Youth and Family Ministry at St. John is centered on engaging youth and families in a Christian community that will support and equip them to explore how God is active in their lives, and how they can live a faith-filled life every day.

Click here to view the tentative Milestone schedule for the 2022-23 program year.

Please contact Erin for more information at ebjerke@stjohnfargo.com.

Milestones Ministry is an intentional ministry that connects families to St. John and each other, as we recognize and learn about God’s presence throughout the different stages of a child’s life, from birth to graduation. This is where we fulfill many of the congregational promises we made to our young Lutherans at their baptism (like teaching The Lord’s Prayer, the creed, and placing the Scripture in their hands). Milestones celebrated at St. John:

  • Baptisms (Any Age, Any Time) Please schedule with the church office.
  • Blessing of the Backpacks (All Ages, first Sunday after Labor Day) Bring your backpack or school bag to worship for a blessing as the school year starts!
  • First Communion (Any Age, spring)If your child is asking about Communion and wants to participate in this meal, they are likely ready! Children are already welcome to commune with permission of their parents, but we invite you to come learn what communion is and paint your own communion chalice. We suggest that children participate in this milestone before 5th grade, but you are welcome at any time.
  • Prayer(2-Year-Olds, spring) We can talk to God anytime, anywhere!
  • Entering Sunday School (3-Year-Olds, fall) Come learn what Cross+Walk Sunday School is all about! 3-year-olds will be presented with their very own story Bibles during worship.
  • Welcoming Young Children to Worship (4-Year-Olds, fall) Everyone, including children, is welcome in church! We’ll take a tour of the sanctuary to learn about what goes on during worship.
  • Kids & Money (Kindergarten, winter) Everything we have is a gift from God, including money! Kindergarteners will learn what stewardship is and decorate their own piggy banks.
  • Lord’s Prayer (1st Grade, winter) Lord, teach us to pray…
  • Bible Milestone (2nd Grade, fall) 2nd graders receive their first chapter Bibles as they learn how to look up passages in the Bible and other Bible basics.
  • Ten Commandments (3rd Grade, winter) What are the Ten Commandments, and what do they mean for us today?
  • Apostles’ Creed (4th Grade, winter) What do we believe?
  • Lord’s Supper Education (5th Grade, fall)What do we believe about Communion? Children are welcome to commune at any time with permission from their parents. 5th graders who take part in this Milestone have likely already gone through the First Communion Milestone, so now it’s time to dig deeper into what we believe about Communion and why we celebrate it.
  • Beginning Confirmation (6th Grade, fall)6th graders receive the Lutheran Study Bible in preparation for starting Confirmation classes.
  • Confirmation (9th Grade, last Sunday in October)Youth who have just completed Confirmation classes publicly affirm their baptism.
  • Graduation (12th Grade, spring) We recognize our youth who are graduating from high school.

We also are looking for adult/youth leaders to assist with our Milestones Ministry. This requires a commitment of 1-2 Sundays per year.

Cross+Walk Sunday School

Sundays from 9:30am-10:30am in the fellowship hall. All ages welcome, with an emphasis on families with children from age 3 to grade 5. To register for the 2022-23 school year, please click here. 

Here’s a sample outline of how a morning of Cross+Walk Sunday School looks:

9:30am: Family fellowship time

9:45am: Large Group time

10:10am: Small Group time for kids age 3 through grade 5

10:30am: dismiss

Confirmation engages and equips our youth and their families in learning about their faith.

Confirmation classes are held for our 6-8 grade youth, with the Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation Worship Service) in the fall of 9th grade on Reformation Sunday (the last Sunday of October).

6th-8th Grade: Old Testament, New Testament, Catechism (Ten Commandments, Apostles’ Creed, Lord’s Prayer)

9th Grade: Peer Ministry (equipping our young adults to do ministry in everyday life)

Service in the community and involvement in the life of our church community are essential elements of Confirmation and our built into our Confirmation program.

To participate in Confirmation Ministries, complete a registration form and contact the church office.

High School Youth Group

Grades 9-12. Please join us on Wednesdays at 7:30pm in the youth room (Sept-May).

There will be food, time to chill, and good life & faith conversation. Friends are always welcome!