Hello everyone!

I hope to see many of your smiling faces throughout May!
We have Sunday school each Sunday from 9:40 to 10:35. We are finishing up our unit on Easter and will begin our special summer unit about the Apostles. Join us for fun crafts, games, and snacks as we learn how the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles to share the Good News with everyone around them. Preschool through elementary age meet downstairs in the Education Building. Middle school and High school are meeting with Pastor Don and the Adult bible study in the lower level of the church.

Our wonderful friends at the Purple Hen have teamed up with the youth to sell gorgeous hanging baskets that are perfect for Mother’s Day. Please fill out the form or call the church office to order your baskets today!

On Saturday May 20th from 12 noon till 3pm, you can join Pastor Don for a special model building workshop. This is open to those 12 years old and up. For more details, contact the church office.

With summer right around the corner, we want to hear from you! What activities would you like to see happening at St. Paul? Don’t be shy! We are here to grow our church family and have fun.

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, and/or you want to volunteer?
My email is: jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not
for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
Jennifer Gatke
St. Paul Youth Program Director

CYF May calendar 23

Happy April everyone! Praise be to God for He has Risen Indeed!

I can tell spring is in the air as the sun shines a little more each day.  Your CYF board has been busy organizing several upcoming events and planning the next few months’ calendars. We want to give you ample time to plan for these events.

Sunday school is finishing up our special Lent lessons, The Tree of Life God’s Promise of Salvation, this month. We’ve really enjoyed this special curriculum with its games and trivia cards that have kept us all on our toes. We would love to see you all every Sunday from 9:40 to 10:30 am in the Education Building for Sunday school! If you would like to help with Sunday school, now is the perfect time to join us! My email is jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

CYF news and upcoming events:

April 2nd is Palm Sunday. We would like all the kids to attend the 10:45 am service and join the procession of palm branches at the beginning of the service.

April 8th is our Egg Hunt. Middle and High schoolers are to arrive at 9 am to help set up and hide eggs before the hunt starts.  The Egg hunt begins at 10 am in the Sanctuary. Everyone is welcome- bring your friends, neighbors, and family! Once the Egg Hunt is concluded, we will set up the lower level of the Church for the Easter Breakfast the next day.

April 8th we will also be decorating the flower cross in front of the church. If you would like to donate flowers and help decorate, join us at 11 am by the front of the Church.

April 9th is Easter Sunday. Those helping with the Easter Breakfast need to arrive by 7 am. Breakfast begins at 7:30 am and ends at 10 am. We will be serving pancakes, scrambled eggs, diced potatoes, ham, sausage, fresh fruit, coffee and juice. This is a wonderful fundraiser for our youth group and we have a lot of fun serving you! Your donations are graciously accepted.

April 16th we will begin selling the gorgeous flower baskets for Mother’s Day. Baskets will be $38.00 each and available for pick up from The Purple Hen on or after May 1st. Thanks to the generosity of The Purple Hen, this fundraiser will continue throughout the summer as well. Order forms available to print here.

April 23rd from 7 pm- 9:30 pm is our Youth Group Egg Hunt in the Connect Center. This event is for all middle school and high school youth. We are going to have potluck taco bar for dinner, followed by our flashlight egg hunt and special prizes! Watch for the email to sign up to bring a dish as we get closer to this event.

Looking into May, Pastor Don will be hosting a model building Saturday May 20 from 12-3 pm for those 12 years old and up. More details will be given in the May newsletter.

Lastly, we need a new location to have our High School youth group meetings. For many years we would meet at Symposium on a Wednesday evening. Symposium closes in the early afternoon on week days now. We are looking for a cozy place to have fellowship along with a small bite to eat and drink. If you have any suggestions, please let us know!  

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, and/or you want to volunteer?

My email is:  jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org  

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”-Hebrews 6:19

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Lutheran Youth Program Director

CYF Events calendar april

 

Hello March Children Youth and Family 2023

Hello St Paul Children, Youth and Families!!   

In Sunday school, we are doing a Lenten devotional. Each Sunday we will learn about a different ‘father’ in the bible and how they showed love to their families and friends. Just like God our Father shows His love for each of us through the life and death of Jesus. We will also make St. Patrick Day cards for our homebound members as we share the Gospel like St. Patrick did.  Sunday school starts at 9:40 in the Ed building for all kids Elementary school age and younger. Our middle school and high schoolers will continue meeting in the lower level of the church with the adults. We would love to have you all join us this each Sunday.

