Christian Formation for Youth
Youth Group (YG) Formation—For grades 6th and up (including alumni both from local colleges or those visiting home), we gather for Ascension Youth Group typically on the second and fourth Sundays of each month from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. As we no longer have a Sunday morning educational component for Youth in this age group, we added formation to the evening program, when most of our students are more awake and engaged. Each Youth Group meeting consists of the three “Fs”: Food, Formation, and Fun!
At the annual Mission Fair in September, we begin recruiting new students. Then our first meeting is a cookout in September where we brainstorm themes for the year ahead. We use mainly our own formation curriculum keeping the material simple and biblically based, and most importantly, relevant. Often, we pull from real-world activities to focus the discussion. We treat students as responsible young individuals who want to learn more about the Bible and its meaning in their lives.
Summer Work Camp—Each summer students travel to various areas of the country to help improve the local communities while building a lifetime of spiritual experiences through hard work and fellowship. For the past decade, work camps have focused in Philadelphia, PA and particularly St. James School which serves middle schoolers from severely under-resourced communities. There will be another Work Camp in the summer of 2023.
Service Projects—Back in the summer of 2023, a week-long summer work camp experience supported the students from St. James School, in Philadelphia, PA. This year was the second time our youth were camp counselors at North Bay, on the northern Eastern Shore of MD for the St. James students. It’s the summer camp for St. James with all the typical activities; swimming, basketball, campfires, and zip lines. Usually, we go to the campus in Philadelphia and work at the school itself, but these last two summers our Youth truly get to know the St. James students (being with them 24 hrs a day) and build relationships with them. Our Youth have enjoyed serving St. James students before it was an official school, for over a decade. Also, as part of the preparation, the Youth did a fundraiser for St James. The congregation was extremely generous, donating over $6000!
Youth Sunday—Youth Sunday is a critically important activity for our Youth, and the entire Ascension community. The students plan and lead the service with our high school seniors presenting the Homilies. Importantly, they also select the music that has meaning for their lives. Look for Youth Sunday this spring on April 28 th , 2024, which will also be a One Ascension Sunday!
Ascension’s Youth Group is focused on forming lasting relationships through shared meals, fellowship, service, and fun. The strength of these relationships is born out of the closeness of the community. Fun games and outings include holiday parties and cookouts as annual events. The YG program at Ascension is a collaborative effort of lay leaders, staff, parents and clergy.
Please contact Angie or Trevor Hight Walker angela.hightwalker@gmail.com or walkertj@yahoo.com if you have any questions or you wish to help in any way.
