Form more information about the youth ministry contact:
Jenny Gordon
Director of Youth Ministries
Youth Ministry
The purpose of the Youth Ministry of FPCH is to help students in 7-12th grade to grow in their understanding and Faith in God, the Trinity, Scripture and themselves. We host several youth-centered events throughout the year where we strive to give students a place to belong, be authentic, ask questions, and relax in a safe space.
We not only provide opportunities for youth events, but we also encourage students to be involved in the overall life of the church, seeking to serve, connect with multiple generations and find their passions so that after their teen years they can better integrate into the life of the church. We hold many events throughout the year, such as youth group meetings, service projects, fundraisers, confirmation class, and camps and retreats, as well as partnering with several community groups. Most of our events follow the school calendar beginning with regular events kicking off in September and ending in May. Please find information about these events below.
Youth Group
Youth Group is held almost every Sunday evening from 5-6:30pm in the Roost of the Presbyterian House on the Church campus. That is the second floor of the big White house where the church offices are located. We take part in a meal together, play get-to-know-you games, Worship, and discuss God and life in separate middle school and high school small groups. We have lots of fun and we have a very welcoming group of teens. We invite you to bring a friend and come check us out! Sometimes we have a service opportunity or a fundraising event in place of youth group, so please check for exact dates on our google calendar. This can be found on the events tab of the website, or you can ask Jenny to add your email address to our weekly e-newsletter that goes out every Friday.
The congregation donates meals for our weekly meetings which we greatly appreciate!! If you are interested in helping provide a meal for youth group, please click the link below to sign up for a specific Sunday or Contact Ashley Traylor, our meal coordinator at ashley@ateattorneys.com.
Polar Thang
Every January our 7-12 graders travel to Florence Mississippi to participate in our Winter Retreat - The Polar Thang! This event is run by Youth Conference Ministries (YCM) and is held at Twin Lakes Conference Center. We always have an amazing time getting to know students from other groups, taking a polar plunge in the lake, participating in worship and teaching sessions and playing massive group games! Twin lakes has so much to offer on the grounds, from basketball, to volleyball, kayaking, bonfires, a giant fire tower, a treehouse and more! The retreat is always on the Martin Luther King Jnior weekend. We leave that Friday evening and return Sunday afternoon. The cost is $175 and includes registration, lodging and all meals on Saturday and Sunday morning. As always, we never want cost to be the reason someone cannot attend. Scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis and are kept confidential. Students are required to help with at least one fundraiser per year to help with transportation costs.
Find more information at: https://www.ycmhome.org/polarthang
Deposit of $75 and FPCH Permission form due October 1st.
Montreat
Every July current 8-12 graders spend a week in Beautiful Montreat North Carolina at the PCUSA Montreat Youth Conference for a week of Worship, Study, Connection and FUN!!! Students from all over the US gather on Montreat’s campus to get to know one another in small groups, engage in morning energizers and talks, play crazy large group games, be a part of nightly worship, attend dance and foam parties, play spike ball, eat homecooked meals together, and lift one another up in the Lord. This is a transformational week that you won’t want to miss!! The registration cost for each attendant is $330. This amount covers the conference fees and we work as a team, throughout the school year, to raise the funds needed to purchase transportation, housing and food for the week. Scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis and are kept confidential. All students attending Montreat are required to help with at least two fundraisers per year to help with those additional costs.
Find more information at: https://montreat.org/y-ya-events
Deposit of $100 and FPCH Permission form due January 25th.
Confirmation
There is no exact right time to take confirmation class, but we recommend that eight or 9th graders tend to get the most out of this exciting learning experience. Confirmation is a time for students to explore their faith as they begin to become independent believers from their parents. We study three different areas of learning during confirmation. First your teen will learn more about God, Yahweh, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Second, they are introduced to what it means to be a Presbyterian and the opportunities available to members of the PCUSA church. Third, they are asked to consider what they believe and about their own personal walk with the Lord. It is during this third portion that each student is asked to write a statement of Faith and to consider if they would like to be baptized (if they have not been baptized yet) and if they would like to become a member of First Presbyterian Church of Hammond. No one is required or pressured to be baptized or to join the church. The class takes place in the Spring and usually consists of 6 weeks of class with 2 additional weeks of fellowship and meeting with the Session. Students are assigned a mentor to be an extra resource for them as they go through the class and to help hold them up in prayer and share God’s love with them. Confirmands are usually baptized, recognized, and join the church on Palm Sunday each year. If you have any questions about whether you, or your student, are ready to go on this exciting faith journey, please contact the youth director, Jenny Gordon, or Donna Gay Anderson at dgbanderson1@gmail.com.
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