Youth & Family Team

Our mission is to provide opportunities for youth and their families for involvement in spiritual development, fellowship, and the sharing of their faith. Our primary objectives are to provide programs that allow our youth to grow in their relationship with God and others, to provide resources for parents and families, and to sponsor events that promote a greater sense of community among the families of Peace.

2007 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE YOUTH & FAMILY TEAM

We continually evaluate our events to verify that they serve our mission team’s purpose and remain relevant. Throughout this past year we have continued several events that occur annually and also created some new
activities for youth and their families to become involved in spiritual development, fellowship, service and evangelism.

2007 Year in Review

Some of the events that we facilitate include:

• Youth Director: Brian left in March after eight months, leaving the position vacant the remainder of the year.
  The Youth & Family Team Volunteers lead the youth activities in this vacancy.
  We have interviewed several candidates, and do not have the position filled at the time of this report.
• Breakfast Club: Faith lessons and discussions on Sunday mornings for high school youth in the youth room.
  During our Youth Director vacancy, Troy and Donna are leading this.
• Souper Bowl: Raising money for world hunger and in our community.
• Pizza Sale: An intergenerational service event, and fundraiser for youth programs.
• Prom: Youth facilitated a prom for adults, as a fundraiser for the summer mission trip. We had a Christian DJ, dancing,
  excellent appetizers, prom pictures. The event was wonderfully attended, and was great fun.
• Lock-In: For high school youth in the spring. This year we had a great group of students from Concordia College come and lead the event. We had about the same number of youth attend. It was a very full event with lots  of time for one-on-one conversations between the college youth ministry team and our youth, as well as fun and games.
• Game and Movie Nights: (several each year) Social events for middle and high school youth.
  These events are very popular for youth inviting their friends to church.
• Synod Youth Gatherings: 2-day Senior Youth Gathering SYG, and 1-day Junior Youth Gathering JYG.
  We round up the youth and chaperones, sponsor half the fee and coordinate travel.
• Family Roller Skating: Event held late winter to help alleviate cabin fever.
• High School Summer Campfire Bible Studies: New this year. Topic was service, the book “Hands and Feet” by Audio Adrenaline
  is about being God’s hands and feet in the world. It was attended by 12-18 youth for the six weeks prior to their mission trip. Youth brought guitars, friends, had s’mores and pudgie pies. Many youth commented they enjoyed this and would like it again next summer.
• Book Club/Bible Study: A group of over a dozen women met at Basic Café for six-weeks over the summer. This summer’s topic was prayer, attended by about 20 women from Peace and FELC. Several women continued to meet to pray even after the six-week study.
• Family Camp: Our 2nd year camping at the Westward Ho Campground in August. Fellowship, volleyball, swimming, potlucks,
  and campfire devotions.
• Trip to Noah’s Ark: A day of fun for youth to spend a summer day with each other. This year we filled a bus and extended
  the time spent at the park.
• LiFest: Nationally recognized 5-day Christian music festival in Oshkosh each year in July. This year we had a campsite that served as base-camp, a place for all youth to meet at throughout the event. Over 25 attended from Peace this year.
• Christian Rock Concert Benefit : The renowned Christian bands “DOWNHERE”, Jason Gray and Lanae Hale performed on our gym stage. Lots of volunteer hours put this successful concert together to benefit Thrivent Builds and local food pantries.
• Women of Faith Conference: This was the first time a group of about 20 women from Peace went together, to the October conference in   St. Paul. An awesome faith-filled event with national speakers, musicians, lots of resources, worship and fellowship. We already have 31 women signed up for the 2008 conference.
• Operation Christmas Box: Youth participate in this outreach event for needy children in the world.

Youth & Family Team Goals for 2008:

• Interview and hire our staff Youth Director. 
• Support and inspire our staff Youth Director in
  programming needs. 
• Continue to create events for middle and high school youth
  that provide spiritual growth and help them build relationships with God and each other.
• To provide new programming to support parents and
  family faith-building.
• To provide new programming for family fellowship opportunities.
• To support fundraising and planning for the summer mission trip.
• Facilitate parent-focused Bible Studies and book clubs.
• Offer short-term volunteer opportunities for those who want to
  help with our youth ministry.
• Create and promote local awareness of the youth and family programs at Peace through events with other churches and
  in the community.
• Foster a sense of belonging and an affirmation of value to all
  in our church family.
• Bring new members to the team to provide fresh ideas and renewed enthusiasm.