I am pleased to announce that we will resume our coloring book fun this month! On Sunday March 19th from 2-4pm we will be coloring, crafting, drinking tea, and enjoying fellowship with one another. If you would like to join us, just let me know! We will have coloring supplies available along with tea and snacks.

Now that we are in the full swing of Lent, here are some dates for upcoming activities. We will begin collecting wrapped candy on March 8th for the Easter egg hunt on April 8th. We will have the older youth help with setting up the egg hunt and cleaning up afterwards. We will also have our Easter Sunday breakfast again this year. The wonderful Talia Johnston will reach out to all who helped last year as we get closer to Easter Sunday.  

Do you have a beach house you’d share with us for a weekend? We weren’t able to have our Youth Ski retreat this January. This retreat is a great way to reinforce how important each teen is to our church and to God. Pastor Don, Talia, and I are looking for an opportunity to spend time away with our teenagers and help deepen their faith connection to our church family. Do you have a suggestion? Please let us know!

My email is jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters.”- Isaiah 55:1

Jennifer Gatke

Youth Program Director

CYF calendar Mar 23.docx

Hello everyone from Children, Youth and Family!

Happy February! I hope this month finds you all warm, cozy, and filled with the love of Christ. This is the perfect month to shine Christ’s amazing love for all to see. I challenge you to love everyone as Christ does. While waiting in line, stuck in traffic, in a meeting, these are great times to shine love to all around you. It’s truly life changing and the results will surprise you!

In Sunday school, we will be talking about love and Lent. With Ash Wednesday on the 22nd, we are going to work on what we can do to thank Jesus every day for saving us on the cross. We are still meeting in the Ed building at 9:40 to 10:30 for pre-K and elementary ages, middle and high schoolers will continue meeting with Pastor Don and the adults in the lower level of the church. Come join us!

Parents! Do you need an afternoon off? Could you use a couple hours to get things done while someone else entertains your kiddos? You are in luck! It’s Mini Mixer Time!! On Feb 5th all families are invited to join us for our bring your own picnic lunch in the Connect Center. We have lunch around 12pm. Pastor Don will give us all the details about our upcoming family camp at Camp Lutherwood this summer. Then after lunch, Parents can leave for a couple hours while your kids play Bingo, become comedians, and run off some of their energy. Parents get the afternoon off! Pick up time will be 3pm. Please RSVP to Pastor Don.

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, and/or you want to volunteer?

My email is jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” –Romans 5:8

Jennifer Gatke

Youth Program Director

Youth Calendar Feb 23

Hello everyone! I pray that the Joy of this Advent Season will fill your hearts and homes with the Love of Christ Jesus completely!

Our theme for Sunday school during Advent will focus on The Jesse Tree. Did you know that Jesus had parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents—just as we do! His family began with Adam and Eve and continues through the bible to us today.

With the Jesse Tree as a guide, we will meet the key people from the Bible who are Jesus’ ancestors and learn how they are a part of God’s plan for our salvation. Learning about our Savior’s family tree helps us to see how God kept His promise to redeem us all and make us His children—a promise kept and sustained over thousands of years. That is something to be excited to learn!

On December 4th after 2nd service, we will begin putting up the decorations, lights, and ornaments in the trees and bushes around campus.

December 11th after 2nd service, we need many hands to help set up the tents for our Live Nativity the following week.

December 11th the middle and high school youth will also be decorating the Christmas tree in the Sanctuary, eating pizza, and having a White Elephant gift exchange. Please bring a traditional White Elephant gift worth $10. RSVP with Jen Gatke by December 8th.  

December 17th is our Live Nativity drive through at our Campus! We need Townspeople, Shepherds, Wise men, Inn Keepers, set up and clean up help, and so much more! We will be collecting canned food for our food pantry and new toys for a few of the families through our Possible with God clothing closet.

Finally, our last event of the year will be New Year’s Eve. Service begins at 7pm in the Sanctuary followed by a special Family Game night in the lower level of the church. All ages welcome! Come join us for service, games, snacks, laughter, and fellowship! We will have an apple cider toast too!

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, and questions or want to volunteer? Please reach out to me; I would love to hear from you.

