What We Do
Most of what we do is done on Sundays during our regular weekly meetings. However, we also plan many other events and group activites for other times. Much of what we do focuses on either helping others through social action and service projects or learning about ourselves and other people. There are also things that we do just for fun, such as parties and lock-ins.
Building a house in New Orleans
Participating in the Walk for Hunger
Service and Social Action
Every other year we do a major week-long service project in some other part of the country. For example, this year we will go to Appalachia to volunteer working on houses in areas with economic trouble. In the past we have assisted at a school on the Navajo Native American Reservation in Arizona and helped rebuild from hurricane Katrina's damage in New Orleans. In the years without a major service project, we do a number of local service projects of a smaller scale, all relating to a certain theme. Past themes have included homelessness and hunger.Leadership
As leadership development is one of the goals of the youth group, there are many ways for one to take on a role of responsibility. Members have the opportunity of being elected to various positions in the YAC, the administrative body of the youth group, and from there can experience authority (more info). Besides the YAC, there are a number of other planning groups that can be joined, and youth group members can also take charge of specific projects.
Worship
Some youth group sessions feature an activity aimed at generating thought, usually about some philosophical theme. The goal of these worship sessions is to help us understand ourselves and our relationship with the world around us. These activities are run by the worship coordinators, who plan them as well.
The Youth Service
Each year, the youth group is given total control over one of the Sunday morning church services. We plan everything about it from the theme to the decorations. These services typically include most aspects of a regular service, such as speaking, music, and intergen, all presented by the youth. The youth service is typically seen as a way for the youth group to connect with and present itself to the rest of the church.
Workshops
On Sunday nights we often have activities planned which can fall anywhere on the spectrum between fun and informative. We've had workshops on everything from salsa dancing to shammanism.