Zion Lutheran Church's Youth and Children's Ministry

Our next regular Fusion Youth Group meeting for 7th through 12th grade youth students will take place in May, likely from 5PM to 8PM, at Zion Lutheran Church. 

If you are considering joining us for the fun, consider bringing a friend along as well! A meal will be served, and no money is needed for these meetings.

COFFEE: The Zion Fusion Youth Group will continue to manage the coffee fellowship time as an ongoing fundraiser following both services on Sunday mornings. 

CONFIRMATION: Confirmation classes for public school 7th and 8th grade students will be once again taking place on Wednesday afternoons, from 4:00PM to 5:30PM, beginning on Wednesday, September 4th, 2024. These classes will continue at that time on most Wednesday evening into the spring, unless otherwise announced. As in previous years, the 7th grade students will be learning from our new Vicar in the 7th/8th grade Zion Lutheran School classroom, and the 8th grade students will be learning from Pastor Bruce in the 5th/6th grade classroom. For more information, please contact the church office.

EGG MY YARD FUNDRAISER: Need to hide Easter eggs? Let us help! The Zion Fusion Youth Group is once again hosting an “Egg My Yard” fundraiser. Order your pre-filled plastic eggs to be hidden in your yard on the Saturday evening before Easter by filling out, and returning, the bottom portion of our event flyer or by completing the online form located on the homepage of our church website. If interested, reserve your spot by, or before, April 16th, 2025, and addresses must be residential properties in the city of Pierce, NE. Prices include: $20 for 25 eggs, $40 for 50 eggs, and $60 for 100 eggs. All proceeds will go to support our youth students as they raise money for their activities and trips. For more information, please check out a copy of our flyer in the church narthex or on our church website homepage.   

EASTER EGG HUNT: Zion Lutheran Church will be hosting a various ages Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, April 20th, on the Zion grounds beginning at 8AM. Hunts include an easy hunt for Kindergarten through 2nd graders (beginning at 8AM), an intermediate hunt for 3rd through 6th graders (beginning at 8:15AM), and a letter game hunt for 7th through 12th graders (beginning at 8:30AM). For those who wish to participate, meet us at the Zion Lutheran Church front narthex doors, and please bring your own basket to hold eggs. Be advised, while this event is open to the public, candies with known allergens, or were produced in a facility with known allergens, may be used for this event, and participation does not guarantee a prize. If you would like to donate to support this event, please speak with Mr. J to learn more.  

ALUMINUM CAN COLLECTION: For those registered to attend, our next planning meeting will take place in the church fellowship hall today, February 23rd, beginning at 5:00PM. We will be discussing our plans for our extra time while in New Orleans, so if you would like to have an opinion on this subject, I would highly recommend attending this meeting. Pizza will be served for those who wish to eat. 

HANDS FOR CHRIST: If you are in 8th-12th grade and would like to assist with Hands for Christ this summer, please make a plan to attend the Pizza Party kickoff event on Wednesday, April 23rd, beginning at 6:30PM in the high school commons. This is a wonderful chance to learn more about participating in this opportunity to serve in within this community, bond with others, and of course, enjoy some pizza!

• PONCA STATE PARK MEETING: Friday, April 11th, beginning at 5PM at Zion Lutheran Church

• EGG MY YARD FUNDRAISER: Registration closes on Wednesday, April 16th, and eggs will be hidden on Saturday, April 19th, beginning in the evening

• EGG HUNT: Sunday, April 20th, beginning at 8:30AM by the Zion Lutheran Church narthex doors

• HANDS FOR CHRIST MEETING: Wednesday, April 23rd, beginning at 6:30PM in the Pierce High School commons 

• LCMS YOUTH GATHERING MEETING: Sunday, April 27th, beginning at 4PM at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Norfolk, NE

• In regards to youth events and activities, occasionally plans have to shift and change due to conflicts and other factors. With that being said, if you are not currently receiving updates and reminders from the youth group, please speak to Mr. Jareske as soon as possible, so you can be added to the list of parents/guardians currently receiving this type of information. 

• If any high school students, especially juniors and seniors, would be interested in taking a group college visit to Concordia University Nebraska (CUNE) in Seward during this next year, please speak to Mr. Jareske in the near future to receive information about visit costs and waivers. CUNE is one of the universities in the LCMS university system, and they have a variety of programs of study, including several opportunities for those considering church work. 

• If any youth students would be willing to assist during church services on Sunday mornings, please call 402-329-4313 to let the church office know. We are currently looking for both ushers and technology booth assistance, and training will be provided for anyone willing to serve in either capacity. We have recently begun live-streaming our Sunday morning services with our new camera equipment, and in an effort to better manage all of the moving parts within a typical service, a few additional volunteers to assist with either running the soundboard, running the camera, or managing the slideshow would be very much appreciated. 

• If any 7th grade and older youth, or parents, would like to help with Faith Weavers for this year, please feel free to let me know at your earliest convenience. 

• If there is someone who you believe should be getting update emails, and they are not currently receiving new updates from either Vicar and/or myself, please let me know, so I can add them to the email list. 

• The youth group is responsible for the aluminum cans, so if you would like to collect cans for the youth group, these can be stored in the fenced in area in the gravel parking lot.