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 2^nd 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 8^th 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 8^th 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 9^th 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 16^th 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 1^st. Thanks to the generosity of The Purple Hen, this fundraiser will continue throughout the summer as well. Order forms available to print here.

April 23^rd 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 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 19^th 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 8^th for the Easter egg hunt on April 8^th. 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! 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 4^th after 2^nd service, we will begin putting up the decorations, lights, and ornaments in the trees and bushes around campus.

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

December 11^th 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 8^th.  

December 17^th 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 6^th after 2^nd 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 9^th. 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 20^th.

We will be making pies on Sunday November 13^th after 2^nd 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 26^th 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 2^nd service on December 4^th and 11^th.  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

“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

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 1^st! 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 1^st thru 5^th 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 5^th 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 12^th, is Senior Salute! Join us for cake, punch, and celebrating! 

Sunday school will resume on June 19^th 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 18^th 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 12^th. 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 25^th 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 28-30^th 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