MSM (Middle School Ministry) at Lakeside is all about CONNECTING… student to student, student to leader, and student to God. We provide multiple environments to reach up to God, reach in to other MSM students, and reach out to more students throughout our community.

There are amazing things going on in our middle school ministry! We have a great team of adults who love middle school students and want to build relationships and walk with them as they get to know Jesus better. Our programs are intentionally simple and uncluttered to make what we do excellent, focused and effective. We want to come alongside parents as a resource to help discipleship become a reality in the home.

In addition to our regular programs, we have a number of other big things throughout the year that are great “onramps” to help kids to connect: summer camp, winter camp, missions trips and special events.

Click here to view our calendar →
Follow us on facebook →

Our Leadership

Carl Rettinger
Director of Middle School Ministry
carlrettinger@lakesidechurch.com

Carl was raised among the orchards and computer nerd pioneers of Silicon Valley. In his early years, he attended a Lutheran school, and a Catholic church. In high school, a group of friends invited Carl to check out Young Life (an interdenominational organization of crazy people who love Jesus and students), and he was hooked on youth ministry. He began helping out with junior high ministry, ministry to physically and mentally challenged students, and, in college, was a youth intern.

Soon after graduating from Chico State, Carl was very fortunate to marry his college sweetheart, Laura. They moved to Los Gatos, where he was the interim youth minister at the Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos. They then spent 3 more years running the children’s and youth programs for Norwegian Cruise Line. They then moved to Portland, Oregon to guide white water rafting and rock climbing trips for an outdoor ministry. And after a couple years in the Northwest, Carl received a phone call from Journey Church in Folsom. He ended up taking the Youth Pastor role there in September 1998.

In 2004, Carl jumped into Real Estate as a mortgage planner and started attending Lakeside Church with his better half and his three sons. During a mission trip to Africa with Lakeside’s Ikon students in 2007, he thought to himself, “You were created to work with students – so do it.” Over about a year and a half of praying, searching, and thinking – he ended up right here at Lakeside, working with middle school students in the church and in the community that he knows and loves.

Carl’s vision is to build a healthy, solid ministry that equips parents and leaders to partner in transforming students into passionate, productive followers of Christ.