Youth Programs

The Youth Programs at Good Shepherd provide many educational and fellowship opportunities for the youth of this congregation. The diagram below illustrates the full scope of programs offered, but one should note that you must look across multiple areas to obtain the full breath of our offerings. The offerings are numerous and varied and can be viewed across the Youth, Christian Education and Music departments. For a full description of each youth program, please click the links under Christian Education and Music, in addition to the Youth section.

The diagram above illustrates the expanding programs available at Good Shepherd, because of the enthusiasm of our youth, as well as our volunteers. If you are interested in planning activities, chaperoning or generally just wanting to get involved, please feel free to contact Deanna Lauer, the Youth Coordinator, at the:

Church office: 845-735-2243

Email: youth@gspr.org

Senior High Youth
(9th-12th Grade)

Youth Advisor: Vacant

In addition to the PROz group, the Senior High youth gathered through a variety of fellowship opportunities. They kicked off the New Year with their annual Snow Tubing event. Mother Nature sent us a deep-freeze that may have caused more hot chocolate drinking than tubing. As the winter wore on, Pastor Havrilla looks to spend time with his flock and met with small groups of Sr. High youth for dinner at Rhonda’s Café. To start the new school year a Welcome Back BBQ was held at the Miller’s home. Swimming, eating and a Youth Council meeting were among the activities. And of course, the teens love to be scared out of their pants. So, a trip to Sterling Forest’s – Forest of Fear - is our big Halloween event.

The Senior High youth do not only meet for social activities, but also service based opportunities. This past year the Senior High youth:

• Delivered the White Gifts to Pastor Larry’s church in the Bronx
• Served lunch at Christ Lutheran’s Soup Kitchen in Suffern
• Worked an urban soup kitchen in Vicar Jonathan’s own home church in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC
• Participated in the Great American Clean Up by cleaning up Railroad Ave in Pearl River
• Created and ran the game stations at the Family Festival for our youngest youth at Good Shepherd
• Served as junior chaperones at MaHeTu

PROz

Pearl River Oysterz (PROz) is a Senior High group, originally started as an internship project under Vicar Jonathan’s direction and met monthly to discuss teen related topics. They also pursued out reach efforts, such as attending an Urban Soup Kitchen in NYC and compared it to their experience of hosting the Soup Kitchen in suburban, Suffern, NY.

PROz is now under the Christian Education department and will serve as the spiritual growth path after Upper Room. The PROz group will meet monthly on the second Sunday each month at 9:30am til 10:45am, concluding in time for those Sr. High youth who are assisting in Sunday School. As a means to grow spiritually, provide leadership and serve their church, the PROz group will deliver the Children’s Message once a month at the SCS Mini Service in Fellowship Hall. The group is currently on-hold as we determine who will guide this group moving forward.

Soup Kitchen

Youth Advisor: Diana Henriques

As part of an Outreach program for our Senior High Youth Group, they participate in supporting the Soup Kitchen at Christ Episcopal Church in Suffern.

Junior High Youth
(6th-8th Grade)

Youth Advisor: Deanna Lauer

The Junior High youth groups continue to meet on a monthly basis and had a full plate of fun activities. Just to name a few, they were:

• Bowling at the Pearl River Lanes,
• Christmas Caroling at the Promenade at Blue Hill complete with a tray favors that were created and handed out by the youth
• Snow Tubing at Campgaw
• Ice Skating at the Palisades Center
• Cleaning up Railroad Avenue as part of the Great American Clean up
• Eating and gaming at the Family Festival
• Swimming at the Welcome Back BBQ

These fellowship opportunities are important to building strong bonds between the youth that linger into making Good Shepherd a comfortable place in which they can congregate, just like a second home.

Upper Room, an extension of Sunday Church School for grades 6th-8th, is led by long time volunteer Wayne Kunow and Janet Maleski. Under their guidance the youth each year work on such service projects as, providing gifts to our Shut-ins during the Easter and Christmas holiday season, as well as delivering the White Gifts donated by the congregation. Another exciting learning experience is the development of an original skit. This past year the class created 5 scenes including dialog, which paralleled the parable of the Lost Sheep. Their creativity and understanding of the parable is presented at the 10:30 a.m. service.

