Children, Youth and Family

Children, Youth and Family

Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’
– Matthew 19:14

At Our Saviour’s, we value being an intergenerational community that shares in faith-forming experiences together. Each member, no matter their age, is part of the body of Christ and has gifts to share with the community. We welcome children, youth and families with open arms.

Children, Youth and Family - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church
Worship - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

Worship

Intergenerational, communal worship is at the heart of our life together. We strive to engage children, youth and families in full participation in worship – including in serving communion, reading lessons, offering music, ushering, contributing art to communal art projects, and more. We understand that kids need to move their bodies, and we welcome kids to dance to the music and move as needed. We welcome children to receive holy communion whenever they and parents are ready, and we incorporate learning about holy communion into Sunday school. We also always invite children to come close to our font whenever a child or adult is being baptized so they can see and be part of it. 

We also understand that caregivers, little ones, and folks with particular sensory needs sometimes need to step outside of the sanctuary to care for themselves in different ways. We affirm that and are always learning about how to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment. Please do move freely in and out of the sanctuary as you need.

Prayground - Our Saviour's Lutheran Church

Prayground

We added a prayground to our sanctuary in 2022. The prayground has kid-sized tables and chairs, a rocking chair, soft toys, books, paper and crayons, all on a soft colorful carpet. The prayground is right up front next to all of the ‘action’ of worship – up close to where readings are read, sermons are preached and communion is blessed and served. To many, this seems counter-intuitive – won’t the kids be a distraction? We find that when children are up close, they pay more attention, and worship washes over them. Being up close also conveys the message of Jesus, who welcomed little ones into his lap. It is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

Children’s sermon and Children’s church

We regularly incorporate children’s sermons in worship. After the children’s sermon, young children are welcome to either return to their seats in the sanctuary, or go out with a nursery leader for ‘children’s church’ time in our nursery.

They remain in children’s church for the ‘adult’ sermon and the prayers of the people, and they are welcomed back into worship to share in the passing of the peace.

Faith Formation for Children and Youth

Nursery

At 9am on Sundays, the nursery is open for kids 0-3 years old. Caregivers can drop them off and enjoy the adult forum, or they can stick around in the nursery to play. The nursery adult leader engages the kids through music, faith stories, and play. 

Sunday school and Godly Play

Sunday school is offered for children and youth (ages 3 – high school graduates) from September through May. We meet by age grouping on Sunday mornings at 9am. 

Our preschoolers and elementary school kids often experience Godly Play as part of Sunday school. Godly Play invites children to bring their full imaginations to the stories of our faith. Using simple materials, stories from Scripture are told by heart by an adult storyteller as children listen, sitting in a circle on the floor.

After the story, children are invited to wonder out loud about the story. There are no ‘correct answers;’ instead, an invitation to see ourselves in the story and wonder together. Children then select work to do as a response to the story. Work includes working with art materials or story materials however the Spirit moves them. 

Sunday school is planned by Sunday school leaders and is shaped according to the interests and passions of the children and teachers. Sunday school includes engaging Scripture stories, doing service projects, learning about current events, working in the community garden, and more.  

Confirmation

Our middle and high schoolers participate in confirmation, a time when they explore their faith, consider the meaning of their baptisms, and wonder about how God is calling them to serve the church and the world. We are in a partnership with San Pablos/St. Paul’s Lutheran and Calvary Lutheran in our neighborhood for confirmation. We meet once a month on Sunday afternoons. We also share in a confirmation retreat. 

Our Whole Lives - Holistic Sexuality Curriculum

In 2022, we started an Our Whole Lives (OWL) program with other partner churches for 7th-9th graders. OWL participants currently meet every Sunday night of the school year. Students are led by OWL-trained facilitators who create a trustworthy space to explore questions and content related to sexuality, healthy relationships, consent, and more.

Summer Opportunities for Children, Youth and Families

South Minneapolis Day Camp

For over 10 years, Our Saviour’s has been partnering with other South Minneapolis congregations to co-create an ecumenical, fun, relational, Christ-centered summer day camp for our kids. Day camp is for kids entering kindergarten through middle school, with high schoolers invited to serve as leaders. Recent past themes have included: “Building Beloved Community,” “Soil and Spirit,” “Water is Life.” In 2023, day camp will be June 20-23. 

Youth Trips

Just about every summer, OSLC youth go on a trip together. Past trips include:

  • Flathead Lutheran Bible Camp in Montana
  • Wilderness Canoe Base canoe trip 
  • ELCA National Youth Gathering 
  • Civil Rights Movement Trip down South

Intergenerational Trips

Sometimes we offer intergenerational trips instead of, or in addition to, a youth trip in the summer. Past trips include:

  • Holden Village in the Cascade Mountains of Washington state
  • Wilderness Canoe Base family camp