Youth Ministry

Now you are the body of Christ,
and each one of you is a part of it. 

Students in grades 6 through 12 are invited to join an all-inclusive community that honors the unique gifts each person brings. Together students and invested adult leaders pray, serve, and have fun! There are weekly fellowship opportunities to help grow relationships with one another and God. Regular service opportunities and annual mission trips cultivate servant-leadership in Christ. St. Peter’s Youth Ministry is building the body of Christ, one relationship at a time.

About The Rev. Zack Rugenstone, the Youth Minister:

Hi, I’m (Deacon) Zack. I  grew up in northern Virginia with my parents and younger sister. Throughout middle and high school I was an active member in an Episcopal church that had an emphasis on service to the local community and abroad.  After graduating high school I went on to get a degree in Criminology with minors in Psychology and Sociology from Longwood University. After graduation I went on to Chapel Hill, NC where I worked with the Episcopal Service Corps in a church, a correctional facility, and with an afterschool program for youth. From there I went on to Duke Divinity school where I met my now wife Sarah. Sarah and I graduated and moved to St. Louis together, along with our dog Gus and cat George. Upon our arrival to St. Louis, Sarah began working as a pastor at a local Methodist church and I joined the staff of St. Peters. Outside of St. Peters, I am also teaching a New Testament class at a local university and I am looking forward to exploring all the golf courses, bookstores and coffee shops in the area.

My beliefs:

I affirm the traditional beliefs of the Episcopal Church and the creeds that have been passed down through the generations. 

I believe that social barriers are man made and harmful to the Kingdom of God. I believe that there is nothing that can separate you from the Love of God, that God wants a rich relationship with you, and that the relationship you have with God ought to produce an understanding of gratitude, generosity, and grace for our neighbors that is lived out daily. 

I believe that one of the best ways we can do this is by service in our church, schools, and communities near and far. Through humble service to others we are preaching the gospel with our bodies, walking side by side with Jesus, and strengthening relationships with those around us.