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Men's Retreat
March 19-20
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Information
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April 1
(Maundy Thursday)
7:15 p.m. service
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Youth Ministry

 

Jr. & Sr. High Ski Trip Feb 27-28 at Wilderness Waterprark Resort
It's time to sign up for our annual youth ski trip, which has some new twists and turns this year. The trip will take place Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27-28.

We’ll still enjoy the exhilaration of shimmering slopes and the briskness of wintry weather, but this year, we’ll also experience slopes and descents of a different kind.  Snow will be replaced by water at the end of the day as we unwind at the Wilderness Waterpark Resort. Click the logo for information about Wilderness Waterpark.

Instead of going to the U.P., as we have for many years, we will venture a little closer to home this year and ski at Cascade and Devil’s Head, spending Saturday night at the Wilderness. All middle school and high school students are invited. Friends are also welcome. Cost of the trip is $165. Rentals are an additional $25. We also ask that beginning skiers/boarders take a lesson at an additional cost.

Permission slips are available online [here], at the info center, in the church office, or from Gretchen. The deadline for confirming our room reservations at the Wilderness is Feb. 8, so all slips need to be turned in by then. If you have any questions, talk to Gretchen.

 

Sr. High Commando Night March 12
This senior high favorite is making its spring appearance on Friday, March 12, 7:00–9:30 p.m. Sr. High youth and friends are welcome, but friends must arrive with you! Please bring $3.00 for snacks and a non-perishable food item for the Reformation Food Pantry. Come and see what surprises we have in store for you!

 

Jr. High Digital Scavenger Hunt April 16
“A picture is worth a thousand words.” You’ve heard the phrase hundreds of times. Now’s your chance to see if it’s true by coming to our digital scavenger hunt on Friday, April 16, 7:00–9:00 p.m. All junior high youth and friends are welcome.

Teams will be formed and given the chance to “capture the moment” by going out into the neighborhood (with and adult chaperone) and taking pic­tures of items on a list. We will end the evening by viewing each other’s photos and looking at the different ways we put words into pictures.

Please bring $3.00 for snacks and a non-perishable food item for the Reformation Food Pantry. If you have any questions, please talk to Gretchen.

 

Coming Later this Spring: Jr. and Sr. High Wii Nights at St. Matt’s

New this year, the Youth Committee will be sponsoring Wii nights for Jr. High and Sr. High Youth. Whether you like to rock out to Rock Band, play Mario Cart, or get virtu­ally fit, there will be something for you. Separate events will be held for Junior and Senior High. Watch the website and Sunday bulletin for dates and times.

 

2010 Youth mission trip to North Carolina
The Summer 2010 youth mission trip will take us to Lutheridge Camp near Asheville, North Carolina, during the week of June 26-July 3. Worksites for our group will include the Cherokee Indian Reservation, a Habitat for Humanity project, and various social service agencies in the Asheville area.

A special page for the 2010 Youth Mission Trip with details, events, information is [here].

 

Photos mission trip dinner-auction
Gone with the Wind dinner auction a success thanks to you!

Though our dinner auction event is now “Gone with the Wind,” the effects of it are long lasting due to the generous support of St. Matt's members and friends. A huge thank you to all who attended the event and/or bid on some of the many items that were offered for silent auction. Thanks also to everyone who donated items and to all those who helped with set-up, clean-up, record-keeping, cooking and all the other tasks that went into making the event a success.

The yearly dinner auction is the biggest fundraiser for our annual mission trip, and we sincerely appreciate the enthusiastic support you give it! There was entertainment, too. Scarlett and Rhett even made an appearance!

Photos of the event are [here].

 

Youth Fundraising: Why We Ask
We come to you again and again, asking for your support of our fundraisers for youth and college mission trips, and you, as a congregation, continue to respond in a most generous way. We thank you for that. Without your help, our mission trips would not be possible. That being said, however, we know that, with our expanding program, the requests are becoming more frequent, and we wanted to let you know why we keep asking.

The actual per person cost of a senior high mission trip, when transportation, lodging, program costs, and incidentals are taken into account, is about $700 per person. We ask each participant to pay $200 and fundraise the remainder so that the trip is accessible to all who want to go. (We also offer scholarships to those who show financial need). For the college students participating in the January El Salvador trips, the actual cost of the trip is $1400, and we ask them to pay $700.

The cost of these trips is high, but the return is even higher. Through these weeklong breaks from everyday life and schedules, students find time to reflect and time to connect with others, and they grow as a Christian community. They experience God’s creation, expand their concept of who their neighbors are, and see life from new perspectives. Through these trips, made possible by your generosity, minds and hearts are opened, and seeds are planted – seeds of love and service that will hopefully find continued expression and growth in the lives and actions of the youth and adults who are part of this outreach ministry. The return on your investment can be seen in the smiles on the faces of the people we serve and in the hearts and minds of those of us who serve.

So this is why we ask – and why we’ll keep asking, knowing that our ministry at St. Matthew’s is large and diverse just as God’s kingdom is large and there are many ways to serve and give. You may feel called to support this ministry, or you may feel called more strongly to support one of our many other ministries. In whatever way you respond, we thank you for using your hands and your resources to work as the people of God.
Gretchen Haugse
Director of Youth Ministries

 

Youth Ministries

Regularly scheduled Ministries for Youth include:

Junior High Group (Grades 6-8)
Senior High Group (Grades 9-12)
Monthly activities, outings, retreats and trips are planned throughout the year. Adults can help out by attending events to provide mentorship and friendship. Dates and times vary so you can be involved at times convenient to your schedule.

 

Adeptus Brew City gaming club
An Opportunity for Gamers! We are a group dedicated to the Games Workshop Hobby. It’s about painting, modeling, collecting and gaming with metal and plastic miniatures. It’s about socialization and interaction with other people. It’s about having FUN! It’s for ages 5th grade and up, and adults are welcome! The Gaming Club will be meeting at St. Matthew’s May 25 and June 8 and 22 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. NO experience is needed.
Contact: Tim (414-475-0247)

 

Trips and activities

Growth and fellowship develop from various trips, outings and retreats, such as:

 

Youth Programming

In Youth Ministry we are called to honor and serve God by Living in harmony with God, with one another and the Youth that we serve. The Youth Ministry of St. Matthew's is empowered by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We look to Him for all our strength and guidance in all that we do, and gather and grow as a faith community in God's love and grace with all those involved in the area of Youth ministry, as well as the congregation and the community.

St. Matthew's has a renewed commitment to offer to all youth an environment in which they can experience the presence of God in their lives and in their relationships with peers and adults.

[click image below to visit the ELCA Youth Ministries site]