Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church offers classes and faith formative learning opportunities for all ages. If you have questions about any of the following programs or want to sign up, please contact our Director of Faith Formation, Diane Ott-Hager at 612-789-7256, ext 12. or dianeh@gachurchmpls.org

On this page you will find information about Sunday School--Confirmation Class--Other faith formation opportunities

Faith Formation at GA-Church is
an invitation to grow
in relationship with God.
Listen! God is calling!

The design and intention of most of the Faith Formation offerings is that, even the first-time visitor could jump into the faith conversation. Check the weekly bulletin, monthly Gazette, or the church web site (www.gachurchmpls.org) for dates, times, updates, and other information. Listen! God is calling! Come! Join us for the following:

Faith Formation-SUNDAYs

9:00 a.m. Every Season / Prayer
(Resumes January 8, 2012)
EAST Classroom/Upstairs/Education Wing.
As God grants a new year, a call process for a new pastor, and, so many other transitions, we are making space for an intentional time of shared conversation and prayer. We know some have to
leave the prayer time for rehearsals and other commitments. Join us weekly for whatever time you can as we gather for prayer.

11:15a.m. until Noon—Faith Formation for ALL ages
PLEASE NOTE THIS TIME CHANGE and our COMMENTS about this in the green box, below right.

SPARK! Sunday School 3-year-olds-Kindergarten Downstairs/Education Wing Leaders: Diana Hendrickson, Gayle Huble, Dee Kjera, and Mary Nelson-Yunker First-Fifth Grade Students Upstairs/Education Wing Leaders: Patrick Arneson, Tiffany Clark, Kim Huseonica, William Huseonica, and Donna Thotland GA-Sunday Morning Youth & Adults-Downstairs/Faith Room Led by Pastor Dave, the Radical Hospitality book study will reconvene from the December hiatus on January 15th.

SUNDAY SCHOOL TIME CHANGE COMMENTS A unanimous decision for this 45-minute Faith Formation time frame was made at the December 12th Church Council meeting as a response to the November 13th Children’s  Ministry meeting (which followed Worship). The earlier-and-shortened time frame will remain in place through Sunday, May 20th (the last day of Sunday School). Alternate models for multigenerational and age-specific Faith Formation offerings will be explored during 2012 in anticipation of the 2012-2013 academic year. Watch for future dialogues/meetings to offer your input.

Other opportunities for Sunday Morning participation—Anyone, of any age, is invited to get involved in worship, hospitality, or fellowship ministry by participating in worship as a greeter, reader, musician, or usher or by serving in the kitchen during fellowship time. See Serving Opportunities Page or Worship & Music Page

SUNDAY, January 15, 5:00 p.m.
DOING GOOD TOGETHER!
Building strong families,
caring kids and a better world
The Young Families Ministry at Mount Carmel Lutheran Church invites GA Church families for supper and a speaker
(beginning with supper) at 5:00 pm. on Sunday, the 15th.
Following supper, the children will be engaged in supervised activities in MtC’s child care center, while the adults hear
speaker-Jenny Friedman inspire us to make a difference in our community! “If you think one family can’t do much to heal a
troubled world, think again. When parents and children perform community service projects together, they learn that every human being has worth, that we are stewards of this planet, and that the world is a better place when we care for one another. Often all it
takes is a little direction and inspiration from their school, parent group or faith community to get started.”

Jenny Friedman, Ph.D., is Founder and Executive Director of
Doing Good Together (doinggoodtogether.org).
She’s author of The Busy Family’s Guide to Volunteering and co-author of Doing GoodTogether: 101 Easy, Meaningful Service Projectsfor Families, Friends and Communities. The mother of three children and authority on family community service, Friedman’s workshops and speaking engagements are inspiring, engaging and
full of practical advice.

There is no cost involved in this event on January 15th,
but, you must RSVP to Mount Carmel(612-781-2796)
by Wednesday, January 11th ,
to insure appropriate preparations will be made.

Faith Formation-MONDAYs

6:30—8:30 p.m. (Beginning January 23, 2012)
Eric Metaxas’BONHOEFFER:Pastor Martyr, Prophet, Spy
A perusal copy of Eric Metaxas’ book, Bonhoeffer , is available in the Narthex. Contact Diane Ott-Hager (612-789-7256, ext. 12 OR
dianeh@gachurchmpls.org), for more information about this study/discussion.

Faith Formation-WEDNESDAYs

12:00 p.m. —1:15 p.m. (Resumes January 11, 2012)
Book of God Study
This group continues the conversation about Walt Wangerin’s writings/interpretations of Scripture-asnovel. Check the weekly bulletin announcements and/or call the Church Office (612-789-7256) for reading assignments.

6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m.(Beginning January 11, 2012)
Confirmation Class (grades 6-8)
Confirmation students will meet for class weekly on Wednesdays, starting January 11. Classes will meet from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at GA-Church. Themes for Confirmation student study will include: living as a justified, sanctified, baptized Child of God …and God’s promise and power in forgiveness and reconciliation. Mark the following dates on your 2012 calendar:
January 11, 18, 25 & February 1, 8, 15.

Faith Formation-THURSDAYs

1:00 p.m.—2:30 p.m.(beginning January 12, 2012)
GENESIS: A Living Conversation
From pbs.org: From the creation of the world to its destruction by flood, from the first man and woman in God's image to the intrigues of the patriarchs and matriarchs, from fratricide to reconciliation, from being called by God to calling on God — for more than two thousand years Jews, Christians and Muslims have plumbed the stories from Genesis for their religious, moral and ethical meanings. In GENESIS: A Living Conversation, Bill Moyers gathers thoughtful and engaging individuals Biblical scholars, writers, artists, psychotherapists, teachers, scientists, composers, lawyers, college presidents, journalists, members of the clergy, and translators —
discover what the Genesis stories say to us today.

Confirmation 2011-2012

See Wednesday class above!

Confirmation at GA Lutheran Church is for students in grades 6, 7, & 8th grade. GA Lutheran Church, Mount Carmel Lutheran Church, and Northeast Community Lutheran Church are partners in this ministry. For more information or to sign up for classes, contact, Director of Faith Formation, Diane Ott-Hager. Contact info is listed at the top of this page.

Reconciling in Christ

On May 3, 2009 in a Special Congregational Meeting Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church passed a motion to become a Reconciling in Christ congregation. To get some general information about RIC, click here.

Aveda Cap Recycling Program The Sunday School children are participating in the Aveda Cap Recycling Program. You may join the children in being good stewards of God’s creation. Simply bring your clean, rigid polypropylene plastic bottle caps to church and deposit them in the boxes on the bookshelf upstairs by the office. Caps that meet the guidelines include shampoo, water, pop, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergent and peanut butter jar lids. SPECIAL NOTES: Only rigid plastic caps that screw-on are acceptable. So, no yogurt lids or margarine or cottage cheese covers, please. And no caps from medicines are accepted. When we have a sufficient supply, we will ship them to Aveda. The children appreciate your support of this project. If you have any questions, please contact Tracey.