children, Youth & Family
Children
5th & 6th grade Family Sunday School (MPLS)
On February 25 during Sunday School, we will explore tough questions: Who is
Martin Luther? Did he really call the Pope the Anti-Christ? How can Lutherans
believe in “grace alone” if they also believe in “faith alone” and “scripture alone?”
ECHO (MTKA)
Echo is our expression of Sunday school that embraces the noise and
movement of children during worship. Echo gathers in the Narthex during a
portion of the service so that we are growing in faith all together and within
earshot of the same story. If you find Echo distracting, we invite you to sit toward
the front of the sanctuary.
Vacation Bible School - Registrations Open February 4
June 18-21 (MTKA) • GET LOST!
"Get Lost" is becoming more meaningful with each passing day. With so many
interruptions surrounding us and permeating our lives each and every day, time
away to "Get Lost" in God's love and the immense impact that love has on our
lives becomes something that is essential! We will invite campers of all ages to
"Get Lost" in the things that bring us closer to God. Campers will focus on the
daily themes of getting lost in Love, Prayer, Service, and Sabbath. We will reflect
each day on the scripture of Matthew 10:39, "Those who find their life will lose
it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."
We invite all to experience the life-changing love of Jesus through vibrant
settings in community and creation. We would love to have you be a part of our
camp family this year. Come and "Get Lost!" - you might just find life!
June 25–29 (MPLS) • Merry Christmas! VBS: A Summer ADVENTure
Vacation Bible School introduces children to our foundational stories and
showers them with God’s unconditional love in an engaging and creative
environment. Kids make great friends, look up to passionate teenage mentors
and learn from trusted and trained staff. Music, games, skits, and crafts are just
a few ways VBS emboldens all kids to grow while having a sleigh-full of fun.
Mark your calendars!
From the Youth Team...
What you promise when you are confirmed is not that you will believe this forever. What you
promised when you are confirmed is that this is the story you will wrestle with forever.
—Lauren Winner
On February 11, Bethlehem 10th graders will affirm their baptism. This is not the
end of the journey, but another moment
on the journey we can be witnesses for
them. In baptism, we witnessed God’s
public outpouring of unconditional love.
In affirming that, we witness the youth
promising to engage with the struggles
that come with authentic faith. Teenagers
are in the middle of an intensely spiritual
quest to articulate who they are, who they love, what matters, and what brings
meaning.Confirmation is a moment of claiming the challenges of a faithful life and the
joy that comes with embracing God’s eternal love.
“I lift my eyes up, up to the mountains. Where does my help come from?”
Well, we may not have mountains, but God, “maker of heaven, creator of the earth,”
always seems to show up in a special way at our annual Giant’s Ridge ski trip. During
the bus ride up, that first moment of hearing our skis swish on the snow, making and
eating meals together, the first sip of warm cocoa in the chalet, God is everywhere, in it
all. It is a time to celebrate the cold and each other. February 17-19, register online.
Looking Ahead
Programming for Children:
Feb. 7 – Fat Wednesday! 6–6:45 pm (MTKA)
We will sing and shout our Alleluias,
eat extravagant treats and supper, play
some games, and prepare ourselves for
the season of Lent. During Lent we will
try not to say or sing our Alleluias but
we will delve into the rich stories in the
Gospel of John and learn about Jesus.
Feb. 25 – Family SS 5th & 6th grade (MPLS)
Who is Martin Luther?
Programming for Youth:
Feb. 4 – Communion Bread Making (MTKA)
Meet Soren in the kitchen from
9:30-10:30 to bake delicious
communion bread for the month.
Come, bring a friend and let’s bake!
For more information on each of these
events, visit bethlehem-church.org/events.
This summer, there are many exciting
opportunities for youth (7th-12th):
• Israel/Palestine: June 17-27 (10th-12th)
• Volunteer with VBS: June 25-29
• Camp Amnicon: July 8-13
• Serve Boldly: Chicago: July 22-27
• Green Lake Bible Camp: July 29-Aug. 3
For more information, please go to our
website or pick up a brochure at the
hospitality desk.
Smash! Bang! Clink!
Bring your pennies, nickels, dimes, and
quarters to crash in the offering pot in
each Sunday School classroom. We also
enjoy “quiet” offering: bills and checks.
Each month the Sunday School collects
for different
outreach
partners.
During February
we will be
collecting money
for sandwich
supplies and
protein packs for the “Sandwich Man”. We
will put these together on 2/18. We will be
preparing this food for people experiencing
homelessness. Give $2.00 for a loaf of
bread, $2.50 for a cheese package, $4.75
for a package of sliced meat or $5.00 for a
“protein pack."
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