The Youth of St. John’s Church

We strive to awaken, nurture, and strengthen the spiritual growth of youth through teaching, outreach, activities, and retreats. All youth are invited to participate and become active in the life of the church. Contact Steven Vanderlip (svanderlip@stjohnssav.org) for more information.

Previous Youth Group Events

St John’s youth group does a variety of outreach and events throughout the year.

February 2023 Youth Group Ski Trip

The colder-than-average temperatures this past weekend were perfect for the St. John’s Youth Group ski trip. Fun, fellowship, and snowy slopes were enjoyed by an even bigger group than last year. We appreciate everyone who made the trek to North Carolina, especially the chaperones, and Steven Vanderlip for organizing.

The youth of the parish are encouraged to join us for our next youth group and parents’ night out on Sunday, Feb. 19 from 5-7 p.m. Sign up and let us know if you are coming!

In July, the youth of St John’s had a great time hosting an ice cream social for over 50 campers at the Fresh Air Home on Tybee. After serving ice cream, they hit the beach for some fun and games. Thank you to everyone who came to help! (Photo courtesy of Susan Arden-Joly)

Volunteers from St. John’s, Christ Church, and St. Paul’s came together Saturday, June 25 to help make repairs for low-income homeowners in collaboration with the City of Savannah.

The youth and children baked and decorated cookies to welcome the new residents of the Pulaski Lofts to the neighborhood. Afterward, they whipped up pancakes for Shrove Tuesday’s dinner.

If you are interested in learning more about the youth group, please email Minister with Youth, Steven Vanderlip.

Youth Sunday School Classes & Youth Group

Jr. High Sunday Class (4-7^th grade) with Sarah Ross

10-10:45 a.m., Sundays, Cranmer Hall, 3^rd Fl, Middle Classroom #2 (off the Ralston Room)
Our Director of Children’s Ministry, Sarah Ross, will teach a bible study for Middle School students on the 3^rd floor of Cranmer Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah at sross@stjohnssav.org.

Sr. High Sunday Class (8-12^th grade) with Steven Vanderlip

10-10:45 a.m., Sundays, Cranmer Hall, 3^rd Fl, Middle Classroom #1 (off the Ralston Room)
Our Minister with Youth, Steven Vanderlip, will teach a bible study for all Middle and High School students on the 3^rd floor of Cranmer Hall. If you have any questions, please contact Steven at svanderlip@stjohnssav.org.

Youth Group with Steven Vanderlip

5-7 p.m., First & Third Sundays, Cranmer Hall
We have a growing and active youth group with fellowship opportunities and fun monthly activities. The youth group meets every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 5 to 7 p.m. in Cranmer Hall. All youth, 3rd grade and above, are invited; nursery care is available for children in 2nd grade and younger for a parents’ night out opportunity.

RSVP by the Friday before so we can provide dinner and nursery care (if needed). The cost is $20/family (cash, check payable to the church, or online payment with a memo ‘youth’).

To learn more, please contact Steven at svanderlip@stjohnssav.org.

Confirmation Class (Spring)

Typically starting in January and running through early April, St. John’s offers a confirmation class, open to all 5^th and 6^th graders. The aim of the confirmation class is to prepare our youth to receive the sacrament of confirmation and thereby take up the life Christ has prepared for them. Part of this preparation is posing questions that will encourage students to consider what exactly is the Christian faith and the life that they are preparing to undertake. Thus the big question posed at the outset of this class: What does it mean to be a Christian? In their first class, students began exploring the various things that make them happy in life, the things they think life is about: things like family, having fun, and even making money. As good as those things are, they don’t seem to satisfy completely when confronted with the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Whatever it means to be a Christian, it has something to do with this person Jesus Christ. That remains to be explored in the following weeks.

If you have any questions or would like to enroll your child in the next confirmation class, please contact Steven Vanderlip at svanderlip@stjohnssav.org.

Saint Michael’s Youth Conference

Holy Family Retreat Center, West Hartford, Connecticut

Saint Michael’s Conference is not your typical Christian summer camp. You won’t find cabins, mess halls, or archery. You will experience engaging conversations about Jesus, daily worship, and plenty of time to hang out with new friends.

Saint Michael’s Conference is a week-long summer conference that centers on worship, discussion, recreation, and relaxation, so young adults can seek a clearer vision of God in Christ.

(Photo courtesy of SaintMichaelsConference.com)

The Vision

Our goal is to build a youth community at St. John’s Church based on these four priorities:

Gospel: as defined by Scripture and the Prayer Book as the center of the Christian life. We keep the focus on Jesus. This prevents Youth ministry from becoming moralistic, or primarily about being “polite”.
Hospitality: We welcome others as God in Christ has welcomed us.
Virtue: We empower future Christian citizens to love God and their neighbors.
Worship: We worship God in everything we do. Prayer Book orients us to scripture and the Christian tradition to see all of life: morning, evening, meals, celebration, mourning, etc. as acts of worship.

The Vision Explained

The Youth of St John’s ministry is built on four pillars: Gospel, Hospitality, Virtue, and Worship. Each of the four essays below covers one of these pillars and answers the question: “Why should I care about this?”

Our desire is to help you understand not only that the Gospel, Hospitality, Virtue, and Worship are important ideas, but are essential truths of the Christian Faith that affect how we view ourselves, others, and God. They also change the way we live our lives, because they point us to the source of life: Jesus Christ.

Please follow the links, below.