Youth

Anderson First UMC

Youth Ministry Webpage

Welcome to the webpage for the Anderson First UMC youth ministry! We’re glad you have showed an interest in this particular ministry of the church. The main purpose of this page isn’t to be flashy or fancy, but to give you straight information in an organized, easy to read format. Here are some of the things we do as part of our ministry:

• Sunday Night Youth – Sunday nights 5 P.M. to 7 P.M.: Every Sunday night we meet upstairs in the youth room from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. to eat a free meal, fellowship with one another, and play some awesome games! Our building is huge, so you can imagine how awesome the games can be. While some people might call our Fellowship time a “Bible Study” or a “lesson,” we try to make our time when we sit down as a group and talk about spiritual things more of a time for us to share each other’s lives and to grow in Christ together.  Calling it Fellowship focuses more on deep and meaningful relationships, and that’s what we’re all about.

• 30-Hour Famine: The 30-Hour Famine is an overnight event designed to give people a small taste of what it would be like to live in an impoverished community. We stay overnight at the church and go 30 hours without eating (drinking juice is ok, though), while at the same time play games, watch videos, and have discussions that help us get a glimpse of what these people go through on a day to day basis. The goal is not only to educate, but to make a difference. Part of the 30 hours involves participating in community service, and we also collect money in the months leading up to the actual event, which World Vision (the organization coordinating this event nation-wide) will use to help out these needy communities. It is usually the last Friday and Saturday in February.  The next 30-Hour Famine is going to be February 24-25, 2012.

• That Thing: Over the summer, the senior high students and adult leaders in our group spend a week in North Webster, IN at a camp called That Thing. This is the official senior high summer camp of the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. If there was one event a group of high school students could attend to develop their faith, this would be it. We rent a cabin on That Thing’s campus and stay from Sunday evening to the following Friday morning.  The worship is astounding, the technology is cutting edge, and the messages are challenging and relevant.  They also make excellent use of drama. Unlike a lot of church camps out there, That Thing focuses more on how to be a disciple of Christ. It opens up the students’ eyes to the suffering in the world all around them and gives them the tools and resources to make a difference. On top of the awesome spiritual growth everyone experiences, the camp does a great job of providing fun things to do during free time. There’s an obstacle course, paint ball, water tubing, an aqua rocker, water volleyball, corn hole tournament, and a lot of other awesome things for those who are active. They also do a great job of providing things for those who aren’t into sports – some of them being workshops on music, art, writing, and drama. The entire week is a mountain top experience that you will remember for a lifetime. The potential dates for next summer (2012) are:  June 17-22, June 24-29, July 1-6, and July 15-20.

In general, the youth ministry at this church focuses on creating a fun and safe environment for teenagers. We want to teach them what it means to fully live out the Christian faith. Mission work and serving others is a greater priority than having fun, but we try our best to mix them together. If you would like to learn more about the youth ministry, or be involved in any way,  contact our Director of Youth Ministries, Jake Brooks. He can be reached through e-mail at Jacob@andersonfirst.org or call the church office Monday – Friday 9 A.M. to 4 PM.

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