Parent Handbook

Transcription

1 Parent Handbook St. Paul s Lutheran Church 1250 E. Heim Ave. Orange, CA

2 WHAT IS ELEVATE? ELEVATE is the middle school student ministry at St. Paul s Lutheran Church in Orange. ELEVATE is for all 6th-8th grade students. Eighth grade students who desire to confirm their faith meet at the same time as ELEVATE. Confirmation is a part of ELEVATE. A STEPPING STONE OF FAITH There are many important milestones in a person s walk of faith. Baptism would be one. We believe the Confirmation experience should also be another marker of faith in a person s life. Students are now taking the next step of faith and taking ownership it! DAILY SCHEDULE What happens on a typical Sunday at ELEVATE? Students gather together from Noon 2:00pm for a time of food, fun, fellowship, learning, and small group discussion! SCHEDULE Noon 12:30pm Pizza Lunch - $1/slice Water/Soda/Chips (For purchase, Vending Machine) Game Lounge in the MODJ Open Gym (Basketball, Volleyball, etc) 12:30pm-12:55pm Announcements Large Group Game (Gym) 12:55pm - 1:35pm 6th/7th Grade Large Group Teaching (North End) 8th Grade Large Group Teaching (South End) 1:35pm-2:00pm 6th/7th Grade Small Group Discussion 8th Grade Small Group Discussion

3 WHAT IS CONFIRMATION? Confirmation is a year-long experience for 8th grade and older students to explore what it means to be a Christian, to ask questions about doubts they may have, and to ultimately make a public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. At St. Paul s Lutheran Church, Confirmation is... A reaffirmation of a student s baptism. Assisting the parents in their instruction and encouragement of their child s faith development. Instruction in the Christian faith and what we believe as Lutheran Christians. Students developing relationships with others that will strengthen their walk with Jesus and others. A chance for students to ask about the questions and doubts they may have about God, life, and the Bible. Students learning and growing in their faith in Christ through instruction, study, experiences, and service that help move them to a fully devoted follower of Jesus. A faith-stepping stone. It s a significant next step on their faith journey. 8th grade students who complete their studies and requirements will confirm their faith in one of the worship services on May 5 th and 6 th, To help our parents and 8th grade students prepare for the Confirmation weekend, here are a few details that might be helpful. FRIDAY EVENING REHEARSAL AND DESSERT During the Friday evening of Confirmation weekend, the Confirmation Rehearsal will be held in the church sanctuary. The Confirmation Group Photo will also be taken at that time. A Dessert Celebration will be held for all family members in the church gym immediately after the rehearsal. WEEKEND WORSHIP SERVICES The students will attend and confirm their faith at only one of the four worship services that weekend. In addition to the Confirmation ceremony in the worship service, a video of their Confirmation Faith Testimonies will also be shown.

4 EXPECTATIONS at ELEVATE COSTS There is no registration cost for our 6th and 7th grade students to participate in ELEVATE each week. Special events, like retreats, and the optional pizza lunch will have costs associated with them. All 8th grade students who desire to confirm their faith are asked to pay a $150 registration fee. This fee covers the various expenses for confirmation including robe rental, flowers, photo, and the Confirmation Retreat in the fall. This fee should be paid at the beginning of registration. SCHOLARSHIPS We want all students to be able to fully participate in our events. If a student desires to participate in a special event, retreat, or participate in Confirmation, but is in need of finacial assistance, the parents are asked to speak privately with Tim Kaufmann, Director of Christian Education, about scholarship opportunities. ATTENDANCE We understand that it may be difficult for Confirmation students to be at ELEVATE on Sundays 100% of the time. However, we ask they miss no more than 5 times (about 25% of class times) throughout the whole year. Absences impact their small group and keep a student from feeling connected. They may also miss critical teachings about what we believe. Please contact Tim Kaufmann if you anticipate missing more than 5 times. MESSAGE NOTES During the months of October through April, students will be asked to complete two message notes per month and turn them in to their small group leader. Message notes handouts will be available in the church lobby. Message notes can help students understand the theme and focus on the worship service. As an encouragement, prizes will be awarded for those who turn their message notes in on time! Message notes are a requirement for our 8th grade confirmation students. MAKE-UP WORK Students in 8th grade working through the Confirmation Track will have make-up work if they missed a large group teaching time. This is to insure they understand the material and allows them opportunities to ask questions, too. Most make-up work should be turned in the week after they miss. Make-up lessons will downloadable on the student ministry website, Students should print out the Make-Up Lesson for the week they missed, complete the work, and turn it in to Tim Kaufmann.

