Middle School

Welcome to the Middle School Ministry Page.

The Middle School Ministry at St. Luke's UMC partners with families in the spiritual formation of middle school students. Our goal is to be a safe environment for students to grow in relationship with God and others. 

Connect

Sundays

At 9:30AM we offer programming for Middle School students in Luke's Lodge. Each Sunday students experience worship, games, large group teaching and small groups with dedicated leaders. We split into three groups after our worship time together to go more in-depth at an age-appropriate level, in line with our STEPS curriculum:

  • 5th & 6th grade meets in our chapel and rotates years between Old and New Testament
  • 7th grade meets in the Cafe for Confirmation
  • 8th grade meets in our Prayer Chapel to discuss Spiritual Gifts

At 11AM we offer a music program in Luke's Lodge. Students may choose between:

  • Jubilation Choir: Students practice pieces with other middle schoolers under the direction of Amy Thornburg. Jubilation will perform a few times throughout the school year as well. Click here to sign up!
  • Middle School Worship Team: This program helps our students use their gifts both vocally and instrumentally in order to lead worship each week for our students.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a major milestone in the faith journey of a student and is about helping students make two commitments: a commitment to following Christ with their whole heart, and the commitment to uphold St. Luke's as a member of the church. All 7th graders go through Confirmation during our Sunday morning programming as a way to deepen the connections they made with their small groups during 5th and 6th grades. Confirmation runs from August through May. We also offer an option for older students.

Events

  • August 12 | Middle School Parent Meetings & Open House
  • September 13-15 | FUSE WKND
  • September 26 - October 31 | Pumpkin Sales
  • December 20-21 | Middle School Overnighter

More Info


Calling all 5th through 8th Graders!

Middle School Invite Night is a once-a-month event on a Friday night on St. Luke's campus for 5th through 8th graders.

We'll have a high-energy evening of fun, complete with worship and teaching. Each event begins and ends at Luke's Lodge and goes from 6:30 to 9:30PM. What's awesome about these events: They are no-cost, require no sign-up, on campus, and are an AMAZING opportunity to invite friends and our community.


Invite Nights for the 2019-20 year are August 16, September 27, October 25, November 22, January 24, February 21 and March 27.  

For more information, contact Heather Kenison. 

  • 5th - 8th Grade Fall Retreat | September 13-14, 2019
  • 5th - 8th Grade Overnighter | December 20-21, 2019
  • 5th & 6th Grade Retreat | March 6-7, 2020
  • 8th Grade Retreat | May 1-2, 2020

Upcoming Events
Middle School Invite Night
  • Oct 25, 2019
  • 06:30 PM
Details
Middle School Invite Night
  • Nov 22, 2019
  • 06:30 PM
Details
Middle School Overnighter
  • Dec 20, 2019
  • 07:30 PM
Details

Additional Information and Resources

Our STEPS curriculum and programming are designed to move our students through age-appropriate lessons. Here’s a quick outline.

  • 5th-6th Grade – Foundations: Rediscovering God's Story – Learning How God’s Story Intersects My Story
  • 7th Grade – Confirmation – Owning My Faith through Confirmation
  • 8th Grade – Spiritual Gifts – Owning My Gifts through Affirmation
  • 9th-10th Grade – Spiritual Practices: Horizontal & Vertical – Learning Spiritual Disciplines for Living Out My Faith
  • 11th-12th Grade – Spiritual Roots: Connected to the Church – Sharing My Faith Through Servant Leadership in the Church
  • Emerging Adults – Pathways: Finding my Call

We offer plenty of opportunities to pay for retreats, mission trips, and activities by offering fundraisers that put money into Scholarship Accounts.

  • Pumpkin Sale, September 26 - October 31 – Each year in October, our Youth Ministry raises money for students by selling pumpkins. Youth and families who work a shift earn scholarship credit. 
  • Stock Sales, Month of January - Members of the church can purchase "shares" of our youth mission trips, receiving personalized thank you notes from our youth and an invitation to meet them and hear about their trip at a Shareholder's Dinner in August.
  • Silent Auction, March 15 - Our annual Silent Auction and Hire-A-Teen is our largest fundraiser of the year, accounting for half of our overall sales. There are a variety of goods and experiences for sale! 

Want to lead a small group? Think Invite Nights sound fun? Want to chaperone a trip? Youth volunteers must complete a Volunteer Form and email the completed form to Kellie Beadle, Student Ministries Administrative Assistant.

For more information, contact Heather Kenison, Director of Student Ministries or by phone 317-846-3404 .

Ministry Team
Heather Kenison
Heather Kenison
Director of Student Ministries
Meet Heather
Kellie Beadle
Kellie Beadle
Youth Ministry Administrative Assistant
Meet Kellie
Amy Thornburg
Amy Thornburg
Jubilation Choir Director
Meet Amy