Parents,

 

We are trying something NEW, and it is just for our 7th–8th grade students. You might be wondering why—so we want to share the heart behind it.

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First: Your child is entering their teenage years, and those years seem to fly by straight into adulthood. The time we have with our kids during these seasons is limited. Because of that, we want to be intentional now about building connection and belonging within youth ministry—so when students step fully into youth, they don’t feel like newcomers, but like they already belong.

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Second: After years in youth ministry, we’ve noticed consistent ebbs and flows. One key pattern is that during 7th–8th grade, students begin to feel the weight of life more deeply. They start asking real questions like:

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• Why do bad things happen to good people?

• Do I really believe in a God I can’t see?

• How can I hear from God?

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As adults, we often want to give them answers—but it’s in the wrestling that faith becomes their own. Our goal isn’t simply that students know the “right” answers, but that they become lifelong followers of Jesus.

 

Third: While Wednesday nights create space for students to grow in their faith, not every student is able to attend consistently. This new opportunity gives us an additional space to connect with and invest in your child.

 

Fourth: One of the main ways students grow on Wednesday nights is through small groups, where they learn how to walk out their faith. However, we’ve found that many 7th–8th graders are still developing those skills and often don’t fully grasp them until 9th grade. By offering this deeper discipleship experience now, we’re giving students a jump start—so when they enter life groups, they’re ready to go deeper.

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You might be wondering, Why now?
As we’ve been praying over the ministry and developing our vision for youth, this opportunity became clear—why not try THIS?

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We’ll be offering two sessions on Sunday mornings, each lasting four weeks:

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• Session one begins in February

• Session two begins in April (after Easter)

 

Next Step:
Please register your 7th–8th grade student using the link below. We would love for them to be part of this experience.

 

What Sunday mornings will look like:

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• Students will start in the main sanctuary whether sitting up in the right front or with families.

• During offering, students will be dismissed to exit out the main back doors. We will then take them to the youth room, where we will begin our time together.

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We deeply value students being part of the main service, so we did not want to completely eliminate that. This structure allows students to remain connected to corporate worship while also creating intentional space just for them.​

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Below, you’ll find what we’ll be covering in February. You’ll also receive follow-up resources to help continue the conversation at home.

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My hope is that you’ll take this step with us and see where God leads. Thank you for investing in your child and partnering with us in their faith journey. Most of all, thank you for leading them toward becoming lifelong followers of Jesus. You are their greatest INfluence—keep following Jesus so they can follow your example.

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Expectant for what God will do,

 

Pastor Jen Soltys
Youth Pastor