Adolescence is a pivotal time when you figure out who you are and what you believe and is marked by self–discovery and exploration. Schoeneck offers guidance, mentorship, and a safe space for our young people to grapple with questions of faith, values, identity, and purpose by providing a dedicated Youth Ministry.
Schoeneck’s Youth Ministry meets adolescents and teenagers with energy, fun, compassion, and a place to belong as they manage adolescence’s obstacles. Our program encourages our youth to take ownership of their faith by developing a personal relationship with Jesus. We believe in fostering an open dialogue about faith, contemporary issues, and larger theological issues. Our goal is to create a safe place where every youth knows they belong, matter, and are loved so that we can equip them to develop an authentic faith that lasts beyond high school.
We seek to accomplish this by creating environments where they can build Christ–centered relationships with fellow students and caring adults, and by helping them discover God’s calling for their lives. Our Youth Ministry incorporates real–world teaching, worship, relational activities, caring outreach, and a whole lot of fun which our youth will experience as part of what God is doing within Schoeneck.
Young people bring vitality, fresh perspectives, and renewed enthusiasm to our congregation. There are many opportunities at Schoeneck for young people to use their gifts and to lead, whether in worship, children’s ministry, outreach, or committee responsibilities. Involving youth in Schoeneck’s activities helps them develop valuable life skills, a sense of responsibility, and a deeper understanding of their faith. Schoeneck has a long history of supporting youth Christian formation.
Our youth are important because they represent the next generation of church and community leaders. Our congregation gets that. Investing in Schoeneck’s youth is an investment in the long–term sustainability and growth of our church by empowering them to become leaders and stewards of the faith as they carry forward our Moravian teachings, traditions, and values to future generations.
The Youth Ministry of Schoeneck Moravian Church is an active, engaging, welcoming, and inclusive community for its youth and their friends where questions are welcomed, friendships are nourished, creativity is encouraged, and service is essential. We are dedicated to helping all our youth learn to live as faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
Where Is The Youth Room?
The Youth Room is located on the sanctuary level (second floor) of the church. When you come in the main entrance from the parking lot, turn left just beyond the Church Office and head up the stairs. To your left will be the sanctuary and on the right is the Diener’s Kitchen. Go down the hall just past the Diener’s Kitchen and the Youth Room is on the right. We meet here for Sunday School as well as our Senior Youth Group meetings, or just to hang out. You are welcome to join us any time!
Christian Education
Christian Education helps youth develop strong moral and ethical foundations, equipping them with the tools to make informed, faith–based decisions. Sunday School offers a platform for young people to deepen their relationship with God, explore their beliefs, and engage in meaningful discussions about their faith. It promotes a sense of community and belonging among young members, fostering connections with peers with similar values and aspirations.
Confirmation Program
In the Moravian church, confirmation follows a period of instruction in Bible study and education in the doctrines, practices, and heritage of the church. The intent of the program is to provide our students with an understanding of what it means to live in the world as a Christian.
Our confirmation program offers a space for our youth to explore their beliefs, ask questions, and seek guidance, fostering a sense of belonging and identity within the Schoeneck faith community. Confirmation classes help them connect with their spirituality, deepen their understanding of religious teachings, and establish a strong foundation for their life–long faith journey.
Those children who are currently in 7th, 8th, & 9th grade, as well as older children who have not yet been confirmed, are eligible to join Schoeneck’s Confirmation Class. The Confirmation Class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:15 am in Room 10 with Leaders Allene Rampulla and Brian Dishong. For more information on the Confirmation program, please click here.
Please contact the Pastor Ian for more information about your child(ren) joining the Confirmation Classes at Schoeneck.
Sunday School
Our focus in Sunday School for youth is to develop a sound understanding of God’s word and apply Biblical concepts to their everyday lives. Their faith in Christ is strengthened so they can emulate Christ in their everyday living. Sunday School is a chance for youth to ask faith questions and engage in honest conversations.
