The Youth of St. John’s Church

Mission Statement

The Youth of St. John’s [YSJ] exists to invite, welcome, and incorporate youth into the life of the church. YSJ awakens, nurtures, and strengthens the spiritual growth of youth in Christ through teaching, outreach, activities, and retreats.

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Middle School & High School on Sunday Mornings at 10:00 a.m. on the 3rd Floor of Cranmer Hall. (Note: Youth Education is meeting at a new time! Plan to attend at 10:00 a.m. starting February 10, 2019. The last day for our 9:30 a.m. start time is February 3, 2019.)

CONFIRMATION

We offer a confirmation class (6th grade), a middle school class (7th-8th grade), and a high school class. Classes aim to make followers of Jesus through faithful and relevant discussions of the Christian faith and its application to everyday life. For more details about confirmation click HERE.

YSJC ACTIVITIES

In addition to Christian Education, Food+Fellowship, and family events, the YSJC meets twice a month for an outing, an activity, an outreach project, or just to hang out. Our upcoming YSJ events are announced in weekly e-mails, parish papers, and bulletins. You may also download a printable calendar HERE.

Food + Fellowship on Wednesdays
All youth are invited to attend our weekly Food + Fellowship on Wednesdays. We meet for dinner, fellowship, and faith from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Svihel’s home here in Savannah. Please RSVP by emailing David Svihel, Minister with Youth at dsvihel@stjohnssav.org. You are encouraged to bring a friend or two!

Please e-mail Minister with Youth, David Svihel with any questions: dsvihel@stjohnssav.org

UPCOMING EVENTS!

YSJ Summer Mission to Nichols, South Carolina – July 21-27, 2019
Rural South Carolina was devastated by 2018’s hurricanes Florence and Michael. The community of Nichols was hit by both hurricanes while they were still struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Matthew.The Youth of St. John’s will work on projects like: repairing homes damaged by flood waters, cleaning up debris, and bringing hope and healing to those affected by the hurricanes. Adults are also welcome to come!

The cost for the Mission is $419 per person (scholarships available) which includes: food, lodging in a local high school, work supplies, discipleship materials, and a t-shirt. Transportation will be provided by St. John’s.

Deadline to Register is March 29, 2019. Registration includes a $200 deposit.

  • Remaining balance is due June 7
  • Contact Minister with Youth, David Svihel if interested at: dsvihel@stjohnssav.org

St. Michael’s Conference in West Hartford, CT – July 28-August 3, 2019
Consider attending St. Michael’s Summer Conference, a week-long conference that centers on the Anglican tradition for young adults from July 28-August 3, 2019 in West Hartford, CT with Father O’Brien. For more details, email Father O’Brien at cobrien@stjohnssav.org. Scholarships are available.

THE VISION

 Our Goal: 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 neighbor.
  • 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.

  1. Why is the Gospel “Good News?” 
  1. Were We Meant to Live Life Alone?
  1. What Motivates My Decisions?
  1. How Do I Become Fully Human?