A
milestone is any event in the lives of children, youth, or adults that
we can use to celebrate and nurture faith development. Faith formation
is a lifelong journey that begins in baptism. By celebrating milestones
along the way, we recognize the ways that God is present in our lives.
We celebrate what God is doing with, through, and among us as we grow
in faith together.
Most
milestones includes a
workshop (usually held on a Saturday) for families, followed by a
special time of blessing during a worship service.
Milestones
Celebrated at St. Paul:
Baptism
Baptism
welcomes us into God's family. This milestone is celebrated on an
individual basis and begins with a consultation with the pastors. All
those baptized at St. Paul are gifted with a quilt as a reminder of the
way God’s love surrounds us.
Stepping
Into Sunday School (age 3)
Celebrated
in September, this milestone recognizes the exciting step our children
make as they enter Sunday School. The workshop time includes time for
parents to explore ways to fulfill the promises made in baptism through
faith practices in the home. It also allows the children a time to get
acquainted with their Sunday School teachers, classroom, and some of
the regular activities that take place in Sunday School.
This milestone is celebrated annually in late September Middle School Milestones (grade 6-8)
Three
different milestones are celebrated as a part of our confirmation
program. These are usually held on a Monday evening in
early October. The three topics include
1) Stewardship: Youth
feel financial pressures every day—from advertisers, peer pressure, and
various marketing techniques. This milestone is designed to open
family conversations about money and spending. Using material
developed by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, families will discuss
ways to use our financial resources that connect with our Christian
values. Concepts of sharing, saving, spending, and investing are
all addressed as a part of developing a personal spending plan with
your teens.
2)
Bullying (A Middle School Milestone.): Young people are in a
world where bullying and social pressures are increasingly difficult to
navigate. Most students will have involved in a bullying incident
in their life in some way by the time they reach middle school, and
usually have had several experiences. This milestone lays the
groundwork for discussions in the family about bullies and abuse and
seeks to empower students to make healthy choices in their daily
interactions with peers.
3) Imago Dei (Image of God):Self-image
is an important part of the teenage years. Understanding that we
are each uniquely created by a loving God is helpful for students still
forming their self-identity as they grow through Middle School.
This milestone encourages youth and parents to look for the image of
God in themselves, to affirm what they see in each other, and to
celebrate every member of the family as a wonderful part of God’s
creation.
Retirement
We
will recognize those in our congregation who have left the work force
and entered a new phase in their lives. The adult forum topic for
the day will be centered around preparing and maintaining financial
security in the retirement years. During worship we will
celebrate the contributions of our retirees, and renew their Christian
vocation among us.
This workshop is held every 2-3 years, usually during the month of October
Stepping
Into God's Word (grade
3 and up)
As
students become independent readers, it is a natural time to fulfill
the baptismal promise to place the scriptures into the hands of our
children. In a workshop conducted in the fall (usually in October)
Families learn some basics about the Bible as well as ways to use the
scriptures for daily reading and family devotions. Children are each
presented with a Bible of their own in worship.
This workshop is held in late January each year
Renewal of Vows
Celebrate
your marriage by renewing your vows! A special blessing will be
offered in worship for all who wish to participate, with a celebration
in the fireside room between the services. Couples are invited to
bring photos from your wedding day to display
This workshop is held once every 2-3 years during the middle of February.
Welcome
to the Lord's Table (grade
2 and up)
As
Lutherans, we recognize that one way God's grace comes to us is in the
celebration of Holy Communion. This milestone is usually celebrated in
the weeks preceding Holy Week/Easter and allows families to discover
Jesus' promises to us in the last supper that we celebrate in Holy
Communion. At the end of this workshop students celebrate their first
communion during Holy Week services.
This milestone is normally held the weekend of Palm Sunday each year
Celebrating
Our Elders (age 86 and older)
A
life-long faith is something to be celebrated! During a worship service
in the spring we recognize the ways our older members have passed the
faith along to the following generations.
This milestone is celebrated the first weekend in May.
Confirmation
(grade 8)
At
the end of our three-year Confirmation program, students are given the
opportunity to make public affirmation of their baptism. Usually
celebrated the third Sunday in May, students make profession of faith
in worship and continue their faith journey as full members of the
congregation. In the final preparations for this milestone, families
make plans to serve in ministries of the congregation and commit to
continuing on the journey of faith that began in baptism.
This celebration is held the Sunday after Mother’s Day each year.
Stepping
Into the World (high school graduation)
As
our students graduate, we celebrate with families and we recognize the
ways our youth move toward independence. Celebrated in early June,
graduates each receive a quilt to take with them into the next stage in
their lives as a reminder of the love and care of their families and
the congregation. There is also a very special time of blessing for our
students as well as for the parents of the graduates.
This milestone is celebrated the third Sunday in June each year
For more
information and resources about Milestone Ministry, visit the Vibrant Faith Ministries website.
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