What We Do
Youth Weekly Activities
Sunday:
Church School
For youth who attend Morning Worship at Jefferson Street, Sunday School meets from 9:15 to 10:00AM. Youth will receive Christian instruction by caring Church School teachers.
UMYF/Youth
Each Sunday evening we meet for fun, fellowship and programs. Known as UMYF or simply "Youth", this time together is the heart of our minstry. We will share a meal, engage in fun and games, sing and enjoy program time on topics of important spiritual development. Summer from 6-8PM; School year daylight savings time 5:30-8PM; regular time 5-7:30PM.
Wednesday:
AM Bible Study (during school)
Meets each Wednesday at 7AM at a youth member's home for breakfast and a short biblical devotional. (During summer the bible study moves to the evening). Transportation is provided to school. If necessary, rides to the bible study can be arranged by calling John Hudson (442-7977) or John Crocker (442-2371).
In the summer time- Bible Study will be Wednesday nights at a youth parent's home from 6-8pm
Rec Night
The church opens its recreational areas for youth fun and fellowship from 6-8PM (Wednesdays during school & Mondays during the summer) with adult supervision. It is a time for just plain good natured fun with volleyball, basketball, movies, ping-pong, and pool.
Spiritual Events
Youth list retreats as one of the most critical spiritual and faith developing encounters of their lives.
Local Group Retreats:
Youth at Jefferson Street experience 3 local group retreats--Fall, Spring, & Summer. We pack and travel to a nearby retreat center for a weekend of spiritual fellowship. Each of the retreats focuses on issues of importance to youth and their Christian development.
Conference (Statewide) Events:
Members of our family participate in numerous statewide youth events. The most popular are Junior and Senior High Spiritual Life Retreat at Camp Wesley Pines in the winter and Convo in the Summer. The church invests in our family experience by covering half the cost of these events.
Summer Trip:
Our church youth year culminates with a summer trip to distant locations. During this mountaintop experience, we begin spending time in fellowship and fun and end with a spiritual retreat the last few days. The theme this year will center around THE TRUTH ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN--THE TRUTH, THE PRICE, THE PAYOFF. This year we will travel to Texas!
To participate each youth pays a $100 assessment, and each person must raise $550 toward the trip and participate in at least 25% of our youth activities along with at least one service opportunity. We provide 4 fund raisers to enable youth to meet the financial goal--Fruit Sale, Dinner Theater, Barbecue, and Work-a-thon. We tithe to the church 10% of all funds raised.
Service to Others
Our Youth family participate in several service opportunities responding to the Call of Christ to care for others.
Missions Fest--Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity; St. Andrew Mission:
Each summer family members participate in a week of missions. We will dedicate a week of labor at these and other service sites.
Clowning Ministry:
Our clowning troupe spends several Saturdays applying grease paint and becoming fools for Christ. They travel to nursing and childrens homes, hurricane shelters bringing God's cheer to lonely places. We will occasionally interrupt morning worship with a poignant Christian message.
MLK Service Weekend
Instead of taking a day off, our family honors the holiday by a weekend of service. We will travel to New Orleans or the Mississippi Gulf Coast to serve people still suffering from the effects of hurricanes.
Xolani Experience Hlophe:
For over 15 years we have adopted a South African child. Our child now is Xolani. Youth regularly contribute from their personal funds to send monthly monetary support covering Xolani's daily needs.
Missions Fundraising Dinners
We sponsor two fund raising dinners after Morning Worship to support our three Missions projects. They are the Youth Service Fund, a conference sponsored fund financing youth oriented service projects around our state, nation and world, Nothing but Nets (an international effort to provide mosquito nets for families in Africa), and our local Boys and Girls Club.
General Service Activity:
Throughout the year family members will regularly serve at StewPot. At Christmas we carol to church shut-ins and to local nursing homes. We regularly add other service projects.
Just for Fun!
In addition to the great fun experience at youth, the retreats, the summer trip and rec nights, we do several other fun events. We recognize that Christian fun is essential to balanced spiritual development. Our fun activities include lake parties, a Christmas party, a Super Bowl party and day trips to fun happenings like college football games or to the water park.
Youth Activities Week:
Each Summer we experience a week of fun activities with a guest speaker to lead us. We will play kickball, dodgeball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, flag football, swim, scavenger hunt, and have a fine progressive meal together.
Lock-Ins
At least twice a year we hold an overnight lock-in at the chruch for just fun and entertainment. Usually held at Christmas and to kick off the summer, we will share fun activities all night long.
Drama Ministry
Dinner Theater:
Each year the Jefferson Street Players don period costumes and present a full length Broadway play. We seek to present drama masterpieces that embrace theological or eternal truths about the human condition and spirit. Years of presentations have developed quite a reputation for quality and entertainment.
Special Worship Services:
Each summer the youth take over a Sunday morning worship service which has become one of our church's more popular worship experiences primarily due to the several dramatic moments included and the contemporary and compelling messages presented. Special dramatic presentations by youth at Christmas and Easter enhance the worhsip experience for our congregation.
Praise Band
Our praise band, called Open Eyes, leads music on Wednesday nights, performs at Lock-ins, occasional Sunday Morning Worship, and will present at other venues this year. The band focuses on Contemporary Christian favorites spiced with other compelling specials. The band is constantly seeking new talent!
