2024 Back to school meeting recap

Meeting recap

Thank you to all the great families who are part of our youth ministry; I always really enjoy getting to be with everyone who can make it each year to our back to school youth families meeting! If you didn't or simply want a rehash, here's an overview of our time together along with a list of dates to add to your calendar.

-Thank you to everyone for your prayers and well wishes for Elizabeth's recovery after a much deserved gallbladder removal last week. She's definitely on the mend, and we're realizing how many recent problems are likely downstream of this. Thank you as well for your patience; the impact of this has me behind on some things like service project and fellowship event dates. More of those will be added ASAP. And let this be a PSA to go to the doctor if you feel something is wrong. We're very thankful for the peace of mind and healing gained from treating what was wrong and crossing off what wasn't.

-This year's spiritual formation theme: Identity. It is so deeply important that our students get to know who they are and whose they are in Christ. Our lessons will focus on both personal growth for teens towards their own identity as well as continuing the work we've done and should always do to define our ministry and collective identity. In addition to all the great things happening at Engage on Sunday nights, we'll be reading Luke in Sunday School. This is a great chance for your student to grow in their ability to read and digest Scripture!

-Engage has started back already and we want to keep improving so it can be everything it can be, so if you don't read anything else from our meeting I hope it is this section because of how much Engage affects the trajectory of our entire ministry. There are two ways you can help us. First, by taking a turn providing dinner. Our youth ministry has grown, but that also means if every family takes a turn much of the year would be covered from the jump. This year we're adding a new way to make this more doable for busy families. At the last regular Engage of each month, we'll use donated funds to order a pizza night. Can't commit to cooking on a Sunday afternoon? Contribute here. The new semester is looking good as all non-pizza nights have now been spoken for, so those who haven't signed up are invited to make a pizza night contribution instead.

Second, sign up to volunteer at Engage. On Sunday night I shared that with our current attendance levels and with a new, energetic group of confirmands joining the ministry in January, going forward we need to make it routine to have at least two adult volunteers in addition to myself at Engage. Our students have specifically requested more small group conversation time, and this works so much better when I can lead the room while other adults join our students for discussion. What has made our ministry so strong is the personal connections we've made, and with growth comes the need to intentionally do the work of maintaining that identity. You don't have to be cool or have a lesson plan or anything else--you just need to be someone who cares about our students. Right now all regular Engage nights for the fall still need volunteers. Use this link to volunteer with Engage or our other Fall 2024 needs. If you haven't been background checked by PHUMC in the last 5 years, contact myself or Haven to get that done.

-Summer 2025: Our students have shared that with the growth they experienced at this past summer's mission trip to Waco and considering a new group of young students joining us in January, they think a blended trip (a mix of fun, fellowship, missions, and spiritual formation) would be the best fit. I'm inclined to agree, so while I work on a plan you can help me by letting me know about timing. There were a lot of good things to be said about the last week of June this year, but at the meeting it sounded like July 4 week may be the window of maximum availability due to extracurriculars. Use this form to weigh in. And with regards to summer or any other retreats/trips, never let money be the reason a student misses out. This summer we more fully formalized this important policy by creating a youth trip scholarship fund and instituting a discount on the summer trip when a family has more than one student attending.

'24-25 dates to know

August 28: Pool Party at the Kisers, 6-8pm--We've graciously been invited for a night at the pool! Bring a towel and a snack to share.

September 4th: Wednesday Night Re:Treat starts back for the fall, 5:45pm--Join us for our first Wednesday night church-wide dinner and activities for the new semester.

September 22: United @ Galloway UMC--We'll head down to Galloway for a night of games, fellowship, and worship. This is a new effort to gather local teens more frequently than only major events like The Connection. Look for this to become a regular occurrence at a variety of local UMCs. Let Geoff know you're coming by September 17; past that point you're still welcome to come but you may end up responsible for your own transportation. The event runs from 5:30-7:30, so we'll need to meet at PHUMC at 5pm and return between 7:45 and 8pm. Dinner will be provided at Galloway, and we will need drivers for this event.

October 25: 5th Quarter Pancakes after Germantown @ Madison Central, 9:15-11:30--The city rivalry is happening across the street, so let's welcome lots of Madison and Germantown students to our place after! We'll need plenty of volunteers to make this a success. This is a great opportunity for students to invite their friends

October 27th: Trick-or-Treat Trail--Costume up and serve our littlest PHUMC family members.

November 1-3: The Connection Weekend @ Millsaps College--After working with our fellow local UMC youth ministries to consider schedules, the second ever Connection Weekend will be a fall semester event this time. Get ready for another great time to connect with other UMC students in our area and with Christ! More details to come soon, but of course we will need help, including but not limited to host homes, and drivers/chaperones. Registration this year is $75 due by noon on October 3.

January 12: Confirmation Sunday, 10:45 am and 5:30pm--We'll start the day with a great morning in worship for Confirmation Sunday, followed by our youth hosting a special night of Engage to officially welcome our newest students into the PHUMC Youth Ministry.

Other dates soon to come: Fall service opportunities, Wednesday night activities, this year's lock-in, fundraisers, and our annual Sabbath retreat (usually this retreat occurs in the fall but will be moved to early spring due to The Connection)

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