Youth Ministry

United Methodist Youth Fellowship

Welcome to the youth ministry website of First United Methodist Church (FUMC)! The youth program at FUMC is for youth grades 6-12 (junior high is 6-8 and senior high is 9-12). Our mission is to connect youth with God and one another by helping them discover tools for Christian living through group activities, educational and service opportunities, and Christian support. This might take place during a retreat or lock-in, youth group, Sunday school, or while serving in our local community or on a mission trip. We are also involved in a number of fundraisers to help with the cost of our activities. We hope to see you around!

Weekly Schedule for Youth

Sunday Schedule (September-May)

	9:00 - 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School for 6th and 7th graders. Meet in the youth lounge. 8th - 12th graders are encouraged to attend church with their families at this time.
	10:00 - 10:30 a.m. - Youth connection for 8th - 12th graders. Meet in the Wesley Room. Stop in, say "hi," tell us how your week was, and eat a donut or two. We'll always end out time together at 10:30 a.m. with a blessing for the coming week.
	10:30-11:30 a.m. - Youth Choir Practice. One Voice is for all youth, grades 6-12. Meet in room 301. Youth will be leading in worship about once per month.
	6:30-8:00 p.m. - Senior High Small Group. Small group is for any senior high youth, grades 9-12, who wishes to attend. We'll meet at the home of one of our church members for study, fellowship, and food. We only meet twice a month.

Wednesday Schedule (October-April)

6:00-8:00 p.m. - LOGOS. LOGOS is for all youth, grades 6-12. Meet outside the chapel. Everyone will participate in the four parts of LOGOS-Recreation, Worship Skills, Family Time, and Bible Skills. Youth will start out eating dinner together in the Fellowship Hall, then separate out by grade for Bible Study, and finally meet back together for worship at the end of the night.

Other Schedule

	Junior High Convo/Retreats/Lock-Ins - Age appropriate fun periodically throughout the year.
	Senior High Convo/Retreats/Lock-Ins - Age appropriate fun periodically throughout the year.
	Local Mission Projects - Every month, all youth will have an opportunity to serve as Jesus' hands and feet in our church or community. These might include Make a Difference Day, Salvation Army Bell Ringing, United Methodist Men's Pancake Breakfast, or the 30 Hour Famine.
	Summer Mission Trip - Join us for a life-changing, Christ-centered youth mission trip through YouthWorks. We'll partner with ministries to work with children, elderly, and homeless residents.
	Summer Camp - Camp is a place to be close to nature and God. It is a place to have new experiences, meet new people, and create lifelong friends. There are three United Methodist campgrounds offering a hundred choices of camp experiences. The church offers camp scholarships to any child, youth, or family who goes to camp. The church will reimburse you 15% of your camp fee. Just turn in a copy of your camp confirmation to the church office. Visit WI United Methodist Camp & Retreat Ministries for more information. Some camps fill up very quickly.

Confirmation Program

Confirmation, which is a two year program that starts in 8^th grade, is a time for youth to really make their faith personal and meaningful and to understand what their responsibilities are as part of a faith community. Youth interested in being confirmed are asked to participate in LOGOS as an 8^th and 9^th grader which will help them get connected to God, one another, and the church community. Their Bible study time as an 8th grader will be spent learning about the Christian faith through a series of 21 stories, a process called Chronological Bible Storying. Their Bible study time as a 9th grader will be spent preparing them to be confirmed, using the United Methodist curriculum, Claim the Name. After they have completed this mandatory part of Confirmation, they will then have the option of being confirmed as a 9^th, 10^th, 11^th, or 12^th grader, whenever they feel ready. They will need to continue participating regularly in the life of the church as well as complete a "faith dialogue" with the youth director, pastor, and member of the Confirmation teaching team before they can be confirmed in the spring as freshmen or older. Please see the "Confirmation Parent Letter" or contact Lindsay directly for more information.

to read Confirmation Parent Letter

to read the Youth Master Plan for 2009

Safe Sanctuaries Policy

	No one who has been convicted of abuse is allowed to work with our youth. Volunteers are required to be members for at least six months or have been known to the staff for at least one year.
	One adult should never be alone with one youth. Two adults (preferably non-related) should be present with youth at all times. We strive for a ratio of one adult for every five youth present when going off-site. When driving, we have at least two youth present with one adult.
	All volunteers must be at least three years older than the youth they are working with. Youth volunteers can assist adult volunteers (18 or older) but can't be solely responsible for another group of youth.

For More Information

	A monthly newsletter for parents of youth is e-mailed to households with youth grades 6-12 and can also be viewed online by clock below. Several printed copies are available on the information table at church.
	Check out the weekly calendar of youth ministry events in the bulletin. A green flyer with more information is available on the information table at church.

	Add First United Methodist Church Appleton to your Facebook to keep up-to-date with events, pictures, and contact information! Just go to Facebook’s home page (www.facebook.com) and search for our group.
	Contact Lindsay Sulik, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, via phone or e-mail. Call the church office at 734-2677, ext. 315, to talk to Lindsay or e-mail her at lsulik@appfumc.org . Lindsay is in the office Sundays through Thursdays.

Check out these devotion and prayer websites for teens: www.methodx.net or www.dmlive.com