Churches Provide Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry

From this morning's Post-Journal in Jamestown, NY:

Four Lutheran churches in the Jamestown-Lakewood area have teamed up to provide a Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry to promote faith formation and provide recreation for young people in fifth through 12th grades.

The four congregations - Bethel Lutheran Church, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church - are providing volunteers and financial support to the cooperative effort. The Gustavus Adolphus Home of Lutheran Social Services is providing recreational space for the group at its facility.

The Shared Lutheran Youth Ministry is coordinated by Ian Eastman, who has a background in youth ministry, school-age child care and youth advocacy. He holds a master of arts in spiritual formation from Northwest Nazarene University and a bachelor of science in cultural studies from SUNY Empire State College. He works at Family Services of Warren County, a charitable counseling agency.

The ministry is planning a recreational kick-off event in August for the young people and the volunteers to get acquainted. Weekly youth group meetings will begin in September. For more information, contact any of the four congregations or e-mail Ian.