5 SERVING Serving is a great way to put your faith into action. Faith is not simply knowing. Through serving, you better understand who God made you to be and the gifts He has blessed you with. There can be a great joy in helping others, giving instead of always receiving. We ask that students complete 10 serving hours each semester. This is required for our 8th grade confirmation students. The Serving Hours Form is available online at CONFIRMATION VERSE (8th Grade Only) Eighth grade students will work on selecting their ConfirmationVerse. A Confirmation Verse is a verse in scripture that has great meaning to that person. The verse may change from time to time. It helps students realize that God is also speaking to them as He speaks to all of us through his Word! CONFIRMATION RETREAT (8th Grade Only) Eighth grade students who desire to confirm their faith are required to attend the Confirmation Retreat, held from November 3-5. The retreat setting allows for more focused learning and fun interaction, too! We will discuss and learn about the 4th-6th commandments during our time together. The group departs on a Friday evening and returns Sunday by 1pm. The cost for this event is included in the Confirmation fee. FAITH TESTIMONY (8th Grade Only) Confirmation is publicly stating what you believe. It doesn t mean you understand it all or that you will live a perfect life. The Faith Testimony allows a student to put into words and story how God has worked in their life! The 8th grade confirmation student will work through writing out their story! They will then read their faith testimony on camera. An edited video of their faith testimoneis will be shown during the Confirmation worship services in May. HOW PARENTS CAN SERVE IN ELEVATE PARENTS! You are the most important part of your child s spiritual development. The care, encouragement, and support you provide are critical for your son or daughter s walk of faith! You can support all our students in ELEVATE by volunteering your time. Each year, we need adults that are willing to lead a small group, serve pizza, or supervise the open gym at ELEVATE. If you d like to serve in any of these areas, please contact DCE Tim Kaufmann about the requirements. All adults serving in our student ministry are asked to complete a background check.

6 8TH GRADE LESSON SCHEDULE (Confirmation) DATE TEACHING TOPIC VIDEO LESSON 9/17 Parent/student Orientation (To be viewed before date listed) 9/23 The Bible 10/1 Martin Luther Marty's Mark in History (What is truth?) 10/8 NO ELEVATE 10/15 Who is God? Is God Real? 10/22 God as Creator (1 st Commandment) What is a Christian? 10/29 God's Day (3 rd Commandment) Using God's Name (2 nd Commandment) 11/5 Confirmation Retreat Retreat Lessons - 4th-6th Commandments 11/12 Your Stuff (7-10 Commandments) Are you content? (7-10 Commandments) 11/19 NO ELEVATE 11/26 NO ELEVATE 12/3 Your Reputation (8 th Commandment) 12/10 Jesus the Promised Messiah Jesus in the Old Testament 12/17 Family Christmas Caroling /7 NO ELEVATE 1/14 Jesus: State of Humiliation Who is Jesus? 1/21 Jesus: State of Exaltation Who do you say that Jesus is? 1/28 Holy Spirit: Comforter What is faith? 2/4 NO ELEVATE 2/11 Faith Testimony/Confirmation Verse 2/18 Baptism Am I forgiven? (Sin/Forgiveness) 2/25 Holy Communion Passover: From Moses to Jesus 3/4 Holy Communion Differences in Holy Communion 3/11 The Lord's Prayer What is prayer? 3/18 District Junior High Retreat Weekend 3/25 Prayer Walk 4/1 NO ELEVATE 4/8 NO ELEVATE 4/15 Defending Your Faith 4/22 Surviving High School Will everything be okay? (by H.S. Students) 4/29 Sharing Your Faith What is my purpose in life? May 4-6 Confirmation Weekend

7 6TH AND 7TH GRADE LESSON SCHEDULE DATE TEACHING TOPIC 9/17 Parent/student Orientation 9/23 World s Greatest French Fry 10/1 Reformation I The Stormy Monk 10/8 NO ELEVATE 10/15 Reformation II The Protesting Professor 10/22 Reformation III Heretic s Trial 10/29 Reformation IV Luther s Legacy 11/5 6th & 7th grade Pool Party at Kaufmann s 11/12 Self-control 11/19 NO ELEVATE 11/26 NO ELEVATE 12/3 Patience 12/10 Joy 12/17 Family Christmas Caroling/Party /7 NO ELEVATE 1/14 Get Reconnected 1/21 Making It Easy 1/28 Available Advice 2/4 NO ELEVATE 2/11 Glued Together or Torn Apart? 2/18 Closer Than You Think 2/25 Who s First 3/4 A Second Family 3/11 Service Project 3/18 District Junior High Retreat Weekend 3/25 Keeping the Peace 4/1 NO ELEVATE 4/8 NO ELEVATE 4/15 The Truth, and Nothing But 4/22 After You 4/29 End-of-the-Year Party May 4-6 Confirmation Weekend

8 CONFIRMATION ONLINE LESSONS Additional lessons not taught in Confirmation class will be available online for the student to login, view, and complete. Benefits of online instruction: Allows the student to view the lesson when it is convient for them. Allows the student to pause or rewatch a section if they need extra time. Allows for more parental interation. These online videos are new, additional lessons designed to engage the student to think and ask questions. Each week, they will submit a question(s) about the lesson that may be answered in the next class. These videos are not a substitute for attending the Confirmation classes on Sunday. STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS 1. Go to 2. Create a new login with the student s and name. (You will use this login every time you watch the video lesson.) 3. Go to ocstudents.org. 4. Select Video Lessons under the ELEVATE - Middle School drop-down menu. 5. Each week, a link will be provided with the next video lesson and the lesson worksheet the student should print out before viewing the video lesson. Reminder: Be sure to log in before viewing the video. CONTACT INFORMATION If you have questions or comments about ELEVATE, our middle school student ministry, or Confirmation, please contact: Tim Kaufmann Joy Kaufmann Director of Christian Education Director of Christian Education tim.kaufmann@splsorange.org joy.kaufmann@splsorange.org Church # ext. 218 Church # ext. 204