LYA Catechetical Study Kit
The Board for Youth Outreach has produced a catechetical study kit, based on the upcoming LYA convention theme, with some apologetic connections, for pastors/youth leaders to do with their youth before LYA.
Parishes may consider hosting a youth day or night(s) with church youth or youth from a few local parishes.
A schedule might look something like this:
One-Day/Evening Schedule: ~ 2.5 hrs
- Activity / Ice Breaker ~20-30 min
- Study: Section I-II ~45 min
- Break for Pizza ~15 min
- Study: Section III-IV ~45 min
- Compline ~10 min
- Clean Up ~5 min
It is our hope that by facilitating studies like this, it will give pastors and leaders an opportunity to encourage more of their youth to come to LYA, and also encourage youth with the Gospel who still may not come to LYA.
Click here for just the study. Click here for the activity and compline suggestions.
ELS Youth Missionary Fund
The Hugh Brooks mission fund assists ELS teens and college students with financial help to participate in mission work within our fellowship. Youth Leaders and Parents or Teens should reach out to the Board for Youth Outreach through their congregational pastor with ideas for participating in mission work. Here are some things we’ve done in the past:
- The Hugh Brooks Fund has supported college students who traveled to canvass for a new mission in Texas
- The Hugh Brooks Fund has supported teens who work with Kingdom Workers supporting churches do outreach
- The Hugh Brooks Fund has supported a teenager who has helped with a mission in Vietnam
ELS Youth Grants
ELS Summer Camp Grant: The ELS Board for Youth Outreach (BYO) will grant up to $250 per camp to be used for special projects, publicity, promotion, and/or purchase of religious resources or materials. Requests must be made by June 1 of each year to the BYO Chairman with the Secretary copied.
ELS Youth Retreat Grant: The BYO will reimburse expenses incurred by our congregations hosting youth retreats and activities. Retreats are to include youth from at least two congregations and are to include devotions or Biblical study. Retreats with 24 youth or less are eligible for reimbursement for expenses up to $250. Retreats with 25 or more youth are eligible for reimbursement for expenses up to $500. Inquiries and applications are to be made through the congregation’s pastor to the BYO Chairman with the Secretary copied.
ELS Publications
Cling to the Cross devotion books are available as a free resource from the Bethany Bookstore for Pastors to give to their confirmands.
Lutheran Youth Leader’s Manual, Prepared by the Board for Education & Youth, is also available at the Bethany Bookstore.
Call the Bethany Lutheran College bookstore to order these materials: 800-944-1722
Ideas
Some ideas for youth activities
Some ideas for youth group fundraising