With the new school year comes the opportunity to improve how we do things around The St. James Youth HQ. That’s why we will now be hosting a monthly planning session. Parents, youth, volunteers, Sunday school teachers, and anyone interested in getting plugged into our ministry will be strongly encouraged to join us.
Our goal is to start out planning as much as two months out for the weekly events (Sunday and Wednesday programs) and 6 months out for our special events (retreats, lock-ins, service projects, etc.). Hopefully, by this time next year, we will be able to plan the big events as far out as a year in advance. This will greatly help parents, volunteers, and other church ministries coordinate our calendars.
Our first meeting is September 22nd @ 6pm and will include a dinner. Future meetings will be the third Thursday of every month. So even if you can’t make the meeting this month, mark your calendar for the following dates: 10/20, 11/17, 12,15, 1/19, 2/16, 3/15, 4/19, 5/17
Frequently Asked Questions:
“How long will the meeting last?” Our goal is to keep the meetings under an hour and a half so that we don’t conflict with other church events.
“How much will dinner cost?” For our first couple of meetings, we’re going to keep the meal free. After that, we may ask for a small donation per family to offset the cost. We will determine that as a group at one of the meetings.
“I’m a parent and I want to make sure my youth isn’t uncomfortable with my role assisting the youth. What are my options?” There are dozens of opportunities for service in this ministry that wouldn’t necessarily put you in direct contact with your youth. For example, if your child is a jr. high, you can assist in a sr. high trip. Or you could assist in some behind the scenes coordination for a specific event. We need you on this team and there are several ways to make that happen.
“What about the youth involvement. Can teenagers assist in leadership roles?” Absolutely! We will be planning our calendar on an event-by-event basis. That means that if you’d like to be a leader on a Sunday night program, you would volunteer to be a part of that specific night. This allows youth to focus on a specific task or event rather than just be “on call” as a youth leader. (NOTE: There will be a time once a quarter for “youth only” feedback, planning, and leadership opportunities.)
“Is this new structure a permanent change?” That depends on us. This youth group is growing and it’s our challenge to step up and adapt to this growing ministry. Part of that growth process will be learning not what works best for youth ministry in general, but for St. James specifically.
This is such an exciting time in the life of this (over 50 year old) ministry and I can’t wait to see where God will take us all in the coming months!
-Trey | Youth Ministries – St. James UMC Atlanta