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



FUZE WKND

FUZE WKND

We are kicking off the school year with FUZE WKND, our annual in-town retreat where we fuse together 5th-12th grade for worship and teaching. Middle and High School students will separate for games and activities. They will spend the whole weekend in their small groups - building relationships and growing deeper in faith together.

This year's theme is FUZE WKND: Welcome to Wonderland. No matter where you're at when it comes to God, this event is for you. Through all kinds of activities and intentional relationship time, we will explore what it means to live a life of wonder and awe. Join us for this exciting weekend that you won't forget!

The weekend ends with family worship in the 9:30am Contemporary Service.  


REGISTER HERE


Small Groups

Due to COVID-19, we are pivoting our Middle School Small Groups programming slightly for 2020-2021 to best accommodate students' needs. We are excited to offer two options for students to meet in small groups:

  1. Small Groups In-Person at the Lodge: Several times throughout the day, small groups of 8-10 students and leaders will gather at the Lodge for teaching, small groups, and games in their designated small groups. Masks and social distancing are required.
  2. Online Zoom Small Group: These groups will meet over Zoom at 11am on Sunday Mornings. These small groups are committed to staying online for the whole school year, unless restrictions loosen and as a church we decide to be fully open for worship.  

For more information about Middle School Small Group options for our 2020-2021 Season contact Travis Bannon, Small Groups Director.

Each year, our 8th grade small groups complete a PASSION PROJECT where they use their gifts to serve others. This year, we'll be collecting used sporting goods equipment...just in time for spring cleaning! Some items will be donated to those in need while others will be sold to Play-It-Again Sports and the proceeds will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis. Simply drop your items off any time throughout the month of March in the bin in front of the Lodge.

If you have any large equipment that they cannot move, contact Jason Rose.

Confirmation 

What is Confirmation?

In Confirmation, those who have been baptized declare their faith in Christ and are strengthened by the Holy Spirit for continuing discipleship. At a Service of Confirmation, baptized Christians are also received into membership of the Methodist Church and take their place as such in a local congregation. See how we celebrate confirmation at St. Luke's UMC.

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. Sign up for Confirmation ends August 30th. 

Events

Middle School will have in-person events outside the months of August and September. Beginning in October students will have events in the context of their Small Groups, called “Party-in-a-Box.”

  We are looking forward to the following events for Summer 2021: 

  • Middle School Mayhem, a St. Luke’s Day Camp, June 21st-25th, 2021 | Current 4th-7th grades
  • Middle School Mission Trip to Charleston, WV July 11-16 | Current 6th-8th Grades




Upcoming Events

Additional Information and Resources

At St. Luke’s, we believe in an intentional faith map for kids birth through college-aged. Our STEPS curriculum and programming are designed to move our students through age-appropriate lessons. Here’s a quick outline.

  • 5th-6th Grade – Foundations: We rotate through the Old & New Testament to provide a meta-narrative of the Bible to our preteens.
  • 7th Grade – Confirmation: We talk about where our faith comes from and give students a chance to make a profession of faith in God and membership at St. Luke’s.
  • 8th Grade – Spiritual Gifts: Students respond to their vow of membership by learning about the unique gifts they have to give to the church and beyond.
  • 9th-10th Grade – Spiritual Practices: We talk about key spiritual practices to help students personalize their faith in a real way.
  • 11th-12th Grade – Spiritual Roots: Students are invited to participate in workshops that help prepare them for college and beyond.

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

  • Pumpkin Sale – Each year in October, our Youth Ministry raises money for students by selling pumpkins. Youth and families who work a shift earn scholarship credit. Sign up here!
  • 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.

Family Grow Groups help families connect with each other and grow in their faith through monthly service together. Groups meet September through May and will commit to serving with the same ministry partner for the year. Service opportunities are for all ages and are designed to include the whole family! Visit the Group Finder page or email Rev. Mindie Moore, Pastor of Adult Discipleship for more details.

Invite Night is an on-campus event with crazy themes open to 5th-8th graders and their friends in the community. We always have snacks, worship, teaching, and shenanigans all evening long! All Invite Nights are from 6:30-9:30PM, and begin and end at the Lodge. Events are only $5, but guests are free! Join us for a crazy team-building game that takes over the campus, with fun prizes! Register below.

September 24th, Mission Impossible

October 22nd, Fall Party

Want to lead a small group? Think Invite Nights sound fun? Want to chaperone a trip? For more information, contact Heather Kenison, Director of Student Ministries or by phone 317-846-3404 .

If your child has any special needs or considerations, contact Crystal Hensley, Special Needs Coordinator. 


Ministry Team
Heather Kenison
Heather Kenison
Director of Student Ministries
Meet Heather
Travis Bannon
Travis Bannon
Associate Director of Student Ministries
Meet Travis
Crystal Hensley
Crystal Hensley
Special Needs Coordinator
Meet Crystal