As they grow into adulthood, we encourage our youth to develop lifelong habits of learning, service, and being in caring relationships with others.
Sunday School is offered most Sundays at 9:15 am, September through June. Even if the Sunday School year may be underway, everyone is welcome to join at any time. The Sunday School Registration Form can be found here. You can print it out and bring it with you on Sunday morning. Please contact JoAnn Heckman, head of our Christian Education Ministry, or Pam Stampf, our Sunday School Coordinator, for more information.
God’s Class (10th – 12th Grades) meets in the Senior Youth Room with Leader Mike Rampulla.
Our oldest youth get together for study, discussion, and fellowship (and occasionally donuts!) We explore the Bible and discuss everyday life and contemporary issues that the youth want to talk about, and how it all relates to the Christian faith. Open conversations, lively discussions, and prayer time occur each Sunday morning. As a group, we encourage everyone to participate, and we welcome all insights and questions.
Summerfest Shepherds
Youth in 6th grade and older are welcome to be shepherds for Summerfest. Summerfest begins on the first Sunday of our Summer Schedule (when worship moves to just one service at 9:30 am). The children go with their family to worship, and after the Children’s Message they are dismissed with the leader and shepherd for that week to be taken to Summerfest.
VBS Helpers
Youth in 6th grade and older are encouraged to serve as class helpers for Vacation Bible School. Our Vacation Bible School is a long-running ministry outreach program which teaches children about the role God plays in their lives. For one week each summer, children gather right here at Schoeneck for three hours in the morning. Our VBS program is for children ages 3 through 5th grade.
Music Opportunities
Participation in worship is pivotal in nurturing young individuals’ spiritual growth and engagement within the church community. Please contact our Director of Music Ministry, Ryan Morrow with any questions about our Music Ministry.
Junior Choir
All young people, 3rd/4th through 8th grade, are encouraged to join our Junior Choir. We enjoy singing fun, youthful songs as well as songs that are a bit more challenging with two vocal parts. The Junior Choir sings several times a year during our 10:30 am worship service. Special services include our Children’s Christmas Eve Lovefeast, Palm Sunday, and Easter Sunday.
The Junior Choir meets for rehearsal on Thursday evenings (from September to May) at 6:45 pm in the Choir Room for about 45 minutes. A schedule of when the Junior Choir will be singing during worship is handed out at the first rehearsal in the fall and again in January. Come sing and have fun with us! Even if rehearsals have already started for the season, youth are welcome to join at any time.
Senior Choir
The Senior Choir is open to everyone from Grade 9 through adult. There is no audition; all skill levels and voice parts (SATB) are invited to participate. Our choir is full of dedicated, kind, and fun-loving people and we enjoy our fellowship together.
The Senior Choir typically prepares an anthem for most of the 10:30 am Sunday worship services. The choir also sings for special seasonal events and services such as the Christmas Eve services and Easter Sunday. Most years we offer a special cantata to the congregation.
Rehearsals for the Senior Choir are on Thursday evening (from September to May) at 7:30 pm in the Choir Room for about an hour. On Sunday mornings we gather in the Choir Room at 10:10 am to go over that day’s anthem before heading up to the balcony together for worship.
Junior Handbell Choir
All young people, 4th through 9th grade, are encouraged to join our Junior Handbell Choir. We play between 8 and 10 times per year, including our Christmas Eve Lovefeasts and Easter Sunday. A schedule of when the Junior Handbell Choir will be playing during worship is handed out at the first rehearsal in the fall and again in January. Junior Bells rehearse on Thursday evenings (September to May) at 6:15 pm in the Sanctuary Balcony for about half an hour, and are led by our Director of Music Ministries, Ryan Morrow. Join in the fun and fellowship as you learn to play handbells and tone chimes!
Please Note: For Fall 2025, rehearsals will not begin until November.
