WHAT'S UP NEXT AT IYC...

+Teen Bible Study resumes Sunday, Nov 28@9am

+Youth Gathering '22- Register by this Sunday the 21st!

+IYC: No meeting this Sunday the 21st

+Save the Date! Workcamp '22: July 16-23

+Click here for the IYC Fall Calendar

register now until nov 21- no procrastinating!

Registration is open now until Sunday, Nov 21 for a once in a lifetime mega-event, the LCMS National Youth Gathering. It will be a gathering of 25,000 Christian teens and adult leaders next July in Houston, TX. If you're passionate about living for Jesus and excited to grow as a disciple, this trip is for you!  Look over the FAQ/Registration form at this link and print it or pick up a paper copy at church.

teen bible study every sunday@9am

Resuming Sunday, November 28...

If you're a teen in any grade, it's the perfect time to crack open your Bible and dig in... Sunday mornings at 9am! We're back in-person every Sunday this fall, gathering in the youth room and letting God's Word take root in our hearts. We're in the first weeks of reading through Revelation, or is it Revelations... let's figure it out together!

final feast sunday the 14th

This past Sunday was my final Sunday at IYC, and it was a night that really blessed me! Pizza, cake, cookies, 9 Square, words of  love and some amazing family togetherness left me praising God for his goodness. Thanks to all who planned this night, and to all who came to be a part of it. I'll never forget it!

In Christ, Tom

servant saturday@feed my starving children

IYC brought a strong crew of 25 to Feed My Starving Children on October 16, and our shift packed many thousands of meals for the truly needy children of the world! In fact, we packed enough to feed 35 kids for an entire year, and that's a pretty good way to spend a Saturday night! Praise God that we can participate in sharing his love by serving in this way!

In Christ, Tom

fall retreat 2021- another one bites the dust :(

The IYC 2021 Fall Retreat is another COVID casualty, and 2021 ends up being Year II without a beloved weekend retreat getaway. God willing, we'll be returning sometime in 2022 to Walcamp and our IYC home-away-from-home in the woods! 

"worth it"... iyc workcamp '21

"Worth It" was the theme and a great summary of Workcamp '21! We worked together, serving 3 residents of Lincoln on 3 intense sites during a hot week of reconnecting and bonding in July. Take a look at our photo albums, which tell the story of our shared mission experience. There are two albums to take in, both pretty much in chronological order- one focusing on what happened at our work sites (click here), and the other filling in everything else, an album we call "Downtime" (click here). Then read through our crew reports, written by our teen workcampers, assembled in the "Workcamp Annual Report" at this link. We praise God for his faithfulness and for empowering our crew to build his Kingdom! 

photo scavenger hunt '21!

God gave us a beautiful evening to roam DG for the perfect photo opps for our summer '21 Photo Scavenger Hunt. Take a look at the results in the album at this link. When the points were tallied up, turns out everyone was a winner, with a tie score of 1450 photo points for each group. Go figure!

servant saturday@fmsc

 The IYC Feed My Starving Children crew had a great evening of service back on May 1st. What we did was so much better than the usual Saturday night shenanigans, as our shift packed enough meals to feed 27 kids for an entire year! Thanks to all who served- if you missed out, we'll head back later this year!

start your day with a "god moment"!

It's so great to start the day with a passage of God's Word! And our hi-tech world makes it so easy to experience a "God Moment" each and every weekday through a text message of a carefully chosen Bible verse. We pray that the Holy Spirit will use it to deepen your faith and bring an awareness of God's presence into your day. Text your name to Tom's cell or call him at 630-968-3112 option 5 and leave your name and cell number and he'll add you in!

new iyc worship songbook and playlist!

Now that we're back together, we're singing from a refreshed songbook full of your suggestions. Check into the Spotify IYC Worship 2020 playlist (click here), and make it a part of the soundtrack of your life!

iyc winter fun night this sunday the 31st!