Email is jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

“Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others- the armies of heaven- praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:13-14

Jennifer Gatke

Youth Program Director

CYF CalendarDecember 2022

Hello everyone! Happy November!

Thank you all for your help with Trunk or Treat this year. We had a great time!

This month is going to fly by as we make pies, prepare for the Drive Thru Nativity, enjoy Thanksgiving, and decorate the church for Advent at the end of the month.

In Sunday school we will be talking about how the Apostles spread the news of Jesus’ death and resurrection. At the end of November, we will begin our series on Advent and look at how we can prepare our hearts for the Birth of Christ.

On November 6th after 2nd Service, we will have a meeting to discuss our Drive Thru Nativity. All those interested in helping make this year fantastic are invited to join us! We will be discussing logistics, decorations, advertising, and more. We will be meeting in the Lower Level of the Church.   

We are thrilled to bring back our Thanksgiving pie fundraiser! We are offering a traditional apple pie and a Dutch apple pie. Each pie is $12 and can be pre-ordered through Nov 9th. If you would like to place a pre-order please call the church office to do so. Pies will be ready for pick up Sunday November 20th.

We will be making pies on Sunday November 13th after 2nd service with pizza for lunch. We are asking all youth to help out. We have jobs for those who can put stickers on lids, mix ingredients, and even weld an apple peeler!

Saturday November 26th at 10 am, we will be decorating the inside of our church for Advent. For those planning ahead, we will be decorating our campus after 2nd service on December 4th and 11th.  If you would like to help deck the halls, festoon the boughs with holly, or help make everything glow, please let me know. 

“This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” –Hebrews 6:19

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, or questions?  Please reach out to me by Email at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org .

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Youth Program Director

CYF November Event calendar 2022

 

Hello everyone! As October begins, I hope you all are filled with sugar, and spice, and the love of Christ!

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” –Zephaniah 3:17

Questions? Want to volunteer? Email me at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Lutheran Church and Preschool

Youth Program Director

 

14-16 Oct 2022

 

LCMS retreat at Camp Lutherwood

On the weekend of Oct 14-16, the annual middle and high school LCMS retreat at Camp Lutherwood will be happening. Join Talia Johnston and Aaron Richard for this incredible weekend. This year’s theme is Water, Death, and New Life. Campers will dig into their baptismal identities, spend time with peers from Oregon and Washington, and make lasting memories! You can register at www.lutherwoodoregon.org  If you have any questions, call or email me. I’m here to help!

16 Oct 2022

Red Berry Barn

October 16th after 2nd service, we are meeting at the Red Berry Barn in Sherwood to enjoy their Corn Maze and numerous fall activities! This is for all ages. Send me an email if you would like to meet us there. Prices are based on age- 0-2 years are free, 3-12 years are $18, and 13-100 years are $10. Your admission is good all day too.

 

16 Oct 2022

Pies Pies Pies

We will be making pies in November for the holiday season. You can pre-order your pies beginning Oct 16th. There will be order forms in the bulletin, at the back of the church, or you can call the office to place your order. We will have traditional apple pie and streusel topped Dutch apple pie. All pies are $12 and proceeds help fund the various activities and retreats for our youth throughout the year.

30 Oct 2022

On October 30 from 3-5pm, we will be having our annual Trunk or Treat event for our congregation, community, and our Preschool families.  If you are new to Trunk or Treating, it is a modern tradition in which kids go “trick or treating” car to car in our parking lot. We invite any church member who would like to join in on the fun to sign up! Decorate the back of your car to offer a fun place for the children to stop and receive a treat from you. Bring your own pre-packaged candy or treats, and dress up if you like to as well. There are prizes for the top three best-decorated trunks!  Vehicles can start setting up at 2 pm and the trunk or treating begins at 3 pm. If you would like to decorate your vehicle and hand out treats, please register at https://mailchi.mp/stpaulsherwood/trunk-or-treat

If you want to trunk or treat, there is no need to register. Come on by between 3-5pm on Sunday October 30th!

Here are some photos for decorating inspiration!

 

“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” –Zephaniah 3:17

Questions? Want to volunteer? Email me at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Lutheran Church and Preschool

Youth Program Director

CYF calendar October 2022

Children, Youth & Family Fall News!

