The goal of youth ministry at Church Street UMC is to encourage youth to become mature, Christian adults. With so many different images and voices in our culture beckoning for our youth’s time and attention, the ability to clearly see the things in life that matter most sometimes become blurred. At Church Street we strive to help our youth see clearly the vision that God has for a life of real meaning, purpose and wholeness.
It is our desire to meet God where God is already working: from inner-city mission work with the Wesley House in Knoxville, Tennessee…to hurricane-relief effects in Mississippi…from special dances and parties at the church…to climbing and rappelling in the mountains of east Tennessee…from saying silent prayers in Sunday School to Spiritual Life Retreats that change our world. God works all around us in truly amazing ways. Come and be a part of it!
Sunday Morning Worship:
Worship is central at Church Street, and the youth are very involved. Every Sunday at 8 am, many of our youth gather for a brief rehearsal before they sing at the 8:30 am worship service. This is quite a commitment but a blessing to the youth and the congregation alike.We also have youth that serve as acholytes and crucifers. Leading in worship is a joy and the youth at Church Street experience this every week. Tim Ward is the Director of Music at Church Street. He would be glad to give you additional information about choir and other opportunities to serve.
If you are not interested in singing in the choir, you are invited to join the congregation at either the 8:30 or 11 am service.
Sunday School:
All Youth Sunday school classes are held downstairs in the Church Life Center (CLC) at Church Street. We begin with an assembly time for announcements and prayer concerns at 9:45 am in CLC 15. Sunday school immediately follows and ends at 10:40 am. Classes are divided into grade levels as follows: 7 & 8, 9 & 10, 11 & 12. We use a modified rotation model with our youth Sunday school. Teachers rotate through classes on a 3-week rotation teaching various principles of the Christian faith through Bible study, Christian teachings, and application in our modern world.
Confirmation Class:
What is a United Methodist anyway? Does it hurt to be confirmed? What does it mean to “join the Church”? What are prayers, presence, gift, service and witness…and what do they have to do with me?
Sixth graders at Church Street get to wrestle with these types of questions from September to April each year. This interactive and creative class is designed to prepare students for membership in The United Methodist Church and an understanding of the Christian faith for a lifetime.
For more information about the Confirmation Class, contact Rick Isbell at 521-0266 or risbell@churchstreetumc.org.
Nightlife:
Nightlife provides opportunities for youth to challenge their minds, bodies and souls. We begin most evenings with some get-to-know-you games and group challenges that help us welcome newcomers and grow closer as a group who works and plays together. Sometimes we sing goofy songs and songs that teach us about praising God; lots of times we just make joyful NOISE! We then usually divide into small groups and tackle some of the life issues that youth and adults deal with on a daily basis.
Retreats:
Retreats are a very important part of what we do at Church Street. It is important to provide mountain top experiences on a regular basis to remind us that valley living isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. Some of our favorite retreats include: Spiritual Life Advance, our annual fall retreat, designed to bring the total youth program together for a weekend of challenge, study and discussion; and Resurrection, the annual Holston Conference event held in Gatingburg, Tennessee, each January.
Volunteers
Parents and other adults play a vital role in the life of our ministry. Contact Marc Gamble at mgamble@churchstreetumc.org or 521-0287 for more information on how you can serve. You can also check out the Volunteer Hot List for general church volunteer needs.
Forms
Here are the forms, fliers, and releases for our Youth Ministry. You will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the files.
