone just as soon as Council determines when this will take place.  Thank you so much for your continued patience.

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Confirmation Classes for 7th and 8th Grade Students

We will begin Confirmation classes for our 7th and 8th grade students on Sunday, November 1st starting at approximately 10am.  Please make your way to our fellowship hall, and just like at your school, wear a mask and stay 6’ apart.  We will have the tables set up in such a way as to allow everyone to be safely distanced.  Please fill out the registration form that you recently received in the mail and bring it with you on November 1st. 
 
We ask our congregation to keep our Confirmation students in your prayers as they study our Lutheran heritage:  Ava Beetz, Sarah Brown, Addyson Champlin, Ella Coss, Ally Denault, Natalie Hanaman, Brody Hartt, Alex Holland, Lauren Holland, Quin Holland, Grady Jones, Kennedy Knaff, Dessa Komitas, Ella Martin, Gracie Politsch, Meredith Politsch, Joshua Shakespeare, Aden Tillman, and Jillian Younger.

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High School Students “Meet & Greet” with Pastor Ken

Pastor Ken says, “Sharing in the lives of the youth of the church is one of the joys for me as a pastor.”  We are really looking forward to all of our high school students having the opportunity to spend some time with Pastor Ken.  A meet & greet has been planned for Sunday, November 1st at 4pm in the fellowship hall.  Please wear a mask and we will do our best to safely distanced.  Refreshments will be provided.
 
Please RSVP to Pastor Ken at pkgibson@stjohnsmendota.org.

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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.

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Youth Volunteer at the OSF Community Garden

“Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.
Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives
who need your help.”  (Isaiah 58:7)

Our Junior High and High School youth were invited by the volunteer coordinator at OSF St. Paul Medical Center to help “man” the hospital’s Community Garden the week of July 20th to 25th.  On two different mornings, we worked to harvest 103 pounds of produce (WOW!), plant new crops of green beans and weed the beds. 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!!

Well Done, Team St. Louis!
Thank You for doing God's work with your hands!

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!

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                     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!

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Team Pictures from previous High School Mission Trips

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.

2011 Cass Lake, MN Mission Trip Team - Don, Travis, Mark, Amy, Cady, Devan, Paige, Jared, Laurie, Grif, Karen and Marcus.

2018 Team Benton Harbor had a great time at Silver Beach

2017 Red Lake Team enjoyed a beautiful sunset!

2016 Cincinnati Mission Trip Team onsite with YouthWorks!

2015 St. Louis Mission Trip Team onsite with YouthWorks at Kossuth Church of God in Christ

We work hard and we play hard! A day of fun on the beach at Dauphin Island, AL.

Our Benton Harbor Mission Trip team with the beloved Mama Wilder.

We LOVED serving the community of Cass Lake!