St. Peter’s children and youth ministry programs exist to reach children, youth and adults in our church and in our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to connect them through relationships with others,to help them grow in their faith, to help them serve others and dedicate their gifts by living their life with God’s guidance.

We follow a Faith Stepping Stones program which is a developmental journey of faith for children and their families beginning at Baptism and going through high school graduation. Pastors and Christian educators have lamented for years that many parents show up with children for church only at Baptism or when it is time for confirmation. They have asked what would happen if we had a faith nurturing system in place that would help people become part of the Christian community at key sacramental junctures of family live instead of just coming to church when specific religious functions are performed. This is what the Stepping Stones program is all about. It is an overarching plan for congregational life that blesses each child at major faith developmental times, gifts the family with support and education appropriate to each faith step and calls the parents back to the promises they made at their child's Baptism. This is a system that challenges us as a church to rethink faith development as family education, enabling parents to grow in the Baptismal covenant with their child.

Faith Stepping Stones marks the key sacramental junctures of family life at seven special times in a child’s spiritual journey:

1. Stepping into Life through the waters of Baptism. Dates for parental instruction and baptism are arranged with the pastor.
2. Stepping into Sunday School 3 year olds are invited on Sunday School Rally day in September, to formally begin attending Sunday School.
3. Stepping into the Word 2nd graders will receive their first study Bible on Reformation Day Sunday in October.
4. Stepping into Forgiveness Preparation of reception of the Lord’s Supper and the beginning of Confirmation instruction. 5th graders, after 6 weeks of instruction with their parents, are invited to begin receiving the Lord’s Supper and be recognized as they begin confirmation instruction.
5. Stepping into the Church through Confirmation. This marks the end of 3 years of study when the child accepts more responsibility for their own faith life. This is celebrated the 2nd Sunday in June.
6. Stepping into High School is celebrated as 9th graders enter high school and begin to grow in their role as young adults in the church.
7. Stepping into the World is a special recognition of 12th graders who have graduated from high school and are taking responsibility for their faith lives as they step away from home and church family. This is celebrated the 3rd Sunday in May.