Building Relationships, Building Faith

Your preteens and teens are invited to participate in our many opportunities to learn and grow as disciples of Christ. Beyond Sunday morning classes, the youth ministry extends to Sunday evening Youth Group, with special opportunities for friendship and learning through retreats, outings, missions and participation in conferences.

CHURCH SCHOOL

Middle School Class (grades 6 – 8)
The co-teachers will use current events and pop-culture to help students examine their faith and how they choose to express it, and what relevance, wisdom and guidance Scripture has for how they respond to the circumstances in their lives.

High School Class (grades 9 – 12)
The co-teachers will focus on life issues which youth face everyday: prejudice, gossips, conflict, peer pressure, getting along with others, positive thinking, choices and decisions. They will utilize Scripture, meditation, first person stories of faith, films, videos, and other resources to enhance their discussions.

Youth Groups
We have two youth groups – Middle and High School; they meet separately approximately twice per month Sunday evenings on a set schedule from 6:30–8:00 p.m. at the church. Both groups will utilize the skills and guidelines taught at their fall orientations to:

• Create an atmosphere of trust
• Help each youth develop a sense of belonging
• Involve the youth in decision making, as appropriate
• Show kindness and encouragement to peers and expect it in return
• Set clear expectations and goals for the groups
• Develop a feeling of cooperation rather than competition

Both groups will be expected to honor the ground rules, which will be posted in a prominent place and reviewed periodically:

• Attentive listening – paying close attention to one another’s words and feelings; one person speaks at a time; giving another caring, respect and consideration.
  
• No put downs/Give appreciations – avoid negative remarks, name-calling, hurtful gestures and behaviors. Instead treat each other with kindness and state specific appreciation for their unique qualities, value and contribution to others and to the group.
  
• Right to pass – each youth can choose when, and to what extent, they will participate. This builds safety within the group process.
  
• No Names/No Gossip – honoring the group’s sharing; solving problems without using names of individual(s).

The groups will participate in denominational activities as appropriate and feasible. They will participate in fund raising activities, which are used to supplement the Youth Budget. All youth and their parents are encouraged to take an active role in youth group activities.

Youth Group Advisors
Both youth groups have advisors to plan, lead meetings and chaperone activities. The advisors may be parents, or other First Church adults interested in this ministry. Safety in activities, in supervision, and in following the church’s policies is emphasized.

Middle School Youth Group
This group is open to Middle School students in the 6–8 grades. Their regular meeting will focus strongly on group building skills, fellowship, recreation and service. A yearly activity for this group is cooking and serving dinner at Faith Mission on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

High School Youth Group
This group is open to youth in the 9–12 grades. Their theme for this year will be looking at life issues in other cultures and comparing those with our own lives and culture through the prism of our faith.

Mission Project
Each summer our High School Youth Group does a week-long Mission Project to an impoverished area of the country or to help a family in need. We may paint houses, hang and mud drywall, or do repair work.

Confirmation
Confirmation is a process that helps our youth grow in their understanding of God, the church and their faith. The Senior Minister teaches the Confirmation class for ninth graders, or any unconfirmed youth who have joined the church after ninth grade. This special class begins in the fall and ends with the Rite of Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday (in May or June). Each confirmand is assigned a mentor for the year to work with them on special projects as part of the class.