Youth Ministry
Our Mission:
The Mission of West Market Street UMC is to glorify God as we make, nurture and send forth teenage disciples of Jesus Christ.
West Market Street UMC believes in teenagers! We want to create a magnetic environment where youth will want to bring their friends and look forward to returning each week. We dream of helping each 6th – 12th grade student grow in their faith and become the person that God created them to be. We offer opportunities for spiritual growth, social growth, service, prayer, worship and plenty of fun and laughter.
West Market Street UMC believes that youth ministry can make a huge difference in the life of each teenager. We offer a variety of opportunities for 6th – 12th grade students to grow deeper in their relationships with God and with one another. We offer two weekly Sunday school classes, UMYF on Sunday nights, Confirmation for 8th graders on Sunday mornings, a Wednesday night class, retreats in the fall and spring, a Mission trip in the summer and many opportunities for service throughout the year.
Sundays mornings:
(Remember that both the 9:45 and 11:00 Youth Classes are open to all 6th – 12th Grade Youth)
9:45 a.m. in Room 405 – Our Creative Bible class, led by Rebecca Parker, is continuing to use the Creative Bible Series. The past discussions centered in Genesis, and the current study is focusing on the Prophets. Later in the spring we will explore the life of Jesus Christ.
11:00 a.m. in Room 405 - The AfterWords Class which meets after the 9:40 service will be a study based on Biblical Scripture and will look into the world we live in to find the relevance of God’s word for us today. We have outlined each month to cover a specific topic and scriptures. Presentation of topics will vary from debate, use of media, to experiential worship, group research and acts of service. We will also have adult leaders and youth share in presenting topics.
11:00 a.m. in Room 403 – Our Confirmation class is for all 8th grade students. Confirmation is an important rite of passage in the life of teenagers. It allows our youth to explore their faith, to ask questions in a safe environment, to learn more about our faith heritage, to discover and experience a closer relationship with Jesus Christ through spiritual practices, and to be given the opportunity to "Claim the Name" of Christian for themselves.
Sunday nights:
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in Room 403 – Our United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF) meets each week to provide teenagers a safe space to explore their faith as they grow closer to God and to one another. At 5:30 p.m. we enjoy a meal and conversation with friends. At 6:30 p.m., we gather for prayer and for a Biblical lesson on how to follow Jesus in our world today. We schedule a variety of Bible teaching, service opportunities, creative worship, prayer, and fun together. We learn a lot but we also have fun and laugh a lot! We look forward to this connection time together each week!
Wednesday nights:
6:30 p.m. in Room 405 – “God in America” led by John James. Each Wednesday night we will watch a video introduction, and then discuss how religious faith has shaped our country. Interweaving documentary footage, historical dramatizations, and interviews with religious historians, this documentary series is an in-depth exploration of the important role of religion in the public life of the United States.
Summer Mission Trip to Newport, Tennessee:
Sunday, June 26 to Friday, July 1 – Our Youth Mission Team will serve God in the mountains of Newport, Tennessee. Youth Works is the organizing company for our trip. Please see www.youthworks.com for additional information. We will travel together in our church vans to the Smoky Mountains to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in Newport, TN. The cost for our trip is $300, and includes transportation, lodging, meals, tools and all supplies.
This area is beautiful, but the town’s remote location provides little opportunity for residents, many of whom struggle with unemployment and poverty. We will focus on home painting, home repair, Kid’s Club and community service. Our group’s willingness to refresh a worn out exterior of a house with a new coat of paint brings real hope and an opportunity to share the love of Christ. Whether we’re painting houses, performing minor home repair, cleaning up debris, volunteering in community gardens or other projects in the community, the projects students work on will serve as our way of blessing people in need.
We will have the chance to meet and serve with youth from other churches, which gives us a wonderful opportunity to make new friends.
Evening activities during a Youth Works week are designed to give participants insight into the lives of local residents and the culture of the area. A list of possible evening/cultural activities include: going on a hike in Smoky Mountain National Park, attend a bluegrass concert or clogging fest, attend a local church service, and attend a community cookout.
To sign up, contact Nancy Hamilton at 336-275-4587 ext. 12.
Confirmation Retreat at Mt. Shepherd Retreat Center:
Friday, March 4 to Sunday, March 6 – Everyone in our 8th Grade Confirmation class is encouraged to join us for a weekend to remember! We will each grow closer to God and to one another during our retreat at Mt. Shepherd Retreat Center in Asheboro, NC. We will enjoy morning devotions with God out in nature, creative Bible lessons, a rock climbing wall, hiking, campfire and s’mores, delicious food, and lots of good times and laughter together. To sign up, contact Nancy Hamilton at 336-275-4587 ext. 12.
If you have questions, or want to learn more about our Youth Ministry, please call the church office at 336-275-4587 and ask for Rev. Jeff Peck, Minister of Youth.
Home
Ministry & Service
