Youth Ministry

Youth Ministry

Welcome to youth ministry at OSLC. Church is a place of community, of faith formation, of questioning, and of relationship. You can ask me anything and I will do my best to answer from the perspective of Scripture, Lutheran theological teachings, and my own lived experience. What you see is what you get with me. I’m not here to inform your opinions or tell you what to believe. I am here to encourage, guide, and seek alongside you. We are all in this together, responding in faith to God’s invitation to love, forgiveness, and service to our neighbor.

As we enter the 2022-23 school year we are continuing our new phase of “growing” the youth ministry here at Our Savior’s for our high school youth. This will be a multi-year process as we plant the seeds in our younger youth and accompany them as they grow on their faith journey. We began last fall with our 7th/8th grade confirmation program ministry and will move forward now inviting more youth into faith formation and beyond. From there there are no limits and we are seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance and wisdom to help us learn what God is up to in this time and place.

Scroll down through this page or click here for a PDF to learn more about our 2022-23 Youth Ministry offerings.

As part of our Safe Church commitments, all youth who are involved in our youth ministry programs are asked to have a signed participation form and release on file each year. You can download the PDF here and return an original signed form anytime to Pastor Jason.

Thank you for the opportunity to walk with you on this journey of growth; it may not look like much now but great things are yet to come for sure!

+Pastor Jason Poole-Xiong (he/him/his)
Associate Pastor

pastorjason@oursaviorsbeloitwi.org
(608) 362-0716, ext. 104
Instagram: @jasonr_poolexiong

Middle School Faith Formation: Confirmation
Wednesday Evenings from 7pm-8pm

Our middle school faith formation program called “confirmation” meets weekly during the academic year on Wednesday evenings. This two and a half year program, traditionally for 7th-9th graders, includes two years of class gatherings focused on our faith as Lutherans, the Bible, and what it means to be a Christian in todays complex world.

Youth choose and will work with an adult mentor throughout their confirmation journey who will walk alongside them as they navigate learning and discernment.

In the third half-year, traditionally the fall of 9th grade, youth work one-on-one with their mentor and pastor to develop a faith statement in preparation for their choosing to affirm their baptism during public worship. This affirmation allows the youth to make their own choice and affirm their own faith using the same questions that were asked of their parents and sponsors when they were baptized as children.

Learn more about our 2022-23 program below:

Gatherings & Faith in Daily Life
Opportunities Monthly As Scheduled

Throughout the entire year we offer monthly opportunities for youth to encounter their faith in their daily lives along with having fun while doing it. These offerings include day or weekend long retreats, fundraising opportunities that help build relationships, and leisure outings like going to a movie or bowling.

Download the Winter 2022-23 Flyer which provides an overview of the following opportunities we are planning:

  • Sunday, January 15: Escape Room in Rockford
  • Saturday, February 11: Fellowship Team “Trivia Night” Fundraiser
  • Sunday, March 12: Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt

Details on these events are shared widely with families and the congregation as applicable. Please reach out to Pastor Jason for any details of to be added to our email/text communications.

God’s Work. Our Hands.
Beyond our Church Walls

In response to the Gospel we are called to serve our neighbor. We offer various ways for our youth to engage in this work including service projects and annual mission trips. These include partnering with local and national service organizations along with traveling to serve in other contexts along with a trip to the tri-annual ELCA Youth Gathering.

We are currently finalizing details of our upcoming service projects and 2023 mission trip and will post more information below as we continue to plan: