Youth programs

Our church offers many exciting spiritual experiences for children and youth. These programs range from M&Ms, an after-school VBS type program for elementary-aged children that meets on Wednesdays, to the United Methodist Youth Fellowship, a program with diverse activities for middle- and high-school-aged youth.

The M&Ms children are K to 5th grade and ride over to the church after school on Wednesdays on a special bus. The children need a note giving them permission to ride the bus, which they give to their classroom teacher. M&Ms stands for "Methodist Mid-week." The children are fed a snack when they arrive. In the beginning of the program, years ago, the children had the candy M&Ms for a snack sometimes and started calling "Methodist Mid-week" M&Ms! The name stuck. The children hear a Bible story, learn a Bible verse, play games, sing songs and do a craft. There is no charge. Parents must pick their children at 5:00 PM and sign them out.

The United Methodist Youth Fellowship meets Tuesdays after school. The youth walk over to the church from their school. (It is very close.) The Youth also have a snack and a Bible lesson and play games. The youth also participate in Mid-Winter camping at Lakeview Methodist Camp Ground in Palestine for a week-end and in summer camping at Lakeview for a week. The middle-school youth participate in a hands-on mission project once a year called Big House. They travel to a community and build wheel chair ramps. paint buildings, do minor carpentry repairs, do yard work and such as that under the supervision of adult volunteers. The high school youth have a similar hands-on mission project every year called UM ARMY.

Throughout the year the youth do several fund-raisers to raise money to pay the camping fees for anyone who cannot pay them. Many of our youth go to camp on scholarships. No child is ever denied a camping opportunity due to inability to pay. The youth do various service projects. They sponsor a Compassion International child and have been known to do many "random acts of kindness."

Please consult the calendar for upcoming youth events.