Senior Handbell Choir
The Senior Handbell Choir is open to everyone from Grade 10 through adult. We play for many services during the year but shine the brightest during Christmas and Easter. A schedule of when the Junior Handbell Choir will be playing during worship is handed out at the first rehearsal in the fall and again in January. Senior Bells rehearse on Thursday evenings (from September to May) at 6:45 pm in the Sanctuary Balcony for about 45 minutes, and are led by our Director of Music Ministries, Ryan Morrow. Come ring and have fun with us!
The Brass Choir
Our Brass Choir has the special privilege of announcing the major seasons of the church year — from the resounding peals of triumph on Easter morning to the beloved strains of Christmas chorales on Christmas Eve. All brass players, young and old, are invited to join!
The Brass Choir is open to everyone from Grade 5 through adults. Led by Bill Heiser, we play a half–hour of preludes of traditional chorales before all lovefeasts, in addition to accompanying hymns for several of the lovefeasts. Rehearsals are held as needed. The Brass Choir also plays for our Christmas Eve Lovefeasts, the Easter Sunday Sunrise Service at God’s Acre, Easter Sunday Worship, Memorial Day at God’s Acre, and for funerals when called upon.
Special Music
Special Music is often needed for the 8:00 am or 10:30 am worship services from September to June, for the 9:30 am worship services in the summer, as well as special services throughout the year such as lovefeasts and Holy Week.
Our music program is pleased to provide opportunities for vocal soloists, duets, or small groups to perform for our worship services. We also have opportunities for soloists, duets, trios, and small ensembles to play special instrumental music for our worship services. Sometimes the Senior Choir performs an anthem that needs an instrument besides the organ to accompany them.
Fellowship Opportunities
As Moravians, we value the opportunity to draw nearer to the Lord and grow together as a community. Fellowship opportunities allow our young people to connect with each other, build friendships, and experience a sense of belonging within Schoeneck Moravian Church.
Senior Youth Group
Leaders: Allene & Mike Rampulla
The Senior Youth Group is open to Yoothz in 7th through 12th grade and their friends. We meet approximately twice a month throughout the year, with the exception of the summer months. We get together for fellowship, event and schedule planning, community service, discussions around important topics and events that impact today’s young people, to participate in the worship life and ministry of our congregation, and of course food and fun.
We are blessed to have a strong youth program and leaders, and a congregation that does everything it can to mentor, involve, and support our youth. Come join us! Youth groups are like anything: the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. Youth are encouraged to come to all the meetings.
The Spider Web Social in late October/early November each year is a favorite family activity sponsored by the Senior Youth. We truly enjoy donating a Christmas tree to Moravian Open Door in New York City and helping the residents decorate both it and the day room. We also host an Easter Egg Hunt for the families and friends of Schoeneck. Each year we plan a very lively and creative worship experience for Youth Sunday in the spring.
Past activities include: Bake sales, movie nights, collecting school supplies for Esperanza Bethlehem, making and serving a meal at Safe Harbor, our famous Bible–A–Thon, serving as Dieners for the New Year’s Eve Lovefeast, sleepovers at the church, rock climbing, collecting sheets and blankets for Moravian Open Door, Souper Bowl Sunday, and much more!
Camp Hope
The Moravian Church has a long-standing appreciation for a Christian–based camping experience. Schoeneck encourages our children and youth to attend a week of summer camp at Camp Hope.
Hope Conference and Renewal Center, located in Hope, NJ, offers children and youth an opportunity to experience Christian faith with other Moravian youth in an outdoor setting and leave with memories that are sure to last a lifetime! Schoeneck Moravian Church offers generous 50% tuition reimbursements through the Kyle Butz Memorial Fund.
Junior Counselors: Youth who are age 16 and two years older than the oldest campers being supervised can help at Pre-Primary, Primary, Middler, Swim, and Musical Theater Camps. Junior Counselors stay in cabins with campers and assist Counselors and program staff throughout the day.
For more information about Camp Hope, please click here.
Church-Wide Fellowship Events
Schoeneck Moravian Church strives to bring together church members and friends from all age groups and with diverse interests, and enable stronger personal relationships, through a variety of church–wide events.
