CYF Blast (Page 2)

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Last week, I was invited to speak with the retired principals of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA) on the subject of teen mental health. Having served for decades in public school systems, this group of principals shared my concern and care for students and their wellbeing.  There are many biological (genetic), psychological (chemical imbalances in the brain), and environmental (experiences of trauma) factors that can cause mental health issues. In fact, 1/5…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Why does the Church matter? What makes it relevant and important for us—2000 years after the time of Jesus? Our middle school students were invited to wonder about these questions last week as we discussed the Early Church and the New Testament. And while younger generations continue to be questioned—overly and unfairly—about their engagement in the church, they continue to show that God’s Spirit is alive and active within them.  According to our students,…

Families and Friends of Peace, Somehow, the calendar has already turned to October—which means that Trunk or Treat is just around the corner! On Sunday, October 27, from 3:30-4:30pm, we are so excited to welcome kids and families from all across our neighborhood and community for this event. With your help, we hope to greet everyone with joyous hospitality, which I’m sure will include plenty of candy, smiles, and laughs. For those new to Trunk or Treat, it is much like Trick or…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Parents, especially parents of teenagers, I’m undoubtedly sure you know that it can sometimes be very difficult to get your kids to open up, be talkative, or say nice things about you… There’s always that phase… But last night I asked our Confirmation students to write down important friends, important people they look up to, and important events from their life—and I think you’ll find their answers to be very encouraging.  When asked to share what…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This weekend during worship, we will be blessing and distributing Bibles to our third grade students at Peace.  Sharing the Word of God is one of the wonderful things we get to celebrate and do together as a congregation, and we do that tangibly twice for every child. When a baby is baptized here at Peace, they are gifted a Spark Story Bible, which is wonderful for reading throughout their childhood and in the early…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Thank you to everyone who made Gathering Sunday and our Fall Kickoff Festival so fun! It was heartwarming and energizing to see all the smiling faces, to hear all the laughs and good conversations, and to feel all of the positive and Spirit-filled energy as we begin the new ministry year together. As we move forward into the fall, there will be many more opportunities to grow in faith and in community—for all ages–and…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Gathering Sunday is this weekend, and I am so excited to begin the new year of ministry together. We will kick it off with worship at 9:30am and a Fall Kickoff Festival in the Upper Lot right after. There will be walking tacos, ice cream treats, and plenty of games and activities for all ages to enjoy. Everyone is invited! Additionally, as we move into the fall season together, I want to extend two invitations to you. …

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, For Bloomington Public Schools, classes begin next week. As I’ve done in previous years, I’d like to share this prayer, “A Prayer for the First Day of School,” written by Kayla Craig (from To Light Their Way), as a blessing of encouragement for all our students, parents, teachers, caregivers, administrators, and other education workers as they prepare to start this exciting new season.  “O God of new beginnings, as this child begins this new…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, There are a lot of exciting things happening at Peace in the coming weeks, and we want you to be a part of them! Here’s a brief taste of what’s to come: And to make these wonderful ministries possible, we need your help! Each one needs dedicated leaders who care about our young people and their faith formation: When you serve in our Children, Youth, and Family ministries, you are making a big difference in…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, There are still a few weeks of summer left, but on Saturday my final big commitment of the season was completed when I went up to Camp Wapo for the final time. And it was a great summer! Together we enjoyed Family Camp at Wilderness Canoe Base, Vacation Bible School with Community of the Cross, the ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, Camp Wapo Youth Camp, and Camp Wapo Seeds. Thank you to…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit Camp Wapo, where 12 Peace students and 9 additional friends of Peace (21 total!) have been enjoying their week of Youth Camp.  As always, it was great to be at camp. It’s a place where students feel more open to being their true selves, where there’s a shared unified energy that’s centered around Jesus, and where discipleship and faith formation plant deep roots. I’m excited to return…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Pastor Joe is on vacation this week after a whirlwind week in New Orleans last week! Given all the airline troubles, we are grateful that our group returned home as planned. It’s an exciting weekend ahead! Sunday afternoon, 11 Peace youth (4th-8th Graders) will head to Camp Wapogasset’s Youth Camp in Amery, WI for the week. The Peace youth are: Ellie Anderson, Ben Budz, Trevor Budz, Emery Byers, Kiya Losinski, Myla Macejkovic, Elsie Macejkovic, Asher Rogers, Ayla Rogers, Grace Stender,…