Upper Elementary Youth
(3rd-5th Grade)

Youth Advisor: Lisa Filatov

The Upper Elementary youth groups continue to meet on a monthly basis and had a full plate of fun activities. Just to name a few, they were:

• Bowling at the Pearl River Lanes,
• Christmas Caroling at the Promenade at Blue Hill complete with a tray favors that were created and handed out by the youth
• Snow Tubing at Campgaw
• Ice Skating at the Palisades Center
• Cleaning up Railroad Avenue as part of the Great American Clean up
• Eating and gaming at the Family Festival
• Swimming at the Welcome Back BBQ

These fellowship opportunities are important to building strong bonds between the youth that linger into making Good Shepherd a comfortable place in which they can congregate, just like a second home.

Family Life (Pre-K-2nd Grade)

Youth Advisor: Cindy Sealander

The Family Life program continues to expand as we added two new activities to the calendar this year. The ever popular Advent and Easter Eve Celebrations are traditions amongst our Pre-k to 2nd graders. The children love to find their shoes filled with little goodies at the Advent celebration, while the Easter egg hunt was back by popular demand.

New this year was a combination Movie Matinee with the Upper Elementary youth on a wintery Saturday afternoon. The showing in Fellowship Hall was complete with popcorn and drinks. And, to top off the Sunday Church School year, a Family Festival was thrown in the playground area. A beautiful spring day was our reward, as many families shared in good food and plenty of activities, such as a dinosaur dig, tin can toss, fish bowl ping-pong and bowling.

Retreats

Camp Ma-He-Tu

Late September a retreat and fellowship weekend for the junior high is held at a nearby Lutheran camp in Harriman State Park. Camp MaHeTu, located in the hills of Harriman State Park is organized, prepared and run by the staff and volunteers of Good Shepherd. The retreat is a confirmation requirement and offers a rustic, outdoor, spiritually fulfilling experience.

Koinonia

Koinonia is our winter retreat and is run by the Lutheran Youth Organization or LYO. Each year 5–10 youth attend this retreat in Highland Lake, NY and have the opportunity to meet Lutheran youth from the surrounding area.

Summer Youth Activities

Vacation Bible School

Each August, Good Shepherd hosts a week-long half-day (9 a.m. to noon) learning experience open to the community for children 4 years old through 3rd grade.

Children experience the wonderful news of God's love and Jesus through Bible stories, songs, crafts, games and other activities. Snack is served daily.

We look to our youth to help make the program a success by assisting throughout the week either in a classroom or one of the special programs of games, music and crafts.

Lutheran Youth Convocations

Every four years, our youth participate in nationwide convocations of Lutheran youth. These convocations provide an exciting experience of coming together with up to 40,000 youth under the banner of a living, growing faith in Jesus Christ.

Pinecrest Leadership Training for Senior High Youth

This program involves youth and adults in a week-long camping experience. The experience addresses issues of applying the Christian faith to the many issues youth face.

Outreach/College

Scouting Groups

Boy Scout Pack 36, sponsored by Good Shepherd, continues to grow as they welcomed in 20 new scouts into the troop. They meet each Tuesday night in Fellowship Hall and are guided by a dedicated core of adult volunteers. Each week they work with the boys on how they can earn the requirements to advance on their rank, starting with Tenderfoot and reaching the holy grail of Eagle Scout. As each scout is at a different level, some requiring merit badges, while others need leadership skills; it takes significant planning and coordination by the Scout Master.

Girl Scouts of the congregation gather together in March on Girl Scout Sunday during the 10:30 a.m. service

College & Career

Young adults are invited in December and in June to "coming together" breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Events include open discussions, poetry and music "jamming" sessions-all with the purpose of maintaining contacts with young adults in an exciting and challenging time of life.