Click here to download the permission form.

Join St. James Youth as we team up with youth groups from all over the state for the first ever Movement Conference. The goal of the conference is to provide a spiritually deep weekend for students to grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. The conference will be planned around three main sessions with small group discussion either before of after the session. Small group times will be within our own church group in a way that fits our group specifically. We will be spending a majority of the day and a half at Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in Johns Creek. We will be spending Friday night, however, back at St. James.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Going Beyond” and we will focus on scripture from 1st & 2nd Timothy, books of the Bible written specifically for young people in the church. Our goal is encourage and challenge to go beyond our current spiritual level to create the movement that will shape the next generation of the church.

Sign-Up sheets will be available in the youth room. If you have any questions, email thockman@stjamesatlanta.org

Food providers for 2012 Needed!

We’ve updated our food provider volunteer page for 2012. Click here to view the page and volunteer to help us this semester!

Time Capsule Night This Sunday!

Sunday Night Youth is back! And what better way to kick off 2012 than with creating a St. James Youth time capsule! We’ll provide everything you need for the event so don’t stress about having to sacrificing your favorite copy of Twilight. Join us from 6pm-8pm and don’t forget to bring $5 for dinner (First time visitors eat free so bring a friend!)

Earn Some $$$ Off Your Next Youth Event!

The Activities Ministry here at St. James will be hosting a Kids Night Out once a month and we need your help to staff it! The first event will be Saturday, Jauary 21st. Click here to read more details and sign up!

Trinity Soup Kitchen Day

3rd Thursday Planning Meeting

Jr. High Lock-Out

Ski Trip Payments

The main reason for the updated blog is the addition of a youth calendar page. We will be using Google Calendar to create a comprehensive and updated church calendar here at St. James UMC in the coming months. Visit stjamesyouthblog.com/calendar to see an early version of what the calendar will look like and stay connected.

We’d also love your feedback on how to make this site better for you. Send an email to Trey Hockman, Director of Youth Ministries, at thockman@stjamesatlanta.org with your suggestions.

Thanks!

By registering, you are only reserving a placeholder for the trip. Full cost of the trip must be made by January 8th, 2012. Make all checks out to “St. James UMC.” A basic health and safety form will also be required for this trip. You can fill out this form on Friday, the 27th before departure or pick up a form in the youth room of the church.

Click on the link above and follow the instructions to reserve your spot. If you are reserving multiple youth or are a parent reserving your child, please make a note in the comment section of your reservation with the name(s) of the youth participating in the event.

*All St. James Youth trips and special events have financial assistance available if needed. For more information, contact Trey Hockman, Director of Youth Ministries at thockman@stjamesatlanta.org

(Available to all current confirmation students. Contact church office for details about confirmation at St. James.)

The time has finally come to get ready for our Confirmation retreat to Lake Junaluska! This is always an incredible trip and I’m looking forward to spending the weekend with this year’s class. Here’s the details:

-Meet at the church on Friday at 5pm. Dinner Friday will be at Chick-fil-A and is included in your retreat payment.

-The Retreat is $185 per person.* You can turn your check into the church office or simply drop it off on Friday before we leave for the trip.

-You’ll also need to fill out a brief medical release form. These forms will be handed out this Sunday morning at class and can also be filled out on when before departure. (NOTE: Despite what the form states You will NOT need to notarize the form.)

Here’s a quick packing list:
-Clothing (indoor & outdoor) for Friday-Sunday
-Toiletries
-Bible, Notebook, Pen
-Optional money for Christian Book store on site

We are staying in hotel room accommodation so bedding won’t be needing. However, if you’d like to bring an extra pillow for the bus or your room, that would be fine.

We will be returning back to the church on Sunday morning at 12:00. We will not be stopping for lunch on the way back Sunday.

If you have any questions, please email Trey Hockman at thockman@stjamesatlanta.org.

*All St. James Youth trips and special events have financial assistance available if needed. For more information, contact the church office.

Grab your best zombie-slaying gear and join us for a night of games, food, entertainment, and other bits of random spookiness. Visitors are STRONGLY encouraged to join us for this event so bring your friends!

There is no sign up for this event, so if you plan on coming make sure you are on time. Otherwise, you might get accidentally locked out. If you are unable to stay for the entire event and would still like to participate, you will need to make special arrangements in advance. Shoot an email to thockman@stjamesatlanta.org to discuss options.

*All St. James Youth events have scholarships available. Contact Trey Hockman at the church office for details.

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

Beat the heat and join us for our end of the summer Pool Party! Meet at the church at 6pm with your bathing suit and towel. Pick up will be at 8pm in the Peachtree-Dunwoody Rd. parking lot. $5 for dinner (first time guests eat free!)