Who We Are
FirstCovGR Student Ministry is a community of teens being transformed. We want them to know God and become fully committed followers of Jesus Christ to bring glory and honor with their lives. We hope and expect to raise up spiritual leaders to impact the world for Jesus Christ.
We are a community of students from 6th grade - 12th grade. It’s a place for fun! It’s a place for students to connect in small groups with peers and leaders. It’s a place to explore the story of God and to find a place within it. It’s a place to experience the life-changing power of Jesus through acts of service. It’s a place to express real faith in the real world. It’s an experience not to be missed.
Blaze - Middle school
(6th - 8th grade)
SUNDAY MORNINGS:
- ABIDE 67: 6th & 7th graders are invited to join us at 9a on Sunday mornings for snacks, games, and scripture. Our main focus will be to build community, practice spiritual devotion, and learn what it means to abide in the presence of God. We will meet in room 112.
- CONFIRMATION: 8th Grade Students are invited to join our Discipleship and Confirmation class from 9am - 10:00am. We walk through the Bible and explore God’s word together through large and small group discussions and activities.
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS:
- BLAZE: Middle schoolers are invited to join us as 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, small groups, and some super fun games! These gatherings take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month in the youth room.
- BRO/GAL: Middle Schoolers, and their friends, are invited to join us for a bro/gal night! On these nights we split by gender for a meal, practical teaching, and fun. Splitting our group by gender allows for a greater community to be formed and deeper questions to be asked. Bro/Gal nights are typically held on the 1st Wednesday of each month and are always a highlight for our students and leaders! Contact Lauren Abrell if you are interested in hosting a group, or if you have any questions!
- SERVE: Middle Schoolers, and their friends, are invited to join us for a night of service! We acknowledge that the act of service encourages the focus off of one’s self and directs us toward Christ. Come hang out with us as we serve the greater congregation and Grand Rapids Community! Serve nights occur on the 3rd Wednesday of every month.
- FUN: We aim to offer fun connection events throughout the semester. These events will vary with different degrees of purpose depending on the time of year. Some may be small group oriented, middle school only, or combined with high school. These may occur on a Wednesday, Friday, or Sunday night.
RETREATS & SUMMER TRIP:
- RETREATS: BLAZE attends the Junior High Fall Retreat at Portage Lake Bible Camp. It is a great way to build community, experience real faith, and have some real fun. It is Nov. 10-12, 2023. More details to come. Contact Lauren Abrell with any questions.
- CLIFFHANGER is approaching! Students going into 8th and 9th grade (for the 2024-25 school year) are invited to join us on a great adventure experience in Colorado! This is an awesome place for community building and belonging, getting out of your comfort zone, and practicing faith over fear. Stay posted for more details regarding registration and fundraising. It is June 15-22, 2024. Contact Michelle Ludge with any questions.
RADIATE (HIGH SCHOOL)
9th - 12th Graders are invited to join us for an ALL-IN experience! Here is what we offer:
SUNDAY MORNINGS
- LIFE IN 4-D: High school students are invited to join us at 9a on Sunday mornings for the 4-Ds (donuts, delve, discuss, and die). Come eat some donuts, discuss scripture/teaching topics, discuss how your story fits into the greater story, and learn how to die to yourself/the world. We will meet in room 224.
SUNDAY NIGHTS
- RADIATE (YOUTH GROUP): 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, small groups, and some super fun games! These gatherings take place on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month in the youth room.
- SERVE: We acknowledge that the act of service encourages the focus off of one’s self and directs us toward Christ. Come hang out with us as we serve the greater congregation and Grand Rapids Community! Serve nights occur on the 2nd Sunday of every month.
- FUN/COMMUNITY: We aim to fun connection events throughout the year. These events will vary with different degrees of purpose depending on the time of year. Some may be small group oriented, split by grade, or even combined with middle school. These community focused events often occur on the 4th Sunday every month, but some may occur on a Wednesday, Friday, or summer nights. Stay posted for more details!
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
- PRAISE BAND: High schoolers who are musically, and technologically, gifted are invited to join our praise band! Practices will be held from 4:15-5:30p on RADIATE nights (1st and 3rd Sundays) in the youth room. Connect with Josh Hinken for more details.
- STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM: SLT! Meet Josh & Lauren at Applebee's 4475 (Lake Michigan Dr NW) for our meeting. What is SLT? Our High School student leadership team is a great place for students to explore their spiritual gifts, leadership skills, and lean into a posture of service. We will focus on encouraging their peers through prayer and mentorship. Students will even have opportunities to plan and lead youth group nights and other fun events! These meetings take place on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Contact Josh Hinken or Lauren Abrell for more details.
- LEVEL UP - SENIORS: Seniors! Meet Josh & Lauren at Uccello’s (4787 Lake Michigan Dr). What is Level Up - Seniors? This is a place for high school seniors to explore what to future looks like for them after graduation. We will talk about what it looks like to make their faith their own, options for the future (college, career, gap year, etc.), and ways to prepare for the transition ahead. We will gather on the 4th Sunday of each month. Contact Josh Hinken or Lauren Abrell for more details. We look forward to meeting with you!
RETREATS & SUMMER TRIP
- RETREATS: RADIATE attends the Senior High Winter Retreat at Portage Lake Bible Camp. It is a great way to build community, experience real faith, and have some real fun. It is Feb. 9-11, 2024. More details to come. Contact Josh Hinken with any questions.
- High School seniors are invited to join our young adults group at the PASSION Conference in ATL, GA. It is Jan. 3-5, 2024. Contact Josh Hinken with any questions.
- UNITE is near! Incoming 9th graders-outgoing 12th graders are invited to join us as we travel to Bowling Green University for UNITE2024. It is a week-long conference for covenant youth that aims to strengthen God’s kingdom by uniting in Christ-centered mission. This is an awesome discipleship event that you will not want to miss out on! Stay posted for more details regarding registration and fundraising. It is July 15-19, 2024. Contact Josh Hinken or Lauren Abrell with any questions.
ADULT LEADERS
- SUNDAY HUDDLE: High School Adult Leaders should join Josh & Lauren for a recap of RADIATE from the previous week, a walk through of the night’s schedule, as well as various leader trainings. The meeting will end with a prayer for the night and our students. We will meet every Sunday from 5:30-5:50p in the youth room.
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NEWS
FirstCovGR Student News (9/12)
StudentsStudent News
Hello Students & Parents!Welcome to week 2 of our “FirstCovGR Student News” email! This is a weekly newsletter sent out on Mondays...
FirstCovGR Student News (9/4)
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Hello Students & Parents!We are so excited to launch our new “FirstCovGR Student News” email. This will be a weekly newsletter...
FirstCov Students
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you are interested in being a middle school or high school leaders, please fill out the youth leader application.
Our youth leaders are active participants in the life of FirstCovGR. Some were born and raised at FirstCov, some have students in the ministry, and some are local college students and young adults.
We do background checks on all of our leaders and continually train and equip them for serving in their roles.