Youth and Bridge students on the night of our first Engage of the new school year. We're gonna need more seats!

Off to the Races

The school year has absolutely started with a bang. Football is back at every competitive level, the youth room is more crowded than ever on Sunday nights as youth and confirmands share a meal before heading to their own spiritual formation sessions, and everyone's calendar is filling up quick. This is why it's so hard but so important to be intentional about spending time with each other (not simply being around each other) and spending time with God. This fall we're being intentional about the ways we add more service opportunities, restart Wednesday nights, and fellowship with each other. A great example of that is a return to Roosevelt State Park for our Fall Retreat, an event meant to provide a break rather than a hectic, sugar high youth event.

Of course, the hecticness of many lives has been affected by the collapsing water system in Jackson. The PHUMC September communion offering is going to provide relief, and I invite all our youth, their families, and our friends to join with us in these efforts by donating financially, rounding up bottled water, or participating in any volunteer days that may arise. I still have water pressure at home but Elizabeth and I can feel the ways the tension eats at our attention spans, energy, and focus on other tasks; how much more so those who are completely without. Let's be the church together in this time in all ways.

-Geoff

Upcoming

Weekly Schedule
Sunday
9:30am: Sunday School
10:30am: Church-wide fellowship time in the Worship Center
10:45am: Church-wide worship
5:30-7:30: Engage
Wednesday
5:45-7:15: Wednesday night activities (we are requiring RSVP for dinners as we restart this event and try to best steward our resources)

Dates to Know
(Adults, sign up to help here! As the semester goes on, we'll be adding more dates to this signup we'll be using for all non-ENGAGE Fall Semester events)

September 18, 5:30-7:30: Host home dinner night. For this special edition of ENGAGE we'll be splitting roughly by former confirmation class for a night of food, fellowship, and discussion about growing in our youth ministry. 8th and 9th grades will be together (home TBA); 10th grade and up will carpool to Geoff's house.

October 9-10: Fall Retreat. By popular request we're headed back to Roosevelt State Park and adding a night spent in God's glorious Creation. We'll have lunch and leave after morning worship and return late Monday afternoon. Cost is $55 and covers meals and accommodations. Bedding/towels, etc, will be needed. Click here to register.

October 22: 5th Quarter. Immediately following the Germantown @ Madison Central game, we're hosting a late night of games and pancakes! This is a great time to invite your friends directly across the street. Final details TBA, but we will need plenty of help for this event.

January 14-16: Winter Retreat @ Camp Wesley Pines. This one is a little further down field but we want this to emphasized well ahead of time because it will be the first big event for our newly minted youth! That means we want plenty of older returners signed up to welcome them, and we'll need multiple adults to help with the substantial growth of our group.

Wednesday Nights

This fall, after the disruption of COVID, we're restarting Wednesday nights! To start this offering back we will be requiring RSVPs for the time being so that we can best steward our resources. Youth will join the entire church for some activities, while other nights we'll combine with the Bridge or be on our own. This week's churchwide newsletter has a full rundown of the fall, but below you can see the first few coming up so you can plan accordingly.

Sept 7: Come enjoy a fellowship meal @ 5:45, listen to the staff share about what to expect Wednesday nights this Fall, and close out with our intergenerational “Table Talk.”
Sept 14: Following the meal Bridge/Youth aid with Bunkbeds. Please wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty and closed toed shoes.
Sept 21: Youth study night. Stuck choosing between midweek activities and homework? Not tonight!
Sept 28: Froyo and conversation night after dinner.

New Year, New Look

Thanks to the generous giving and love from our wider church family, we've made some big changes to our youth space so that everyone can find a place of welcome and joy there. To see what we've been up to, check out our social media or come by and ask Geoff for a tour!

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PO Box 1721
Madison, MS | 39130 US

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