TEEN FRIENDSHIPS & FAITH EXPLORATION

Grades 6-8

Confirmation meets Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00pm. Our Confirmation program is centered around the belief that, as people of faith, we always belong and are always in the process of becoming the people God created us to be. It is a journey and we are not alone; we have been given companions and this community of faith to help us grow, know God, and serve others. Adolescence is a time of discovery, of asking new questions, of branching out and trying new things, all the while trying to figure out who we are. As youth go through our confirmation program, we want to help them ask significant questions of faith and life, but we also want them to rest in the assurance that they always belong to God, and they belong here in this community of faith.

Shepherd’s confirmation program lasts for three years, and rotates each year studying parts of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Small Catechism. It is each family’s choice whether their child participates in the confirmation program. At the end of the program, students are invited to affirm their baptism. What this means is students make a commitment to following God and to continuing to learn and grow as God’s children. Confirmation is NOT a requirement for membership at Shepherd of the Hills.

Grades 9-12

Youth Group meets on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:00pm. We facilitate space for high school students to come together, bring friends, check-in, play, laugh, sometimes bake, and keep exploring how faith connects and responds to current events and daily life.

We continue in becoming a community that lives out Shepherd’s welcome statement especially these phrases:

“…We echo Jesus’ welcome to all persons, everyone: to the devout, the seeker and the skeptic; … to persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities; to people of all lands, cultures, and colors; to people with disabilities, those ill and well; to poor, middling, and wealthy; to all who seek hope, peace, comfort, strength, love, forgiveness, and grace…”

High school students play an active role in not only designing the space we meet in, but what kinds of things we do and explore together so new for 2025 is a rhythm of baking together.

All Teens

Middle school and high school students come together to play and serve together during the year. Watch the “This Week…” email for dates and details for all social and/or service events.

Coffee Hour Buddies meets second and fourth Sundays of the month September to May. Trained adults are matched with children & teens. Guided questions are provided to help buddies connect for as many minutes as their age (i.e. 3 minutes for 3 year olds, 15 minutes for fifteen year olds) during coffee hour after worship at 10:30 am. We invite children and teens to help serve and lead.

Dinner Church, 6:00-7:00 pm every third Wednesday upstairs, helps us develop relationships across generations. All ages are welcome, so invite grandparents, neighbors and friends for delicious food, connection with others, intergenerational conversations, worship with song, simple Scripture lesson, Holy Communion, and spiritual practice or service project. Teens are invited to serve and lead. While we appreciate an RSVP to help us with meal planning, it is not required.

Teens are invited to into Sunday morning worship leadership serving as an acolyte, reading the lesson, ushering, singing in choir, assisting with Sunday School, etc.