Learning Together
Opportunities for learning at OSLC include summer camps, Confirmation, high school fellowship, and adult education. We team up with other churches and organizations to offer learning opportunities outside our walls.
Christian Education
Faith Builders
Faith Builders is faith formation programming for children held on Sunday mornings (9:45 – 10:35 AM) and Wednesday evenings (5:40 – 6:20 PM.) Children ages three through 6th grade meet in small groups to explore Bible stories, learn to pray, connect with one another through fun activities, and participate in mission projects throughout the year.
The Sunday school classes meet September through April at 9:45am. The Wednesday school classes meet September through April at 5:40pm.
Learn more about Sunday & Wednesday School
Milestone Ministry
Milestone ministry is a was for us to celebrate the promises made in baptism, provide learning opportunities for families, and recommit ourselves as a congregation to nurture one another as the body of Christ as we mark “milestones” in a person’s journey of faith. The first milestone is baptism—when we hear the words proclaimed to us “child of God, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Throughout a child’s growing years, there are other times that we make a point to connect as a congregation and celebrate once again this identity as a child of God, a brother and sister in Christ.
Each milestone has two aspects: a learning event designed for children and their parents, and a worship celebration in which the congregation offers their prayers and a blessing at this time in the child’s life. In this way, we are assisting and encouraging families to pass on the faith.
Milestones we celebrate throughout the year:
- Baptism
- Receiving a story Bible for 3- & 4-year old’s (September)
- Receiving a Story of Jesus’ Birth Bible Story Cube for first graders (First Sunday in December)
- Receiving 3rd grade Bibles (September)
- Learning to Pray the Lord’s Prayer – Second Graders (A Sunday during Lent)
- Receiving first communion Fifth Grade (October)
- Beginning confirmation Seventh grade classes (September)
- Affirmation of Baptism Confirmation Eighth grade (May)
- High school graduation (End of school year)
Cradle Roll
Our Cradle Roll team uses the Splash(!) newsletter to make monthly connections with the parents of newborns until the child is old enough to start Sunday school at age three. Parents commit to raising their children in the Christian faith at baptism, and this newsletter can help parents fulfill their baptismal promise.
Vacation Bible School
At OSLC we believe that "VBS is a time for children and youth to connect with each other and with the Bible. It is a time for the church family to be involved in a fun week of learning, activities, and celebration during the summer. VBS benefits not only the children who participate but also the churches that offer it and the adults and youth who volunteer to teach and lead it", (as stated on the Cokesberry website, under why is VBS important). It is a great community outreach program, brining those outside of our church into our ministry to learn about Jesus and his abundant love for us.
VBS is for children three years old through 5th Grade, (based on grade completed). Children join with volunteers from OSLC on an adventure through Bible stories, using worship, prayer, music, games, arts and crafts. VBS is held in June or July each summer and all are welcome and invited to join us!
Check back in April/May for exciting updates and how to register.
Confirmation (7th-8th Grade)
The Confirmation program at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church is a two-year journey, beginning in seventh grade. Examining the Christian faith in light of scripture and the Lutheran confessions leads up to the public celebration of Affirmation of Baptism, saying “yes!” to the promises God said to us when we were baptized. Whenever a child is brought forward to the baptismal font, a pledge is made to “provide for their instruction in the Christian faith,” which means teaching our sons and daughters who they are as the ones whom Jesus loves.
For the first twelve or so years of these kids’ lives, OSLC seeks to help parents and sponsors honor their baptismal pledge by inviting the children to Sunday School, VBS, and regular worship. As they get closer to adulthood, Confirmation instruction is our attempt to help these young people reflect on their faith in a deeper way and provide them with the means to express and live out their faith as mature Christians.
Confirmation begins in the fall of a student’s seventh grade year. Through seventh and eighth grades, students meet regularly at the church on Wednesday evenings from 5:15 PM to 7:00 PM. Class time includes Large Group study time led by pastors, followed most evenings by time in a Small Group of five to eight students with a Group Leader, who guides them to a deeper understanding of our faith.
Most Wednesdays, our Confirmation students participate in Wednesday Word with the congregation from 6:26 to 6:55 PM. Throughout the school year, students are invited to various servant and fellowship opportunities within their Small Group.
Confirmation instruction leads up to a public celebration of the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism, aka Confirmation, in the late spring of their eighth grade year. Confirmation is not a graduation from church, but rather a stepping stone on the road to a life-long journey of following Jesus within the worshipping community.
