YOUTH MINISTRY
First Methodist Students is a place where everyone belongs and has a place. We believe that it is our calling to live out the Greatest Commandments, love God and Love others. In other words, our goal is to know Him and to make Him known.
During times together, we talk about Jesus. We talk about our faith. We dive into the word. We worship joyfully. We connect with other students and amazing leaders. We share our doubts and fears. We share our joys and praises. We serve in town and around the world. We have fun… lots of fun! Through loving God and loving others, together we share His joy and hope with everyone we know.
Bridge
Wednesday evenings are filled with lots of energy, fun, and noise! If you haven’t seen Bridge in action, you’ve probably heard us. We gather on Wednesday nights from 5:30-8 p.m. for Youth Worship, games, teaching, and snacks. We have an incredible team of leaders and staff that lead, teach, and make students feel like this place is a home away from home. We want our students to connect with God and experience Him in fun and unique ways, and we strive to make Bridge the best part of their week. We meet in the Student Center on the 2nd floor. We split out Junior High and High school times to allow for more focused attention. A detailed schedule can be found below under Weekly Times.
Inside Out
Throughout the weekend, we offer several "Sunday School" hours, so no matter which worship service you go to, you can still come to our Youth Sunday school class. We call it Inside Out because we want what happens inside here to be taken outside with us. Times and locations are listed under weekly times.
Sundays: 9:30AM (Cobbs only), 11:00AM (AAUMC and Cobbs),
Saturdays: 6:30 PM- (South Waco Campus)
All grades, 7-12, meet every Sunday morning/Saturday night for fellowship, games, bible lesson and small groups.
Bible Studies
On Sunday evenings, from 6:30-8:00 p.m., we are offering Bible Studies for all ages. We dive deep into scripture and discussion each week and tackle topics and issues that are relevant to teens. We meet downtown for these amazing studies at Austin Ave UMC.
12 weeks in the fall and 12 weeks in the spring we will focus on one book of the bible at a time.
Fall dates: Sept. 9- Dec. 9. Bible study will not meet on November 18 due to Thanksgiving.
Spring Dates: Feb. 3- May 5. Bible study will not meet on March 13 due to Spring break or April 21 for Easter.
WEDNESDAY: BRIDGE WEEKLY TIMES
JR. HIGH SCHEDULE: (GRADES 7-8)
- 5:30- Hangout Time- Youth Room
- 5:45- Games/ Announcements- Youth Room
- 6:00- Worship/Teaching- Youth Room
- 6:40- Small groups/snacks- FLC
- 7:15- Open Gym/Optional Pick up- FLC
- 8:00- Pick up- FLC
HIGH SCHOOL SCHEDULE: (GRADES 9-12)
- 5:30- Open Gym- FLC
- 6:30- Snacks- FLC
- 6:45- Games/ Announcements- Youth Room
- 6:55- Worship/ Teaching- Youth Room
- 7:40- Small Groups- Youth Room
- 8:00- Pick up- FLC
- 8:15- Optional “Linger Longer” for 11th and 12th grade- Off-site
EVENTS
GO SHINE - MISSION CAMP
We find that serving others is an important part of letting our light SHINE. During the summer, we will hit the road as a youth group to serve an area and town in need. During the day, we will work, sweat, and share life with each other and those we are serving. During the evening, we will have games and activities. To wrap up the day, we will have worship and small groups.
This summer, we will be traveling to Port Arthur, TX. The dates for the Mission Camp are June 2-7. Early bird price for the trip is $250.
SHINE
Every January, we set aside a weekend for our in-house youth retreat. We have incredible bands, speakers, and leaders that pour into our students making for a memorable weekend. SHINE Weekend is January 18-20. The cost is $65. We will accept cash and check payments only. Follow the link for more information and to sign up. SIGN UP HERE!
We can't do this weekend without the help of those who open their home to teenagers over the weekend. If you feel led to open your home, fill out this form!
VARIETY SHOW
Our Second Annual Variety show is set for December 12 from 6-8 pm in the FLC. This is an event that the whole family is invited to! We will start sign ups next week and will hold try outs on December 5th after church. Encourage your student to participate in the show!