Youth News for October 4

OUR HIGH SCHOOL OASIS GROUP RESUMES THIS COMING SUNDAY, OCT. 4 from 6:30-8:00pm at St. Paul's. OASIS is an opportunity to relax and unwind from the stresses of the week, and engage in body-and-brain-calming activities and conversations, as well as enjoy some food and each other's company. All 9th-12th graders are welcome to join us, including friends. No sign up is necessary; just show up.

OUR NEXT GOOD WORKS YOUTH WORK DAY will be Saturday, October 24 from 8:15am-3:45pm. Spend a Saturday helping make repairs to homes for people in need in our area.  All 10th-12th graders (note change in age range) are welcome to join us; if you're thinking about participating in Appalachia Service Project next summer, this is a great way to get some idea of what that ministry is all about!  Sign up here by Wednesday, Oct. 14 to participate: Oct. 24th Good Works Youth Work Day.

RISE AGAINST HUNGER IS COMING ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, and once again we're going to have a special "youth shift" from 1:00-3:00pm at St. Matthew's. Bring your family and friends!  As a special treat, pizza will be provided at noon in St. Matthew's downstairs lounge for youth and their families. Even if you can't make the 1:00 shift, you can still help out at either the 11:00am or 3:00pm times. Sign up here to participate in a really fun event that helps feed the world: Oct. 25th Rise Against Hunger.

THE "WHAT REALLY MATTERS" RETREAT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH takes place Saturday afternoon, November 7-Sunday afternoon, November 8.  All 6th-8th graders are encouraged to participate in this retreat involving Lutheran congregations from across Southeast Pennsylvania Synod, to spend 24 hours making new friends, experiencing fun activities and games, and thinking more about what is most important in life. The cost is $80 per youth participant.  Sign up deadline is Sunday, October 18.  Sign up here to join us: Nov. Middle School Retreat.

ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT ATTENDING THE ELCA YOUTH GATHERING NEXT SUMMER?  All current 8th-12th graders are invited to take part in a once-every-three-year experience that brings together 16,000+ high school youth from Lutheran churches across the United States, to spend five days together around the theme of "Imagine More."  In 2027, the Gathering will be held from June 28 through July 2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Interested?  Registration opens in mid-October and we need to have our group together by mid-November, so let our Youth Director, Craig Miller, know as soon as possible to be included on our roster. Questions?  Contact Craig at craigyouthmin@gmail.com, or 484-320-0785.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW FOR NEXT SUMMER'S APPALACHIA SERVICE PROJECT WORK WEEK!  We will again be sending work crews to Central Appalachia to make homes safer, warmer, and drier for families in need of some help. Our trip will be Saturday, July 17-Saturday, July 24, 2027. Youth who are currently in 7th-12th grades are eligible to participate. The cost per person is $400 with scholarships available for those who need financial assistance; fundraising events throughout the year will also provide opportunities for families to reduce their out-of-pocket costs. To sign up, go to the ASP Online Registration Portal and enter “17700” as the group number to select our trip; if you have not participated in ASP before, you will need to create a new account in the participant’s name.  You will also need to pay a $150 non-refundable deposit by December 1. Questions about ASP?  Contact Craig Miller at craigyouthmin@gmail.com, or 484-320-0785.  This is an experience not to be missed!