Happy September! Our Children, Youth, and Families had a wonderfully jam packed summer. There were family camps and Confirmation camp at Lutherwood, National Youth Gathering in Houston Texas, Art Camp in the Connect Center, and Vacation Bible School in The Grove. We also had several campfire & s’mores nights, family movie nights, and weekly Sunday school. It truly felt like a St. Paul summer again!

At VBS this year, our theme was Created for God’s Purpose! We discovered how God made each of us to not only help each other but to also help build up God’s Kingdom on Earth. We shared the Love of Christ with 95 kids and 45 volunteers! 

On September 4th during 2nd service, Pastor Rich will be blessing the backpacks of all our students and teachers. Feel free to bring as many backpacks as you would like. Thank You Pastor Rich for blessing our backpacks and wrapping us up in blessings this school year.

On Wednesday September 7th at 6:30pm in the Library, CYF will be having a planning meeting for the next several months. If you want to help CYF with Trunk or Treat, Thanksgiving Pie making, Advent decorating, Drive- thru Nativity- and so much more; please come to this meeting!! The Zoom Link for this meeting will be emailed out on Sept 3. If you would like to attend in-person or via Zoom, please let me know! 

Oktoberfest is September 25th from 4-7 pm. CYF will be selling Root beer Floats in commemorative St. Paul Lutheran Church mugs that are yours to keep, while supplies last! The Youth will be helping run the carnival games and hand out prizes as well. If you would like to help out, please let us know!

In Sunday school, we will be finishing our look into the many ways God blesses us with gifts of His Grace. Starting September 11th, Sunday school will be held in the Education building. The High school group will meet in Pastor Don’s office, Elementary will meet in the Library, and the Preschool will meet in the downstairs classrooms. 

We are so excited to have all our Sunday school classes in the Education Building! Sunday school will still be between 1st and 2nd service every Sunday. 

Thank you all for your prayers and support as we love everyone as Christ has loved us! 

“But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” –Romans 5:8

God Bless you all!

Jennifer Gatke

Youth Program Director

jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

503.550.9457 cell

CYF September

 

Happy summer middle and high school youth, kids and families! July is brimming with CYF events and trips, while August has VBS, Gospel at the Beach, and S’mores Galore!

VBS registration is in full swing!

We need all the volunteers we can get. If you and/or someone you know wants to help out with VBS, sign up today! This year we are diving into ‘Sparks Studio’ where we will explore how we are Created! Designed! And Empowered! By God! Join us to sing, dance, explore, and create as we learn all about God’s unfailing love for all of us! VBS is August 1st thru 5th from 9 am till Noon. Registration is open for participants ages 4 to 12 years old, Volunteers ages 13+.  Sign up at www.myvbs.org/stpaulsherwood .

On July 8th, Pastor Don, Jill, and I will chaperone JP Garstka and David Sanchez to our National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas! We have been preparing, praying, and supporting each other as we see Christ ‘In All Things’ throughout the past year. There is nothing like worshipping God with 25,000 teenagers from all over the country. Thank you all for your prayers and support! This is truly a life blessing event. We are truly blessed to be a part of it all.

Sunday school is happening this summer in the Connect Center at our usual time- 9:40 to 10:30 am. During the summer both the preschool and elementary age classes are merged into one super group. Our special summer curriculum focuses on God’s Gifts of Grace for each and every one of us. We will explore God’s Gifts of Grace by making puppets, crafts, using our imagination to visit exciting places all over the world, and playing goofy games. We would love to have your kids join in on all the fun!  Want to volunteer to lead a Sunday school lesson?!? Just let me know! I promise it will be a highlight of your summer. This summer is a great time to try your hand at teaching Sunday school.    

There are 2 family camps this July at Camp Lutherwood. The first camp is July 8th -10th, the second is July 21st -24th. We have several families attending these camps and our very own Gina Byers is working as the camp nurse at Lutherwood as well.

VBS! VBS begins August 1st!

We will begin setting up and decorating after Missionfest on July 31st. We can use everyone’s help transforming our campus into God’s creation studio. There are posters to hang, pew signs to mount, giant craft supplies to situate, and so much more. All volunteers are expected to lend a hand with set up. After set up, we will pass out camp shirts and have a brief meeting.  On Monday August 1st, we ask that volunteers arrive at 8am and report to the Senior Saints building. The rest of the week volunteers can arrive by 8:30. We will have our traditional S’mores Campfire on Wednesday August 3rd at 6:30pm and our end of VBS hot dog lunch on Friday August 5th.

