We live in a time when the majority of our country’s young people describe themselves as: “spiritual, but not religious”. God is out there just not in the church according to one USA Today survey, where 86% of young adults said they could have a good relationship with God without belonging to a faith community. It can be tempting to dismiss, “spiritual, but not religious”, as phase destined for youth who are absorbed in iPhones and Facebook. They will come around when they get older, settle down, and remember that they are in fact religious, or at least want their own children to be. Alternatively, it can be tempting for church youth programs to throw out any trace of religion in an effort to appeal to this increasingly large “spiritual” demographic. We want youth in our churches, if we have to cut a few theological corners to get them there, well, it’s better than them not showing up at all, right?
Maybe. Or Maybe not.
When Calvin said that the church should be influenced by both freedom and order, I doubt he was referring to youth ministry. However the wisdom of his words is no less applicable today than it was five hundred years ago, which is why my vision for youth ministry at the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich is one that seeks to be both spiritual and religious. We maintain the “order” that religion requires by staying grounded in theology and tradition. We allow for “freedom” by realizing that the Holy Spirit is alive and at work among us, leading youth ministry ever onward towards new and exciting opportunities.
I believe we can be both. I believe we must be both in order for youth ministry to thrive and for the church to grow. This is why if you visit our Confirmation class, you will find us studying a thousand year old theological concept through a rap video on you tube. If you come on our mission trips, you’ll find us reading the book of Exodus while exploring modern day immigration issues. Come to one of our many youth events during the year and find us practicing the ancient command of Christ to serve the poor, outcast, and oppressed, while wrestling with what that means in an affluent town like Greenwich, Connecticut.
Religious youth welcome. Spiritual youth welcome. Undecided youth welcome.
This is God’s house, come one, come all.
— The Reverend Erin M. Keys, Associate Minister for Congregational Life
QUICK LINKS:
(more detailed descriptions below)
Click to download MONTREAT TRIP form application for upcoming 9th graders and above (.pdf)
Click to download FISH MISSION TRIP application for FISH (.pdf)
MSYG Youth Group (6th-8th Grade)
The Middle School Youth Group (MSYG) is a program for youth in 6th through 8th grades and is geared towards helping sunday school children transition into full-fledged FISH (Faith Inspired Senior Highers). We do a variety of service, mission, fellowship, and fun activities. Friends are always welcome. Mailings go out with details on events and activities before they happen. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact Josh at 203-869-8686 x119 or by emailing him HERE.
We are always looking for chaperones to attend our overnight trips, be drivers on off site activities, and go on our mission trip! If your parents would like to come and help, we would love to have them. We need you and your parents to make our programs all that they can be.
Mission Days
To the outside world Greenwich is an affluent community so who would suspect there is so much mission work we can do right here in our own back yard? The goal of our Mission Days is to increase our youth’s awareness of the need right here in town. We will spend three days volunteering with local Greenwich/Stamford/Port Chester organizations and one day in Manhattan learning about and serving many of our neighbors. These will be day-long trips we leave after breakfast and return by dinner. All FPCG youth, friends and family are welcome to join. Call or email Reverend Erin Keys at erin.keys@fpcg.org for more information.
The Confirmation Class (8th Graders)
The Confirmation Class is designed for eighth grade students and meets on Wednesday Evenings from 6:30 to 7:30pm in the youth room on the fourth floor. The class will review Old and New Testament stories and basic theological issues. Our goal is to help our kids talk about their faith and grow closer to Christ. They will have the opportunity to do service projects through MSYG in preparation for the MSYG summer mission trip. They will also help lead Stations of the Cross during Lent. They are expected to come to worship three times a month and keep a sermon journal. At the end of the year, they will write a faith statement and defend it before the session. The confirmation class will kick off in September and run through May.
Expectations of Confirmands:
- Attend Wednesday classes, Sept-May.
- Attend a minimum of 3 church services per month and keep a sermon log.
By the end of the year, you must turn in 24 sermon logs.
- Attend a minimum of 6 MSYG events.
- Write and defend your statement of faith in front of the class and then in front of the session.
- Attend the summer mission trip or its equivalent (40 hours of community service over the summer).
Montreat Youth Retreat, NC (incoming 9th Graders-12th Grade)
For over 100 years, Montreat Conference Center has been “a place set apart” for spiritual rest, renewal, and recreation in the mountains of North Carolina. For many years now Montreat has been offering summer Youth Conferences, week-long gatherings of thousands of PCUSA youth from all over the country who come for mission, worship, FUN, and study. This year FPCG is taking our rising 9th graders through high school seniors to Montreat Youth Conference. The trip will take place from July 22-28 and is an exciting new experience for our church young people. Call or email Reverend Erin Keys at erin.keys@fpcg.org for more information.
Click to download application (.pdf)
Faith Inspired Senior High - F.I.S.H. (9th-12th Graders)
Faith Inspired Senior High (FISH) is a program for senior high youth grades 9-12. As the name indicates, we do a lot of community service work, which is our great passion. Each month you can find us serving! Most months we do either one or two service projects locally. In addition, we deepen our relationships with each other, grow in Christ, and talk about our faith. Some of the highlights of the year include: the ski trip and the mission trip.
2012 FISH Summer Mission Trip (9th-12th Graders)
to Tuscon, AZ
June 30-July 6, 2012
Click to download forms (.pdf)
Last year the FISH group traveled abroad to support Hearts for Honduras, an elementary school, and the people of La Entrda, Honduras, an area our church supports through our mission efforts. This year, we return state-side with a "domestic" trip to the South West to continue our tradition of service to those in need and learn more about the border issues of immigration and poverty in southern Arizona.
2011 FISH Summer Mission Trip
to La Entrada, Honduras
July 9-16, 2011
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part I
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part II
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part III
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part IV
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part V
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part VI
Last year the FISH group went domestic to the beautiful environment and lovely people of the Blackfeet Nation near Glacier National Park in Montana. This year we will be supporting the efforts of the FPCG Mission Committee internationally by venturing to La Entrada, Honduras. There we will work with Mauricio and Ana Erazo, local missionaries with the Hearts for Honduras program that our church supports. We will be doing a variety of projects including light construction, repair, stone work, improvement to classrooms, and LOTS of painting. Much of this work will be done with local youth giving our FISH a chance to develop relationships with their peers whom they are serving. A VBS program will also be in full swing while we are there.
2010 FISH Summer Mission Trip
to the Blackfeet Nation, Montana
July 4-10, 2010
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part I
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part II
MISSION TRIP PHOTOS Part III
This FISH Mission Trip was a fresh start. The past three years have seen mammoth improvements for the children at the Majken Broby Orphanage in Roatan, Honduras and it was time to find new projects and new lives to touch as things began to plateau.
After moving the focus to the Dominican Republic only to change our minds in lieu of the Haiti earthquake, the Youth Committee decided on the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. The principal projects were the restoration of a youth camp and surrounding area spearheaded by local leaders, including the son of the Blackfeet chief. The need for such a facility is felt by a community plagued with drugs, alcoholism and poverty. A healthy place for children to spend after-school hours is desperately needed. There will also be the option of assisting with a summer Vacation Bible School (VBS) with local children.
Important Dates for Youth this Year
June 30-July 6, 2012 - FISH Mission Trip to Tuscon, AZ
July 22-28, 2012 - Montreat, NC
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