Inspiring joyful faith; Building a loving community;
Serving Neighbors Near and Far
Good Sam’s youth programs provide a safe place for middle & high school students to gather, explore their faith, ask questions, form friendships and serve the community. We welcome all youth in the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities.
Good Samaritan Family Newsletter, October 2, 2026
Looking Ahead to Fall: Confirmation Planning
Confirmation is such a fun and enriching experience for our students. It is a program that we care deeply about. We are keenly aware of the need for a program that is accessible to families with busy schedules.
Historically, Confirmation was for students in 9th grade. We are now going to open it up to anyone 8th grade and older. When a student enters 8th grade, they will be eligible to register for Confirmation, and they will remain eligible all the way through High school. This way, you can choose when the right time for your family is to participate in Confirmation. Maybe that means waiting to allow siblings to attend together or for a less demanding academic year; maybe your student isn’t interested as an 8th grader, but will become interested as they get older. Whatever the case may be, we want to make this program more accessible!
This model gives us 9 weeks of class in the fall, field trips, and a retreat in the spring, and then service opportunities in the summer that will include in-state and out-of-state opportunities.
If you and your student are curious about this opportunity, drop Jan an email (jan@good.org) and we can chat about it!
Youth Group Outing – October 15, 2026
We will have two service projects, followed by a fun outing and pizza. This event is for youth in 7th grade and up! More info to come.
Bible Sunday – November 15, at 10:00 a.m. Worship
9th graders will all be presented with new, age-appropriate Bibles.
Care Package Time!
It is time to send some love and snacks to our young adults! Please send Jan (jan@good.org) the address of your young adult, and a care package will be sent to them the first week of October! (They can be a college student, a gap-year kid, a military friend, anyone 18 to 22!)
Snapshots is coming this fall!
This is a short multigenerational curriculum that follows the Revised Common Lectionary and is a resource that helps you creatively connect the Scripture and themes in worship with interactive, multigenerational activities. It will be set up in Aldersgate Hall after each service for participation at coffee hour. Jan am really excited to share this new activity with you!
Building Faithful Families
We all have such crazy schedules. Making it to church can sometimes be difficult. To help you build your family’s faith, each month we will have a new resource for you to try at home with your family. These resources don’t need a theology degree, just a desire to be come closer as a family and to strengthen your family’s spirituality.
Road Trip Activity Pack. Four different seek and finds (same picture, 25 different things to find), an activity sheet with word play, and a license plate game sheet. You can pick up this resource from the Welcome Desk in the Narthex or Jan can email them to you – Let her know at jan@good.org if you would like a copy.
Come See Me!
Our lives are so busy with activities that sometimes we don’t always make it to Sunday Worship. To help build our community, it is important to get to know each other. If your student has a concert, big game (or little!) or some other awesome event coming up send an email to Jan@good.org and I will try to make it, and bring your church family too! I am looking forward to spring concerts, games meets and field days!
ASP - Save the Date!
Our ASP trip next summer will be June 19-27, 2027.
Confirmation Class
Confirmation Class (8th grade and older)
- Historically Confirmation was for students in 9th grade. We are now going to open it up to anyone 8th grade and older. When a student enters 8th grade they will be eligible to register for Confirmation, and they will remain eligible all the way through High school. This way you can choose when the right time for your family is to participate in Confirmation. Maybe that means waiting in order to allow siblings to attend together, maybe that means waiting for an academic year that is less demanding, maybe your student isn’t interested as an 8th grader but will become interested as they get older. Whatever the case may be, we want to make this program more accessible! If you know of a family that would be interested in this program, let Jan know!
Youth Group
- Youth Group – 1st and 3rd Sundays, 4:30-6:00 p.m. Please let Jan know if you are planning to attend! jan@good.org
- Sunday School Helpers needed! Youth volunteers can sign up here. Please e-mail jan@good.org if you have questions.
Children, Youth and Family Advisory Board
The Children, Youth and Families Advisory Council provide input into events, programming and the physical space that welcomes our new and existing families. The Council meets quarterly. If you’d like to participate, contact Jan to learn more!
Appalachia Service Project
Making Homes Warmer, Safer, Drier, Transforming Lives
2027 will mark Good Samaritan’s 46th year of participation in ASP, traveling to a location in Central Appalachia to help make critical repairs to family homes. Since COVID, the number of ASP volunteers has decreased, but the need in Appalachia has not diminished and neither has our commitment to serving the wonderful people of this area. We welcome youth who have completed 8th grade on up, college students, young adults, and any other interested adults. Church membership or construction experience are not requirements. Gather friends and family and join us as we repair homes, develop relationships, and build hope. If interested, please email Jan at jan@good.org so we can add you to our email list.
According to the ASP website, “each year, more than 15,000 volunteers serve with ASP, providing critical repairs for more than 350 families.” Projects can include roofing, flooring, shoring up foundations, digging drainage ditches, making rooms or homes wheel-chair accessible, or other projects that help make homes warmer, safer, and drier. In addition to building and improving homes, ASP is also a relational ministry for both the families we serve as well as those serving.
This ministry is about lifting the spirits of Appalachian families and reminding them that God’s love knows no boundaries. In the process of putting your faith in action, God acts in your heart. And when you change the lives of others, they have a way of changing you.