Ministry Opportunities (What we do as a group)
- Sunday Night Youth Group meeting - This is the main event. Everything in youth group is centered around what is taught here. It is meant to be a safe environment to learn, ask questions, fellowship, have fun, and go deeper with God. Lessons typically deal with Christian living, equipping of the saints, and personal growth. There are small discussion groups, worship, group games, gaming tables, music and videos, and a snack-shop.
- Sunday School - This is a “lecture” type learning hour (forget everything you know about boring lectures, this is energetic and fun Bible teaching). The main focus here is learning the Bible. The curriculum we use (Standard Publishing: Encounter) does deal with life issues as well, framing them into the larger scheme of Biblical literacy and understanding.
- Bible Studies - We try to do a book/Bible study in the summer and at least one other time a year. This exercise is meant to deepen Biblical understanding in light of specific issues that teenagers may be facing. In the past our summer studies have dealt with spiritual disciplines, the sufficiency of Christ, sexuality and dating, world religions and how to live in a pluralistic world, and extreme faith (faith that shows in every area of life, not just on Sunday morning)
- Prayer Breakfast - This is a monthly opportunity to meet with friends before school and pray for each other. Each month we choose a different destination, either someone’s home or a restaurant.
- Compassion Projects - Some people call them service projects. We choose to take the focus off of the action and put it on the attitude. These projects are designed to stretch teens, pull them out of their comfort zone and put them in a situation where they must be selfless and think of another person's needs. The project could be anything from raking leaves for the elderly to organizing clothes or toys at a homeless shelter.
- Missions trips - Sometimes it is good to get away from everything that is familiar and serve people you have never met. This gives teens a chance to see beyond Northeast Ohio to larger needs on a more global or national scale. Examples include our annual Mexico trip, going to Alaska to support a sister church and do outreach to the communities around it, traveling in the mountains of West Virginia to help rebuild a church, and in the future possibly traveling to places such as Burkina Faso in Western Africa, India, or Japan.
- Dinners - While most every dinner we do is a fundraising opportunity for teens that are going on trips, they are asked to work and serve. This accomplishes two things: It reinforces the need and the call to be a servant to people, and it also teaches the value of working to earn their way.
- Atwood - Every January we go away for a spiritual emphasis weekend. This retreat always includes three or four themed sessions that last 2 hours that challenge all of us in some spiritual area. We use videos, drama, music, and games in every session to make it both exciting and interesting. Also planned into the weekend are plenty of opportunities to just soak in the atmosphere, including snow football, swimming, and free time just to enjoy each other’s company. In the past we have examined such broad topics as spiritual warfare (not in a physical sense, but in prayer and righteous living in the face of a hostile world), living a virtuous life and recapturing lost virtues, Busting myths that foster a defeated Christian life, the real meaning of life, unity, and the centrality of Christ.
- Doe River Gorge - Every summer we send a group down to Tennessee to attend this awesome camp. The entire week is adventure-themed and teens have the opportunity to be stretched both physically and spiritually, through high adventure activities (such as rappelling, rock-climbing, river tubing, mountain boarding, challenge course, technical tree climbing, etc.) and incredible worship sessions (with really good speakers, worship bands, and attentive counselors).
- And tons of activities that are designed to develop and grow community and fellowship bonds, as well as to just have fun together…
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