Hello Students and Guardians!
Happy (almost) Halloween - it was so awesome to see everyone dressed up at Trunk-or-Treat last night! We hope you didn't eat all your candy already! We are so glad that you clicked on our student news email. If you don't know yet, FirstCovGR Student News is a one-stop for all things student ministry at FirstCovGR. We love hangin' out with you and are so grateful for all the support. Check out the rest of the email to hear about some important upcoming events!
BLAZE (MIDDLE SCHOOL)
What is BLAZE? BLAZE is a community of 6th-8th graders that meet every Wednesday evening at FirstCov. We gather to seek God and to be changed by him. We will focus on the word of God through the reading and teaching of scripture, prayer, worship, service, life groups, and some super fun games!
Wednesday, November 1: BRO/GAL NIGHT. Take a look at the details:
- WHO? Middle schoolers and their friends, classmates, teammates, etc. are invited!
- WHAT? We are having a BRO/GAL Night! The Bros will be heading to the Palma's house (1308 Sprucewood NW) and the ladies will have the youth room all to themselves!! Join us for a meal together (so, don't eat beforehand!) and for some practical teaching. In the spirit of Thanksgiving this month, we will be talking about the biblical theme of gratitude and exploring how we can use it in our daily lives. You won't want to miss this night of awesome community!
- WHERE? Drop off and pick up will still be at FirstCovGR. The guys will take the church van to and from the Palma's house.
- WHEN? Wednesday, November 1 from 6-8p (PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY START TIME)!
Take a look at our Sunday learning opportunities:
- ABIDE 67: 6th & 7th graders are invited to build community, practice spiritual devotion, and learn what it means to abide in the presence of God. This week, join Michelle Ludge for our continual conversation on the Lord's Prayer! Meet in room 112.
- Confirmation: 8th graders are invited to join our confirmation and discipleship class. This week, join Pastor Craig in a conversation about the history of the church! Meet in room 109.
SIGN UP NOW - November 10-12: Junior High fall retreat!! Sign up HERE - Please register by November 1.
SAVE THE DATE - November 19: Cliffhanger Info Meeting!
- Students and guardians are invited to join us for an informational meeting regarding our summer adventure and worship experience to Colorado! This trip is for incoming 8th and 9th graders (for the 2024-25 school year) - this would be our current 7th and 8th graders. Join us from June 15-22 for a week of going outside your comfort zone, fellowship, and discipleship! We will meet in the youth room (222) after the 10:30a service. See you all there!
RADIATE (HIGH SCHOOL)
What is RADIATE? RADIATE is a community of 9th-12th graders who gather to seek God and to be changed by him. We will focus on the word of God through the reading and teaching of scripture, prayer, worship, life groups, and some super fun games! We meet every Sunday evening at FirstCovGR.
Sunday, November 5: RADIATE.
- WHO? High Schoolers and their friends, classmates, teammates, etc. are invited!
- WHAT? We will be having a regular RADIATE youth group night. The people have spoken: we will be playing BODY BODY! We will also have some great food for dinner, awesome worship led by our praise band, Biblical teaching, and time in our life groups!! Bring a friend to come hang out with us. It is going to be SO SWEET!
- WHERE? In the youth room at FirstCovGR!
- WHEN? Sunday, November 5 from 6-8p.
Our Student Praise Band and Tech Team is meeting THIS Sunday, November 5 at 4:15pm. If you are technologically gifted or play any instruments, come join us! Talk to Josh Hinken if you are interested. We hope to see you there!
4-D is back on Sunday mornings! High schoolers are invited to join Patty Hansma from 9-10:15a in room 224. Come eat some donuts and study the power of stories with us!
SAVE THE DATE - November 19: UNITE Info Meeting!
- Students and guardians are invited to join us for an informational meeting regarding our summer discipleship trip to UNITE. This event is for incoming 10th graders - outgoing 12th graders (for the 2024-25 school year). We will be heading to Bowling Green State University in Ohio for UNITE 2024. The dates for this trip are July 15-20, 2024. Join us in the fellowship hall from 5:15-6p for more information. We will go over cost, fundraising, tentative schedule, and more details than you could imagine!
SUPPORT
Are you in a sport, band, choir, school musical, and/or something else that we can cheer you on at? Send us your schedules! Our leaders would love to come and support you! Send any schedules/details to Lauren Abrell at (630)750-6458 OR
.
REGISTRATION/WAIVER
Please note that you must have a FirstCovGR Student Registration/Waiver for the 2023-24 school year submitted in order to participate in FirstCovGR's student ministry events. Please fill out THIS form. We need one form per student.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS
We are super excited to walk alongside you, your student, and your family this year! We believe that what we do in student ministry is important when it comes alongside what you already do at home. In order to bridge the gap between home and church, the two must not only encourage one another, but they must work together. We hope to use this section of our newsletter to provide you with resources to use at home as well as to share opportunities to get involved at church with your student(s). Our student ministry team is very excited about partnering with you!
Resources:
- Our team loves the resources that Fuller Youth Institute provides. Fuller Youth Institute is a branch of Fuller Theological Seminary that has paved the way for youth ministry and intergenerational discipleship. They have a whole library filled with books, articles, podcasts, and more that are directly for parents. Check out THIS link to find out more about it.
Opportunities:
- We are also looking for parents, ministry teams, and other volunteers to host OR or provide a meal for our Middle School Bro/Gal Nights. Here are some dates we are still looking for:
- Host our gals on Wednesday, Dec. 6
- Provide a meal on Wednesday, Dec. 6 for our bros
- Please fill out THIS link if you are interested. We appreciate your gift of hospitality!
STAY CONNECTED
- Join our Facebook group: FirstCovGR Youth Group. We often post about upcoming Middle and High School events, post ETAs when we have group outings, and upload lots of pictures to this page!
- Follow us on Instagram @firstcovgr_ms & @firstcovgr_sh
- Check out our High School LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/firstcovgr_hs
- Want to find out more about our student ministry? Click HERE to visit our website!
QUESTIONS?
Our team would love to connect with you! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Josh, Michelle, or Lauren via phone call, text, email, or office visit. We are looking forward to partnering with you this year!
YAY! You successfully made it to the end - thanks for reading and being diligent will all the details. Looking forward to seeing you all so soon!