Children & Youth Infants and Toddlers Pre School and Elementary School Middle and High School Contact Us Church School Registration Form (MS WORD 24KB)

Middle and High School

Education

Rite-13 and Journey to Adulthood
Sunday mornings, 10:00Am-11:15 AM

Youth Group Winter Weekend for Grades 7-12 Friday January 25 - Sunday, January 27, 2008 Join the youth group for a weekend of fun at the Sheraton Ferncroft Resort. Enjoy the indoor water park and/or ski at Gundstock Mountain. Cost for skiing is $180 plus 5 ski points; cost for non-skiing is $140 plus 5 ski points. Contact Judy with questions. Youth Fellowship: Our Youth group is an active and supportive network of teens who participate fully in the life of the church. The Forum Room Lounge, a comfortable, dedicated space for teens 7th grade and up, can be found on the basement level to next to the kitchen. Some of the fellowship opportunities for teens include: D&D Tuesdays 2:30-4:30 in the forum room An after school drop in program for kids in 7-12th grade. Games, food, and discussion abound. Prime Time Before church in the forum room A gathering time before the service for kids in 7-12 grade to hang out, eat fresh donuts, and be together. I Forum Sunday nights, 7:30-9:00 in the forum room A discussion and social group for high school students. Led by our Youth minister, Forum tackles subjects of interest to high school students. Youth Progressive Dinner 7th -12th graders celebrate Christmas, under the supervision of our Youth Minister and other adult volunteers by walking between several members' homes to enjoy appetizers, dinner, and desert. It is a fun and bonding time that often involves trekking through snow to get to the food! Youth Ski Trip Each year in January students in 7th grade and up, along with adult chaperones and our Youth Minister, enjoy a weekend of skiing, prayer, fun, and reflection. For many youth this is the highlight of the church year! Students must earn "ski points" in order to be eligible for the trip. Points are easily earned by volunteering at church events and dinners. Youth Overnight Toward the end of the school year, church youth (7th through 12th) gather in the church on a Saturday evening for fellowship, fund and food. They spend the night in the church building and attend worship in the morning as a group.

Children in 6th -7 th grade participate in our Rite-13 class. The Rite -13 (grades 6 and 7) and Journey to Adulthood (grades 8 and 9) is a curriculum-based program designed to acknowledge and welcome the teenager's journey into adulthood in the context of Christ and his teachings. The curriculum is designed to talk with teens about their emerging adulthood. Through classroom, outreach, and out of class experiences the program helps young teens discover strategies for making good choices and remember Christ's teachings as they experience the new freedoms and decision making key to this age group. During the Journey to Adulthood part of the program (8th and 9th grade), confirmation preparation will be interwoven into the curriculum and participants will be confirmed at the end. Note that this program mixes two grades, and those who begin in 6th grade will graduate in 9th grade, while those who begin in 7th grade will graduate in 10th grade. This program is new to First Congregational Church, and our first class will complete the Rite-13 portion of the program in 2008. Rite-13 leaders are Carole Cook, Jim Donovan, Annmarie Galli and Dave Weir.

Youth in Church
Youth who are not involved in Rite 13/J2A class attend the regular worship service usually sitting as a group on the front right hand side of the Sanctuary.

Special Activities

Youth Sunday:
Youth in 6th through 12th grade work together to design, prepare, and lead a worship service each Spring. While we regularly strive to include all ages in worship participation and leadership throughout the year, for this one Sunday the Youth lead us in all aspects of worship.

Youth Musical Opportunities:
High School Students are welcome in the Senior Choir and the adult hand bell choir. Our youth musicians are also called upon to help with Church School events and celebrations, as well as to play on occasion during the worship service.

Youth Service:

Youth Mission Trip
Each year, usually during Feb or April vacation, our High School students travel to domestic or international sites to learn about the world, ourselves and how we can use our gifts to help others.

The Dwelling Place
Youth and their families often sign up to cook and serve dinner at The Dwelling Place.

Church School Assistant
Many of our high School Students volunteer in Church School classes as teaching assistants. It is a wonderful way for our younger students to get to know and love the older kids in our congregation.

Nursery Assistants
High School students are eligible to work in the Nursery on Sunday mornings. This is a paid position and those hired are expected to work from September through June. Interested students should make an application to the Director of Christian Education, Carol Jones.