High School Youth Group
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP
The youth program at SPC is a place of welcome, faith, fun and friends. We try to be a place and time set apart from the craziness and busyness of life to spend time with each other and with God. We do this in all sorts of ways – through games and discussion, service and worship, play and eating together. Youth group is a place where you can belong and be loved for who you are. And friends are always welcome here.
Youth Group Sunday Evenings!
6:00 - 8:00 pm. most Sundays
We get together throughout most of the school year, but we occasionally vary the place or time, so check out the Youth Calendar for more details. Evenings generally begin with dinner in Fellowship Hall, followed by activities in our Youth Room.
And More!
Other elements of SPC high school youth programing include:
Dinner with Ashley two Wednesdays a month (see our Youth Education section for details).
The Montreat Youth Conference and our national mission trip, the Appalachia Service Project, both during the summer (see our Youth Group Summer Trips section for details).
Being a part of our congregation’s partnership with ASODECOMAT – a cooperative of 7 rural communities in northern Nicaragua – through our friends at the Nehemiah Program of CEPAD, The Council of Protestant Churches of Nicaragua. In June 2009, this took the form of a mission trip to Nicaragua.
Singing in the Youth Choir (see our Music section for details) which provides musical leadership for the 8:00 Christmas Eve service and on Youth Sunday. Musical gifts are meant to be shared; contributions from both Youth choir and individual youth instrumentalists are welcomed in worship at various times throughout the year.
Leading worship on Youth Sunday, usually in February, including sermons preached by our seniors.
Youth group strives to include 5 things on a regular basis over the course of the year, because each is important to our faith development and connection to God & each other:
Re-creation
From "Poison Chair" to hosting Swarthmore United Methodist, we play games & do community-building activities that remind us we’re made in God’s image.
Service
We bake cookies for college students and welcome guests from the Interfaith Hospitality Network, because helping others and loving our neighbor as ourselves is what Christ calls us to do.
Worship
We try to experience different types of worship beyond our usual Sunday morning services. Youth Sunday is one of the highlights of the year.
Learning
We try to tackle the big questions of God, faith and church, while giving youth tools to grow and develop in their faith.
Taking a Break
In our world, it’s hard to find time to rest and relax, so sometimes we take some special time to do just that. Hanging out and slowing down is a big part of youth group.
Advisors & Parents
We have a faithful team of advisors who are with us on Sunday evenings. In addition to Rev. John Weicher, Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Youth Ministry, (known to some as the grand pooh-bah of all things youth) we are blessed with adults Beth Cohen (chancel choir member and Latin guru), Ray Thompson (of Massanetta and Junior choir fame), and Nancy Server (choir star and Ray's spouse).
We also depend on parents and stepparents to provide dinners, to drive occasionally and to serve as “guest advisors” at times. We are always in need of good adults to be with us - please contact Rev. John Weicher at 610-543-4712 x119 or john.weicher@swarthmorepres.org if you would like to be involved as a parent or have any questions.
John Weicher Nancy, Ray & Beth