Life Together: Youth and Young Adults
We are the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) North Dakota (ND) District Life Together: Youth and Young Adults Task Force and Lutheran Youth Fellowship (LYF). The Task Force and elected student leaders of the District LYF (District Youth Committee – DYC) work together to offer resources and events that empower middle school and high school-age youth to grow their relationship with Jesus Christ as they…
- Deeply Understand their Baptismal Faith
- Develop a Resilient Identity in Christ
- Live out their unique vocation
The ND District LYF focuses on:
- Worship
- Nurture
- Witness
- Service
- Community
Upcoming Events
LYF Spring Retreat • March 3-4, 2023 • Chieftain Conference Center, Carrington
The annual ND District Lutheran Youth Fellowship Retreat will be Friday-Saturday, March 3-4, at the Chieftain Conference Center, Carrington, ND. Students in grade 8 and up are invited! Joseph Agnew, Caylee Nelson, Jessica Schuh and Samuel Tschaekofske, from Bethel, Bismarck, will facilitate four sessions focused on Vocation: Right Here, Right Now. Each session will include a video message from Chad Janetzke, who teaches theology classes at Martin Luther High School near Milwaukee, WI. He attended Lutheran schools in Iowa, Illinois, and Michigan. After graduating from Concordia University Wisconsin, he taught at Lutheran schools in Minnesota and Texas, before arriving at Martin Luther.
The Retreat will also include devotions, Bible study led by Pastor Adam Harvala, West Fargo, group singing and a coffee house concert by Lloyd Garrelts, large and small group discussion/reflection about Vocation: Right Here, Right Now, Saturday AM walk, junk food buffet, breakfast buffet, Pizza Ranch lunch, snacks, large and small group games and more! Attendees will be housed overnight at the Chieftain.
Please register by Sunday, February 26. Call, text, email or mail your registration form to: Caylee Nelson, Retreat Registrar | (701) 805-1877 | cayleen1012@gmail.com | 3640 England Street, Bismarck, ND 58504
For more information: LYF Pastoral Advisor Adam Harvala | (701) 936-1156 | revadh07@midco.net
LYF Lay Advisor, Pat Sebastian | (701) 471-3289 | patsebbis@aol.com
YouthLead, March 16-19, 2023
Pallotine Renewal Center, St. Louis, MO
Five students from North Dakota will be attending YouthLead March 16-19, 2023. The theme is “Making Saints of Us All” and it focuses on Spiritual Practices like prayer, worship, reading Scripture and more.
Due to the tremendous response to YouthLead, another session will be offered summer 2023. Any high school student active in their local congregation may register.
For details about attending with other ND youth, contact Pat Sebastian, patsebbis@aol.com (701) 471-3289. YouthLead equips teens to develop and use their leadership skills as they serve Christ within their congregations and communities. This annual leadership training event is facilitated by the Synod YouthLead Leadership Team. This training uses leadership resources developed to give teens the tools they need to mature in their faith, become leaders in their congregations, and reach out to their peers with the love of Christ.
ND District LYF Gathering • August 2-6, 2023
Save the dates!
ND District LCMS Middle School Gathering • October 19-21, 2023 • Ramada Inn, Fargo
ND District LYF Retreat • March 1-2, 2024 •
Chieftain Conference Center, Carrington, ND
Theme: Making Saint of Us All
DYC Nominations are accepted year around!
The current DYC has nine members. We currently have no representation from the NE, NW or SE Zones! Please apply!
C.F.W. Walther (the first LCMS President) once said, “You cannot use your time to better advantage than by serving well the young people of the congregation.”
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MODELS FOR YOUTH MINISTRY in the LCMS throughout the years. From Confirmation instruction, Sunday School, Walther League to Lutheran Youth Fellowship and beyond, congregations have served their young people in a variety of ways at different times. As Generation Z passes through our youth ministries, congregations may feel unprepared to face the unique gifts and challenges of working with teens today. LCMS Youth Ministry has spent significant time in the last few years listening, reading data, conducting research and digging into Scripture around what is key for healthy congregational youth ministry. Our heart is to faithfully lead, serve, resource and network youth and adults by working through LCMS districts and congregations with Christ at the center of everything.
While the practices described in the Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry may not cover every facet of ministry or teaching of this church, we do hope it provides support, direction, and inspiration.
This is not a program.
This is not a short-term fix.
This is not about you.
This is about Jesus.
This is possible for any congregation.
This task is worth it.
Thank you for dedicating your time, heart, and energy to the care of today’s youth.