 

Attention Middle and High school youth!

 

Youth Campfire July 6th 2022

The amazing Talia Johnston will be hosting special Campfire nights throughout July and August just for you! Starting with Wednesday July 6th at 7pm and again on July 30th after our Veggie Tales movie night, around 7pm. August campfires will be the 3rd at 6:30pm and August 24 at 7pm. RSVP to taliaj1@frontier.com or 

Gospel at the beach

jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org 

Gospel at the Beach with Pastor Don is August 18th. We will drive down to the beach, read 433the Gospel, build sand castles, play in the surf, and enjoy dinner at Camp 18 on the way home. Bring a towel, change of clothes, sunscreen, a sack lunch, and $15 to help cover the cost of dinner. We will provide the transportation from church to the beach and back again. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen your friendships with God and each other. RSVP to jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

Family Movie Night will be July 30th and August 30th at 6pm. We will be watching Jonah a Veggie Tales Movie in July and Josh and the Big Wall in August. Bring a blanket or stuffed Veggie doll and enjoy this vegetable masterpiece with us. Popcorn and Juice boxes will be provided. RSVP with me, Jen Gatke!

Craft and Chat will be August 21st from 2-4 pm in the church library. Bring that project you’ve always wanted to finish, or the one you’ve been meaning to start. Enjoy the tea and company of your family as we craft and chat together.

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, and/or you want to volunteer?

My email is:  jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org  

“For I hold you by your right hand- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’”- Isaiah 41:13

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Youth Program Director

This month is packed full of fabulous CYF events! As always, these events are for the young and young at heart. I hope to see many of your smiling faces throughout June!

VBS registration opens on June 1st! This year we are building ‘Sparks Studio’ where we will learn that we are Created! Designed! And Empowered! By God! Join us as we sing, dance, explore, and create as we learn all about God’s unfailing love for us all! VBS is August 1st thru 5th from 9 am till Noon. Registration is open for participants ages 4 to 12 years old, Volunteers ages 13+.  Sign up at www.myvbs.org/stpaulsherwood . Questions? Email me at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

On Sunday June 5th there will be a special celebration for our Confirmands during our usual Christian Education hour

 between worship services. We will have cake, punch, and rejoicing! The following Sunday, June 12th, is Senior Salute! Join us for cake, punch, and celebrating! 

Sunday school will resume on June 19th in the Connect Center at our usual time- 9:40 to 10:30 am. During the summer both the preschool and elementary age classes are merged into one super group. Our special summer curriculum focuses on God’s Gifts of Grace for each and every one of us. We will explore God’s Gifts of Grace by making puppets, crafts, using our imagination to visit exciting places all over the world, and playing goofy games. We would love to have your kids join in on all the fun!  Want to volunteer to lead a Sunday school lesson?!? Just let me know! I promise it will be a highlight of your summer. This summer is a great time to try your hand at teaching Sunday school.    

We will be having a National Youth Gathering meeting on June 18th from 2 to 4 pm, in the lower level of the Church. We will be making clothes pins, designing our t-shirts, picking out snacks, and a lot more. Please RSVP to jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org before June 12th. It’s important that we are all able to attend this meeting. If this date doesn’t work for you, please let me know ASAP. 

Family Movie Night is June 25th at 6pm. We will be watching the classic Veggie Tales, ‘God wants me to forgive them!?!’ Bring a blanket or stuffed Veggie doll and enjoy this vegetable masterpiece with us. Popcorn and Juice boxes will be provided. RSVP at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

 

Mini Camp is June 28-30th from 10-1 pm. Our theme this year is Animals! We will be making clay animal pinch pots, inventing our own thumbprint animals, playing fun water games, and going on a scavenger hunt around campus. If you would like to join us, RSVP at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org

 

Finally, a HUGE THANK YOU to the families that helped us clean the grave stones in our cemetery! It was a gigantic undertaking. I truly appreciate you all! Several families suggested that we have a monthly clean up afternoon during the summer. If you would be interested in helping, please don’t be shy. Email me at jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org  

Do you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, and/or you want to volunteer?

My email is:  jennifergatke@stpaulsherwood.org  

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Jennifer Gatke

St. Paul Youth Program Director