Some of these events include the annual Birthday Social, Mother’s Day Tea, Father’s Day Breakfast, Rally Day Festivities, and an Advent Workshop hosted by the Christian Education Ministry. Other activities include church picnics, Fire Pit fellowship, game nights, movie nights, and more. We encourage our youth and their families to join in as many activities and events as you can as a way to share fellowship and faith together.
Eastern District Youth Rally & Youth Convo
The Eastern District holds a Youth Rally for all churches in the Eastern District of the Northern Province every few years. The 2018 Eastern District Youth Rally was held at New Dorp Moravian Church in Staten Island, NY. The 2024 Youth Rally was held right here at Schoeneck!
Convo is a tradition that youth and young adults in the Moravian Church have enjoyed since 1957. Held every two years, Convo traditionally rotates between a gathering here in North America for high schoolers and a gathering elsewhere in the Moravian Unity for young adults. There was no 2021 Youth Convo due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The 2025 Youth Convo took place in Miami, Florida.
Service & Outreach Opportunities
Engaging in outreach activities is a valuable way for youth to participate in service, share their faith, and positively impact the community. Such experiences contribute to a young person’s personal growth and spiritual development, help them connect their faith with real–world actions, and develop a sense of social responsibility. It allows Schoeneck’s Youth Ministry to positively influence the broader community and fulfill the church’s mission of following Jesus’ example in loving and serving all.
The ideas listed below are just a fraction of the service opportunities our Youth have to love and serve God, Schoeneck, and their neighbors. Please see our Serving & Caring pages and our Mission & Outreach pages for more ideas for ways you and your family can get involved.
Greeters & Ushers for Worship Services
Greeters and Ushers provide a welcoming atmosphere for worshipers. This is a great way for families to serve together!
Greeters wait inside the vestibule of the main entrance. They smile, shake hands, and verbally greet people who enter the church.
Ushers welcome worshipers just outside the sanctuary. They offer everyone a friendly smile and a handshake as they give out the worship bulletins Ushers also collect the offering during the worship service.
Scripture Readers During Worship
Our youth are encouraged to participate in this special ministry. We are always looking for people who would like to be part of Sunday morning worship by reading the day’s scripture readings. Special training is not needed — just a desire to share God’s Word with the congregation. Scripture readings will be supplied in advance.
Technology Ministry
Members of the Technology Ministry run the live–stream during our worship services. We are seeking additional people to help with the live-stream on Sunday mornings.
Join the Diener Corps!
Would you like to be a part of a time–honored tradition at Schoeneck? Join the Diener Corps! We need additional Dieners to serve our Lovefeasts. Dieners work in pairs, but if you don’t have someone to partner with, we will gladly find one for you. No experience necessary — “Dienering” is very easy to learn! Please click here for our Diener Corps FAQs.
Help Out Around the Church
Property Work Days or Church Clean–Up Days are usually scheduled once or twice a year. Needed help might include gardening (planting, mulching, weeding), painting, scrubbing or vacuuming, raking leaves, light construction, etc. Many hands make light work! What you don’t know how to do, someone will gladly teach you.
Adopt-A-Highway
Held three times a year on a Saturday morning in April, July, and October, we care for God’s creation as part of the PennDOT Adopt–A–Highway program. Join us as we clean–up our designated 2–mile section of Jacobsburg Road. Participants must be at least 8 years old, and at least one parent/guardian must accompany them. Grab some friends and be a part of keeping our beautiful community green!
Holiday Hope Chest Program
Schoeneck participates in the Holiday Hope Chest Christmas Shoebox Program in November every year. Each holiday season, gift–wrapped shoeboxes filled with age–appropriate gifts make a meaningful, positive impact in the lives of underserved youth. Your youth can fill a shoebox with Christmas items for another youth living in the Lehigh Valley.
Youth Mission Trips
We are exploring the idea of holding a U.S. based week–long Youth Mission Trip in the summer. Please send your thoughts, ideas, questions, and comments to [email protected].
