Hey Kids! There is a Place for You too!
Worship for Kids: This ministry is designed for kids (ages 3 through elementary). While the congregation hears Scripture and the sermon in worship in the sanctuary, kids are invited to a special time of hearing the Word just for them! They will gather in the Worship for Kids room in the upstairs hallway across from the sanctuary side door to listen to a Bible story (usually from the Spark Story Bible), watch a short video introducing the theme or message or do an activity, talk about the story and pray together. They’ll return to the sanctuary before we begin communion. This allows the youngest saints to both participate fully in the first and last parts of worship (the gathering time and the meal) while also hearing God’s Word in a developmentally- appropriate way. Kids who participate are still able to sing in the children‘s choir or serve as an acolyte or communion assistant because they will be present for all those parts of worship. If you know a kid who’d like to participate, be sure to invite them!
No registration necessary. All kids in the sanctuary will be invited! And if you’d like to help teach or support this gathering, contact Faith Formation Coordinator Patty Chaffee.
JOY: Developed especially for 3rd – 5th graders, this gathering time currently meets monthly and focuses on Jesus, Others and You (JOY) beginning with a snack only for them (usually donuts!!), bible connections, a brief service activity and ends with prayer and a blessing. This group will be invited to the communion table first during service and leave to go downstairs to the JOY room which is located just down the hall from BLC’s Fellowship Hall. Students who participate in JOY will finish at 10:15am, just in time to head upstairs to participate in children’s choir practice. Coming soon we hope to expand this ministry for our Tweens, so that it includes catechism pieces and service-oriented family field trips.
Similar to Worship for Kids, no registration is required. All 3rd – 5th graders will be invited during worship. Volunteers to help teach and support JOY are welcome! Please contact Faith Formation Coordinator Patty Chaffee if you are interested.
Confirmation: Confirmation is an important time for young people to participate in two years of intentional learning about Jesus and the story of scripture (Bible Year) and what we believe as Lutheran Christians (Confession Year). Confirmation provides an opportunity for young people to be curious and ask questions about faith and what they believe, and to begin deciding for themselves if they wish to continue to journey in the faith in which they were baptized. Becoming confirmed (Affirmation of Baptism) at the end of confirmation ministry is not required but is a choice each young person is asked to make for themselves.
At Bethlehem, Confirmation is offered to our 6th – 8th graders, but any youth who has not previously taken confirmation classes is invited to participate. We currently partner with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Pittsford monthly for hands-on, active deep dives into aspects of our faith. In addition, fellowship events are occasionally offered to youth that fall into this age group, and this summer, don’t miss Confirmation Camp at the amazing Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center with other confirmation students from the Buffalo/Rochester area.
If you have questions about our confirmation program, please reach out to Pastor Amy Walter-Peterson.
LYO: the letters translate to Lutheran Youth Organization but is really shorthand for Bethlehem’s youth group, for teens in 9th – 12th grades. LYO currently meets every other Sunday from 10:15 am – 11:00 am downstairs in the youth room for community building, discussion and faith connections to real world situations. LYO also holds fellowship events about once a month which include fun outings, service opportunities and lock-ins for extended time together.
This summer the LYO will attend a Group Workcamp for a week spent away in meaningful service to residents while growing their own faith formation. Ask any former member of LYO and they will testify what an amazing experience Workcamp is. Do you have a teen (aged 12 – 18) interested in taking part in Workcamp? Are you an adult who is interested in participating in Workcamp? Talk to Patty Chaffee for complete details.