We always have an eye out for an IYC Winter Fun Night, and lately we're lucky to get one per year. But, good news... it looks like that one per year is this Sunday! We're planning, if the weather cooperates, on meeting at 4:30pm at Ebersold Park at Main and 59th in DG with our sleds, snowpants, scarves and mittens, and hitting the slopes until we're (almost) frozen solid. Join us for a noisy, wet, exhausting and exhilarating evening! 

iyc "covid detour" continues sunday the 13th

With the changes in our state COVID orders, IYC is back "in the cave" for the moment. Even cave dwellers can connect, though, and we will be doing that this Sunday the 13th@7pm on the Zoom grid. Expect a fun game, student-led small group discussion and prayer, followed by open-ended hangout time. We're going to keep growing in faith and friendship any way we can! Click here to join our Zoom time, no masks required! 

iyc 5k walk for hunger... well done!

5K RESULTS: WELL DONE, FAITHFUL IYC'ERS! SO FAR YOU & YOUR FAMILIES HAVE DONATED $623 TO FEED THE HUNGRY! PRAISE GOD!

Let's try again! Gather at church this Sunday the 25th at 3:30pm for our first IYC 5K Walk for Hunger! Wear good walking shoes, dress for the weather and bring a mask and a good donation to our great cause, Feed My Starving Children. To put together a good donation: start with yourself, prayerfully dedicating some of the cash you've been saving for a rainy day to bless those who are in desperate need. Top off your donation by inviting family and friends to make a difference by supporting this worthy cause. Donations can be either cash or checks made out to Immanuel Lutheran Church. Even if you can't donate, come to walk!

iyc diy picnic coming sunday the 26th

This Sunday the 26th we're going to put together an IYC Do-It-Yourself picnic at church, enjoying a meal together, our low-exertion outside games and a gathering time of discussion and devotion.
To make this DIY Picnic happen, everyone should bring their own fave picnic dinner and drink, along with a chair, blanket or beach towel. As always, bring a mask, too, and bug spray if desired. In these covid times we're not sharing anything, and that's the loving thing to (not) do!
Before coming, please review the COVID guidelines in the post below, and let's join together in prayer for good weather and a great evening!

iyc night zoom this sunday the 28th

JOIN HERE!

IYC gathers for a Zoom meeting this Sunday, June 28 at 6:30pm. We spend time as a large group and in small groups to catch up and grow together, even while we're apart! Watch your Remind texts for the meeting password or text Tom. Click under the image to join the meeting!

in the word at home... and together!

Join your IYC friends as we begin a 12 day topical study through the YouVersion bible app. We're going very topical with a study exploring speaking up for the disadvantaged, the oppressed and other victims of injustice in our world. Download the free app and join the "Patterns for Peace" study or go to this link on a computer. 

stuck@home bible challenge!

With shelter-in-place in effect, you'll never have more time to crack open your Bible and draw near to God through his Word. So take up this challenge! See how much ground you can cover, and how much God blesses you! Check in with me for the details, the fringe benefits and how and where to get started.

In Christ, Tom

iyc night this sunday the 17th

This Sunday the 17th high school teens will gather on Zoom at 6:30pm for a unique IYC Night. Dan A will be kicking off a Memorial Day service project, explaining it and gathering volunteers. Hannah C will then lead our first Kahoot! game night, and we will close in prayer among prayer partners.
In order to pull off Kahoot, you need to bring 2 devices to the meeting- one to connect with our Zoom meeting and one for Kahoot. Any combination of desktop, laptop, Chromebook, iPad or cell phones will be fine.
Join the meeting at this link, watch your Remind messages for the password!

feel free to reach out!

IYC'ers and friends, please don't hesitate to contact me for any reason during this strange COVID time- updates, ideas, questions, prayer, support or just to chat. Call/text my cell or email at tlithio@ilcdg.org. If you're not receiving the IYC morning Bible texts and would like to, reply here or text your name to my cell. It's an easy way to hear God at the start of each day and I'd love to include you!
In Christ, Tom