St. John’s Youth Ministry is committed to providing a strong Christian environment for learning, growth and fellowship. We have numerous ways for youth to get connected at St John’s, including an annual Youth Sunday where youth lead worship.
St. John’s Youth Group
St. John’s Youth is a community & discipleship group for students in 6th-12th grades with many activities throughout the year. Youth are able to dive deeper into our faith through mission trips and weekly activities in which we learn more about God and are in fellowship with each other.
Sunday Afternoons
Youth Bible Study meets on the first Sunday of each month during the school year from 4-5:30 p.m. (unless otherwise specified in the youth calendar). Activities vary from week to week but typically include icebreaker activities, games, and a Bible Study lesson. Our lessons might include hands-on activities, a movie clip, media or diving into Scripture. Our goal is to strengthen friendships and our relationship with Christ and HAVE FUN!
Youth Bible Study is hosted by a different church family each month. Please email our Youth Director, Connor Dean (connordean@stjohnsbr.org), for addresses of host homes.
February 2 Host: Walker Family
March 2: No Youth (Mardi Gras Break)
April 6 Host: Hartman-Winn Family – Pastor Lane’s house!
Wednesday Night Live (WNL)
The third Wednesday of each month, the St. John’s youth group meets for dinner, fellowship, and team building. This time is focused on building better relationships and fostering closer bonds among our students. The Wednesday Night Live for each month is announced during worship, in our youth newsletter, and promoted on our Instagram. For more information, please contact Connor Dean, our Director of Youth & Children’s Ministries.
Community Connection Pop-Up Events
The St. John’s Youth Community Connection events are all about fostering greater fellowship and building stronger relationships among our students. One Saturday each month, we gather at a local ice cream shop, bubble tea parlor, or other eatery to enjoy refreshments, play games, share joys & concerns, and pray together. For information on the next Community Connection event, please contact the Director of Youth & Children’s Ministries.
Youth Sunday School
Youth Sunday school meets from 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Retreats, Mission Trips, and More!
Happening Retreat | January 16-18, 2026
Happening is a Christian experience presented by teenagers, for teenagers with the help of clergy and lay adult leadership. The Happening program is meant to be one of the instruments within the Anglican Tradition of renewing the Christian church in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that the church may more readily respond to its call to spread the Kingdom of God throughout the world. It seeks to achieve this purpose by bringing young persons and adults to fuller personal knowledge of and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to a deeper level of commitment and apostleship.
For more information on the history of the Happening Retreat, please click here.
For more information about how to register for the Louisiana United Methodist Happening, please click here.
Common Ground Retreat | February 21-23, 2025
The Common Ground Youth Retreat is set for February 21-23, 2025, at Camp Istrouma, offering a weekend of connection, faith-building, and fun for United Methodist youth in grades 6-12 across Louisiana. Organized by youth directors from the Louisiana United Methodist Conference, the retreat invites young people to deepen their relationship with Christ and each other in a supportive environment.
Common Ground provides an opportunity for youth across the Conference to find shared purpose and grow in faith. The event organizers encourage early registration to ensure a spot for this meaningful weekend. The event promises a range of activities tailored to engage and inspire youth throughout the weekend.
Summer Tour | Wednesdays in June & July, 6-8 PM
Each Summer, the youth directors from United Methodist churches in the Greater Baton Rouge area come together to plan collaborative group programming for 6th-12th grade students called Summer Tour. Instead of meeting for regular youth Bible Study and fellowship on Wednesday nights, we meet with other United Methodist youth groups in the Greater Baton Rouge area to worship, grow in discipleship, share a meal, and play games.
A different youth groups hosts each week, meaning every Wednesday the students meet at a different location. Stay tuned for more information on Summer Tour ’25!
Summer Mission Trip | TBD
Youth Service Week | July 27 – August 1, 2025
| Each summer, It will take place during the week of July 27 – August 1. We are currently contacting local charities to schedule an assortment of exciting and varied volunteer opportunities. Each day, we will also have an engaging fellowship activity like laser tag, bowling, go karts, and more! The participation fee for Youth Service Week is $25. This amount is due no later than June 1, to ensure that we can get all of our bookings scheduled and finalized. |
| Potential Volunteer Partners: St. Mark’s UMC Feeding Mission Shepherd’s Market Food Pantry Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank BREC Park Beautification Friends of the Animals (Animal Shelter) Life Source Hospice | Potential Activities: Celebration Station Surge Entertainment Blue Bayou Water Park Uptown Climbing (Rock Walls) Sky Zone Trampoline Park Mystery Party & Lock-In |
Youth Halloween Party | October 19, 2025
The University UMC youth group is hosting a Halloween Party on Sunday, October 19th from 5 – 7 PM. We will play some Halloween-themed games and have a costume contest. (Students, please use discretion for costumes, nothing too scary or inappropriate.) Other United Methodist youth groups in the Greater Baton Rouge area will be joining, too – It’s sure to be a good group of students and leaders!
This event is free to attend, but we ask that students please bring a food item to share. Students with last names starting with A-K should bring a salty/savory snack to share. Students with last names starting with L-Z should bring a sweet snack to share. Snacks can be Halloween-themed or simply cookies/chips. Drinks, plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery will be provided.
BRING FRIENDS TOO! There will be a prize for best duo & best group costumes!
Youth Christmas Party | December 14, 2025
There will be a large group Youth Christmas Party for UMC youth in the Greater Baton Rouge area on Sunday, December 14 from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Location TBD. The evening will include dinner, a hot cocoa bar, and Christmas games (including a gift exchange). Students should bring a gift costing no more than $10 for the gift exchange activity.
Connect with St. John’s Youth
Follow us on Instagram @youthstjohns!
There is a weekly Youth News email. Sign up by emailing office@stjohnsbr.org.
You can receive text updates and notifications from St. John’s Youth by texting “youth” to (225) 230-1017 on your cell phone.
