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Youth Events throughout the year:
Youth
Sunday
Held the last Sunday in January. This is an opportunity for our Senior High youth to lead the
worship.
Inter-City
Meal Program
The second Thursday of each month, our youth, along with other
congregational members, prepare and serve dinner to the less fortunate.
The dinner is served at 5:45 PM at Christ Lutheran Church in
Lancaster City.
Inter-City
Day Camp
Sponsored by our Senior High youth, this camp is staffed by our Jr/Sr
High Youth, along with staff and adult volunteers.
The camp is for inter-city youth from the area shelters as well
as city neighborhoods and usually occurs in June.
Winter
Retreats
Held in January and February, these retreats combine fellowship and
Christian Education. They
are held at Camp Nawakwa in Ardentsville.
Creation
A non-denominational Christian rock festival held the end of June.
National Youth Gathering – held every three years.
Praise and worship with 20,000 other Lutheran
youth from across the country.
Christmas
Caroling
Held annually at the Almoney’s the last Friday night before Christmas.
We Christmas Carol around the neighborhood, preparing for the
birth of Christ, and go back to the Almoney’s for food and games.
Pet
Blessing
Held the first Sunday in October at 2:30 on the church lawn.
Pet show held at Luther Acres following the blessing.
Amusement
Park Trips
A summer day trip to Dorney Park
Congregational
Luncheon
A fellowship event/fundraiser held on the second Sunday in November
before our Congregational Meeting.
The youth make and serve lunch after our late service.
Senior
High Winterfest
A synodical retreat held for Senior High youth held in Lancaster during
the month of January. The
retreat combines small group study with praise and worship.
Senior
High Summerfest
A synodical retreat held at Camp Nawakwa near Gettysburg for Senior High
youth. A smaller version of
Winterfest that is usually held in the month of June.
Senior
High Urban Ministry Trip
Held at the end of November or beginning of December.
A weekend long trip to Washington, DC, New York City, or
Philadelphia.
Senior
High Summer Shore Retreat
Held for three days in July at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes,
Delaware.
Learn more about our
Christian Education program...
Helping Others:
Our youth have found that getting involved in Christian Service has many
positive benefits. It not only helps those in need, but fosters a sense
of accomplishment and self-worth on the giver. Youth may also find this
is an area that they may want to pursue at a later time.
Activities:
Fellowship can be considered a high point of a youth meeting. This helps
to bond and strengthen friendships in our parish and Christian
community.
Praise & Worship:
Worship is considered the main objective at St. Peter's. Our youth are
given ample opportunities to learn about, plan as well as attend
different types of praise and worship gatherings. These opportunities
help to strengthen the bond between the youth and the church.
Teenagers as
messengers of the Good News!
In the April 2003 edition of Grace Notes, a newsletter for Lutheran
church musicians, a group of teenagers were asked to reflect on the
value of choir to their personal church life.
When asked "What benefit do you derive from being in
choir?", they responded that 1) participation keeps their faith
alive after (or during) confirmation, 2) choir provides a place to grow
spiritually and musically, 3)
singing enables them to feel the Spirit working in them through
the music, 4)
rehearsals and worship provide an opportunity to meet and talk to
people about their faith, 5)
the experience teaches them to work in a group and finally 6) that the
experience is fun.
Weekly
we gather for worship to share our corporate faith.
This experience is not separated into various age groups or
social stratas. Worship is
shared by the whole body of Christ.
Therefore, it is important to include all ages in the leadership
of the choirs and music. Through
the vehicle of song and sound, the congregation is moved to varied
dimensions of worship. Teenagers
offer much to this mix of spirit and sound.
At St. Peter's we attempt to include vocally and instrumentally
talented young people into the worship leadership.
Another
question posed to the young people in the survey was "What is the
purpose of singing in a choir?"
The responses included 1) to touch people's lives in ways that
many cannot put into words, 2) to share God's words through song, 3) to
let the world know that it is not only children and adults who love God
and know how to show it, and 4) to share their individual talents in
serving God.
As
parents and families plan their schedules for the fall, consider these
important comments made by teenagers and determine how each family can
best allocate their time and talents in serving.
Choir and worship leadership are experiences for people of all
ages -- particularly the teenagers at St. Peter's.
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