Youth Education
Youth and families are a vital part of our identity as West Linn Lutheran Church. We want our church to be a space that is welcoming and accommodating to young families and to be a place that allows kids to grow up feeling loved and accepted while learning about what it means to be a part of our church community. We do this by seeing youth as having equal importance to our worship services as anyone else. During our service, we provide activity bags for those young children, a special “children’s message” where the kids are welcomed to join the pastor for a short message just for them, and a space in the back of our sanctuary for those extra active kids called our “PrayGround”. We welcome the sounds of kids during the service and see them as joyous sounds of praise.
Pre-k through Elementary
Mini Revolutions is an inter-generational curriculum based on the Revised Common Lectionary. The stories the children hear in church on Sunday morning will be the focus of their lesson after church. Our leaders will supplement the curriculum with Godly Play lessons when possible. The younger and older children will be divided into two groups for the lesson and activity time.
All adults are welcome into the classroom to observe, participate, and help. This group meets at WLLC at 10:30 on Sunday mornings, following worship.
Middle and High School
West Linn Lutheran Church is partnering with Prince of Life and Zion Lutheran Churches in Oregon City to work with children who wish for an advanced curriculum that will prepare them for Confirmation. We will be using small groups, inter-generational and parent involvement along with pastoral care to help youth form community with each other and draw out of themselves the meaning their faith has for them at this point in time. The old traditional youth group is integrated into our time together and the leader’s role is to guide, serve as a role model, and coach students into discovering their faith for themselves.
The partnership between the three churches means the children will have five teachers, with one teacher leading the day and the others supporting the discussions. Our teachers will be Carole White, Darleen Deasee, Pr. Robert Neubert of Prince of Life Lutheran, and Pr. John Stevens of Zion Lutheran Church. Pastor Christine will join the group as she is able. As part of this curriculum, we are also planning a visit to a mosque or a temple, a couple of parties, and a service project or two.
The location of this time together will rotate between the three churches and will begin at 11:30 am. The WLLC leaders will work with parents to provide transportation.
