Youth Ministries

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:14, 16)

Just as children are special to Jesus, children are special at Lost Creek Presbyterian Church. When a child is baptized the congregation makes a commitment to raise the child in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and we take that commitment seriously.

We have a Sunday School class for children that includes preschool through 6th graders and uses a rotational model in which children explore different stories of the Bible through Bible study, arts and crafts, cooking, drama, and music.

Our worship of God is a central focus of the ministry of Lost Creek Presbyterian Church, and we believe worship is an important part of a child's growth as a Christian. Children learn best by doing, so they are encouraged to sit with their parents or friends throughout the service. As they hear the prayers and hymns repeated each week they begin to learn them too. They also hear the scriptures read and the pastor has a special time with the children when he shares the message of his sermon in a way that is easier for children to understand. Children are encouraged to help greet, take up offerings, read scripture, and provide special music. Children are also invited to participate in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Though they may not understand the meaning of the Sacrament at first, they quickly learn that it is a sign of God's blessing, and as they continue to participate they grow into a fuller understanding of the sacrament and its place in their lives

Beyond Sunday School and Worship we have joined with Trinity Lutheran Church in their children's ministry called The Good News Bearers and their youth ministry called TALC.

YOUTH MINISTRY The Teens from Trinity and Lost Creek have joined together to form a group they call TALC (pronounced talk).  Although the letters came from the names of our churches, TALC stands for Teens Acting Like Christ.  The group is for any teenager in 7th to 12th grade. TALC is led by Drew Aldinger. If you have questions about TALC, you can send Drew an e-mail at dw_aldinger@yahoo.com. The group's name reflects its purpose.  The group meets together to learn about God and to encourage each other to be more like Christ in their daily lives. They meet together at least once a month and alternate between Bible Study and fun activities like miniature golfing, bowling, or just getting ice cream at The Creme Stop. They also do a number of service projects throughout the year, including visiting shut-ins at home and the Nursing Home, helping clean a stretch of Highway that runs through town, serving special meals at the churches, and even helping customers of Schlegel's take groceries to their cars. The youth have several fund raising activities to help with the costs of special trips.  At Easter they have a Flower and Bake Sale at the McAlisterville branch of the Juniata Valley Bank. In the Fall they have decorated yards with pumpkins and flowers. They also enjoy The Great Pumpkin Caper in which they try to sneak a pumpkin on a church member's porch. If they are caught, they have to do an hour of community service. But if not, they earn $10.00 for the group. Recently they sponsored a Dodge Ball competition and an Indoor Soccer tournament at the Lion's Den.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY The Good News Bearers is for children preschool through 6th grades. The leader is Jean Barnard. They usually meet twice a month during the school year. One meeting is for fun, like a Halloween party, swimming, or rock wall climbing. The other meeting is for learning Bible stories. In April they play a giant game of Bible Trivia Pursuit to see what they've learned throughout the year. In April the Good News Bearers play a game of Bible Trivia Pursuit on a life sized board. The kids are divided up into teams, and each team has a youth from TALC join them. Colored carpet squares make up the board. They roll a giant die to determine how many spaces to move. And one member of each team actually moves on the board to the different locations. The goal is to be the first team to collect all 6 pieces of the Armor of God found in Ephesians 6:13-17: the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit. The winning team has their names engraved on a plaque on a special cross that is displayed in the church.