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November Acolyte Schedule |
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|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | 10:45 AM |
| Willow Routh, Alora Vig | |
Confirmation Class Schedule & Supper Schedule
| Nov 20 | Session 8 (7th & 8th Gr.) | Miller/Kirk |
| Nov 27 | NO Confirmation-Thanksgiving Break | NO Wednesday Word or Wednesday Night Supper |
| Dec 4 | Session 9 (7th & 8th Gr.) | Education Committee |
| Dec 11 | Session 10 (7th & 8th Gr.) | Rath/Jeffery |
High School
I want to welcome all senior high students to our Wednesday Evening Youth Group which meets at The Living Room (810 N. Yale) from 7:10-8:10 on Wednesday nights during the school year. On these gathering nights we have open discussions about Bible stories and relevant high interest topics along with an opportunity to share the highs and lows of daily/weekly life. Along with monthly game nights and occasional events, we focus on using our time to explore and try to explain the way we see God working in our lives. It is a very informal and meaningful evening and bringing a friend or friends is always welcomed.
Our High School Youth are encouraged to sign up for reminders by sending a text to: text @oslcy to the number 81010 (This is the main way I will communicate with youth about upcoming events. Parents can sign up too.)
Questions? Please contact Chris Blain at ckblain@gmail.com.
ALSO - A REMIND has been created for OSLC college students and you can text @oslcalum to the number 81010 and this will serve as a nice way to stay caught up during your college years.
Adult Enrichment
One of the great gifts of our Lutheran heritage is the strong emphasis on the life of faith as a journey, always going and growing toward a more mature witness to the love of God in Jesus. We know God is not finished with us yet. Not only is the younger set engaged in learning at OSLC (be it in Sunday School, Wednesday School, Confirmation, First Communion Instruction, Youth Group, Vacation Bible School, Bible Camp, etc.) but our adults are also engaged with the Word through several weekly Bible study opportunities as well as occasional Sunday morning adult classes, book study series and thematic, short-term learning opportunities sprinkled throughout the year.
Join us at 7pm at The Living Room for Young Adults Bible Study Group. Come as you are for a night of fellowship and discussion of the Word. We meet every Tuesday of the month, and, childcare can be provided with advanced notice. Reach out to Brady Harr if interested or with questions (605-641-5949) or bwharr@gmail.com.
Many small group opportunities exist through OSLC for you to grow in God's Word and deepen your faith:
Thursdays, 12:00 pm, Lunch at The Living Room
Women's Circle Bible Studies--Ruth, Deborah, and Esther
Men's Fellowship ~ Second and Fourth Saturdays, 8:00 am, in the Fireside Room
"Two on Tuesdays" Women's Bible Study ~ Second and fourth Tuesdays, 2:00 pm, in the Fireside Room
Marthas Gathering Women's Evening Bible Study
Young Adults' Bible Study at The Living Room, Tuesdays, 7:00 pm
Sunday morning Adult Forum or Bible Discussion
Adult Forums Sunday mornings, 10:00-10:30 am in the Conference Room. Grab your coffee and come to the Conference Room to meet others in our congregation and hear about their involvement and journeys of discovery. Watch for details in worship bulletins!
Please check the church calendar, bulletins, or newsletter for additional gathering dates/times/places!
If you would like to begin a new group, Deacon Laura will be happy to get you started. Contact her at oslc1@rushmore.com or 642-3715.
Summer Camp
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church knows how amazing a week of camp can be and how it can help build the faith of our children, youth, and families. Four summer camps for kids from third through twelfth grades are available through Lutherans Outdoors. For more information, check out Lutherans Outdoors in South Dakota website. Campers from OSLC typically attend summer camp at Outlaw Ranch near Custer, SD, because it is the closest but all camps can be attended.
Families are responsible for registering each of their campers at www.losd.org. Registration opens in November each year for the following summer.
Campers and their families are required to help with fundraising activities that contribute to the campership fund. Youth participate in one or more of the fundraising activities at the church. Camp families plan, cook, and serve the annual Ash Wednesday Soup Supper. The church will contact the families of the campers to participate.
OSLC has a long tradition of assisting families by providing a campership for each camper attending camp, regardless of need.
KidZone
KidZone is a ministry outreach that meets the first Wednesday of each month when the Spearfish School district dismisses students early for teacher in-service. This after school program is a fun, “mini Vacation Bible School” experience, where kids participate in activities, games, arts, and crafts. The kids learn Bible lessons to encourage them to explore and apply their faith in everyday life situations. All kids are welcome and do not need to be a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church to participate.
The cost of the program is $40 for the year per family. This includes transportation from each elementary school via Prairie Hills Transportation.
KidsZone Registration