This month we feature Nathaniel (Nate) Adam Beske

High School: Mounds View High School, Junior

School/Community Activities: Boy Scouts of America, Peer Helpers (school), varsity football, varsity baseball, Young Life

Church Activities: Youth Group, TEC, Mission Trips, Church League Basketball

Favorite Song: “Crawling Linkin Park”

Proudest moment: Getting confirmed

Collections: Sports cards, family cars

Favorite St. John’s Memory: Biking 30 miles with Fr. Joe

Favorite movie: “American History X”

Last good book you’ve read: “History of Mercedes-Benz The Last Century”

Best advice you’ve been given: “Do everything for yourself, don’t follow others” - Dad

Where you hope to be in 10 years: Graduated from college, maybe intern working for a car company?

If you could have dinner with any person, whom would you choose? Osama Bin Laden or Britney Spears

How can church become more youth friendly?  Provide more “get to know each other” activities

Words from our Youth Minister

Alison Feigh . . .

The Bible contains some pretty powerful images that I use to find focus in my ministry to youth. Lately, I have found myself returning to a verse in Job that energizes me in my vision for youth ministry at St. John's.

The book of Job may seem like an extreme choice for inspiration. It's a story of a man who is living a godly life and as a result ends up having to face a series of tests that the Devil uses to try and test his faith. Job stays faithful to the Lord despite the advice of his friends and is rewarded for his stance. At the end of the story Job is finally able to connect with God and says, "In the past I knew only what others had told me of you, but now I see you with my own eyes." (Job 42:5).

I know that faith isn't always built on horrific, life-changing experiences that Job walked through, thank goodness. Those earthquake moments can be fueled with drama and burn out quickly. But, I have seen faith built over a series of seemingly small moments in which God's love and grace becomes real. 

My favorite thing to do in ministry is to help create, observe, or hear about moments when youths are able to stand back and see God with their own eyes. The moment, however brief, could happen at a meeting with a Confirmation mentor, a trip to Cass Lake camp, or in church on Sunday listening to a specific hymn. Each moment does not need to be life-changing, but there is lasting power when youth are able to verbalize and internalize those moments when they feel connected to God.

That idea is at the core of my vision for youth ministry at St. John's. It is important for us to be present in those moments and allow our youth to teach us about what they see. We can speak about our own moments of connection, but that will not be as powerful as when the youth roll up their sleeves and physically experience service, self-examination, religious education, and parish life for themselves. Thank you for being a community that supports its youth in all of the varied ways that they each connect to God. I am blessed to be in a community where the sight lines are clear.

Maundy Thursday

Youth in grades 8-12 are encouraged to participate in this year’s Maundy Thursday service and all night watch. Senior High youth will be using part of their youth group time on Sunday, March 28th to put together the Maundy Thursday reflection service, eighth graders need not attend the planning meeting. Maundy Thursday overnight will begin at 6:00 pm on Thursday, April 8th and will end at 10:00 am on Friday, April 9th. This event is strongly encouraged as an important piece of Confirmation preparation.

Junior High May Lock-In

It’s a long way off, but mark your calendars for the night of Friday, May 7th for a Junior High Lock in on “Friendship.” We’ll have activities, games and discussions all focused on learning how to be a good friend.

Teens Encounter Christ (TEC)

We had 13 adults and youth attending the Great North TEC weekend in Duluth for the month of March. It was a wonderful time of self-examination and fellowship. THANK YOU to everyone at St. John's that donated time, materials, food, and other items to the weekend. We are so blessed to be a part of a parish that supports our youth in so many ways.  If you are a senior high youth who would like to attend a Teens Encounter Christ weekend, there is another weekend planned for April 16-18 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Kyle Domin will be the youth director for that weekend and Jordan Warchol will be leading the kitchen team. Applications are being accepted through April 10th, please talk to Alison if you need more information.

Youth Ministry Group Book Discussion

The Youth Ministry Committee will be hosting a group discussion on the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman on Sunday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Mission Trip

The youth group will be working on various fundraising activities up through the summer to offset the cost of our mission trip to San Diego July 21-July 27th. Youth will be working at events at church and in the community to help raise funds. We have 16 youth signed up to attend and Alison Feigh, Lynn Price, Susie Mahoney, and Bob Peck will be serving as chaperones.