Gloria Dei Lutheran Church | Urbandale, Iowa

Youth: Junior & Senior High Youth

Our Mission

Our youth ministry is on a mission, so we will follow the GYM (Grow, Yield, Minister) acronym:

Grow in our relationship with God and others,
Yield to Jesus as Lord and Savior and
Minister to others through outreach and service.

Grades 6-12 are encouraged to join us for events that are geared toward connecting teenagers to the love of God. On Wednesdays, join us as we praise God together through music, Confirmation and The Point. On Sunday mornings, we come together for high school small groups and Castaway. If you have any questions, please contact Tim Kightlinger at 278-5544, ext. 212.

Upcoming Activities: Junior High (Grades 6-8)

Junior High Castaway - Starts Sept. 12
Sundays from 9-10 a.m.
Come expecting fun times as we unveil an improved Castaway hour from 9-10 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

Junior High Wednesday Evenings
Wednesdays from 6-7:15 p.m. - Starts Sept. 15

Students in grades 6-8 meet in small groups discussing various topics that are relevant to their lives. Wednesday evenings will provide an opportunity for you to connect with a small group.

Orientation meetings:
Parents and students are invited to attend one of these meetings:
Sixth Grade - Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 6 p.m.
Seventh Grade - Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m.
Eighth Grade - Wednesday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.
or All Grades - Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. (This is a makeup session only; please plan to attend your appropriate grade.)

Junior High Café 923
Sundays, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10 from 5-8 p.m.
This is a unique evening for junior high youth to hang out with each other, play games and have fun. Bring yourself, money for snacks and lots of friends.

Junior High Youth Gathering
Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31
We will travel to the Sheraton hotel in west Des Moines for a weekend of music, teachings, activities and fun. Cost is $115. This year’s theme is “Out Loud,” based on Romans 1:16. Registration forms will be sent out or can be picked up by the youth bulletin board. Sign up by Sept. 19.

Junior High Christmas Drama Sign-up
The youth ministry will partner with the children’s ministry for our annual Christmas pageant. Sign up to help with the acting, props, staging and music on the youth bulletin board. Those students who are

Current Grades 5-7
Please sign up to be an acolyte this summer. Sign-up sheet is on the youth bulletin board. You may also contact Lisa at 276-1700, ext. 221 or lisa@gloriadeionline.com. This will serve as service hours for next year’s Confirmation.

Upcoming Activities: Senior High (Grades 9-12)

Sunday mornings - Senior High Bible Study - Starts Sept. 12
Join us as we discuss relevant issues for high school youth on Sundays from 9-10 a.m.

Wednesday evenings - The Point
The Point will meet Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in the Youth Center.

Senior High Leadership Training
Students in grades 8-11 can apply to be on the Leadership Team. If interested, contact Tim for an application packet. Applicants must possess the following attributes:
1. A love for God and desire to grow closer to him.
2. A commitment to Gloria Dei Youth Ministry‘s vision and purpose.
3. A desire to lead others closer to God and others.
4. A willingness to learn and grow your leadership skills.

Senior High Youth Gathering
Friday-Sunday, Nov. 19-21
We will travel to the Embassy Suites in downtown Des Moines for a weekend of music, teachings and activities. This weekend’s theme is “The Text,” based on Psalm 119:103. Cost: $170. Sign up by Oct. 3.

Senior High Christmas Drama Sign-up
The youth ministry will partner with the children’s ministry for our annual Christmas pageant. Sign up to help with the acting, props, staging and music on the youth bulletin board.

Mission Trip Sign-up
Informational Meeting, Sunday, Sept. 12 from 8:30-9 a.m. or 10-10:30 a.m.
Mission Trip sign-up has begun for next summer. We will join hands with hundreds of teens to help those in need by painting, repairing and building projects. An informational sheet is available outside the Youth Center.

Trip Date: Sunday, July 10 to Saturday, July, 16, 2011:
Ripley, Tennessee; Cost $650

Photo Gallery

Click here for the recent photos of what those youth are doing (or not doing!)

Click here for the photos from the The National Youth Gathering

Seventh & Eighth Grade
Confirmation Course Choices
Mark your #1 and #2 choices for each session. We will do our best to honor your first choices.

Name ___________________________________ Grade _____________

Session 1

_____ Tongue Untwisters: The Power of Words
_____ In the Beginning, What?
_____ A, B, C, or D? Living in a multiple-choice world
_____ Teens and Parents
_____ Sex and Dating
_____ Technology and Christ
_____ Is There Anybody Out There? Relationship Deficiency Syndrome (8th grade only)

Session 2

Session 3

Session 4

Course and Retreat Descriptions

* Sacraments – During this retreat we will take a look at what a sacrament is and what God delivers to us in those sacraments. We will study what Baptism and Holy Communion are and why they are important in our lives.

* The Apostles’ Creed – During this retreat we will study our belief statement that is found in the Apostles’ Creed. We will see how this creed applies to the lives of jr. highers.

* Untwisters – Topics include: The problem with taking what you want; The dark side of humor; Four-letter follies; “If you can’t say something nice…”; “did you hear…?”; liar, liar

* In the beginning, What? – You will be taught that we exist through an evolutionary process and not by a loving God who desires to have a relationship with you. In this class you’ll discuss and take a close look at creation and the truth behind it.

* A,B, C, or D? – There are many choices that we can make daily. How do you make the right choices in different situations?

* Teens and parents – We all have them… Parents! How do you deal with them? We’ll discuss how to communicate with them, how to handle and deal with frustrations, how to handle disappointments, etc…

* Sex and Dating – If you haven’t started you will one day…dating is a natural process that happens in relationships. During this video based discussion class you’ll look at how to put boundaries around your dating relationships and what’s God’s desire in those relationships.

* Technology and Christ – You will study the effects of the negative and positive influence technology has on you and how you effect others. What does the scriptures say about how to use technology and how can we do what is right?

* Is there anyone out there? – This class is mandatory for each 8th grader to take. We will discuss what does it mean that God is with us, walks with us, lives in us.

Online Tuition Payment Options Now Available

In a response to inquiries about paying online, Gloria Dei now has the capabilities of using a secure online payment process for online giving donations, missions, building fees; and fees associated with our preschool, Kindermusik, summer camps, dance classes, and other seasonal events. In addition, confirmation, youth gatherings, and mission trips fees can now be paid online by using debit cards, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and online pay-by-check.

The process is easy and secure.
All you need to do is to Click here to access the online giving or online payment options. This takes you to Vanco’s secure Web site, the same provider of our Simply Giving electronic funds transfer program.

Registration and Online Payment Options
Please note: Our online payments and online registrations will need to be filled out separately. For example, if you plan to attend a summer camp, then you will need to register online and then proceed to the online payment Web site.

For more specific questions, please contact Shari Smith at 278-5544, ext. 202.