Orchard Youth (Click here for Youth News & Events.) "Growing New and Stronger Followers of Jesus by creating a place to: Belong, Be Real, Become" The Orchard Youth Groups, led by our Student Pastor, Heather Hopkins and an energetic team of adults, are high-energy, life-impacting times for middle school and high school students. No boring meetings. It is cool events, exciting trips, small groups, real relationships, challenging faith, and relevant discussion about issues facing youth today. More than just providing entertainment, our purpose is to help kids become practicing followers of Jesus who will impact their world by actively seeking to grow new and stronger followers of Jesus. When: Jr. High (6-8 grade):             Sundays from 5:30-6:30 PM Snack Supper (6-12 grade):  Sundays from 6:30-7:00 PM Sr. High (9-12 grade):          Sundays from 7:00-8:00 PM  Where: The Orchard Church directions Why: Belonging, Being Real, and Becoming will create a redemptive society - a group of people so committed to each other and centered on Christ that they can change the world. Belong: Belonging is essential for relationships. "Making the way in the world today takes everything you've got; taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came. You want to be where you can see our troubles are all the same; you want to be where everybody knows your name." (Cheers Theme Song) These lyrics summarize perfectly what a youth group can be-a place to belong. Most everything we do is designed to make this a place for you to belong. Be Real: Being real is essential for transformation. God's amazing grace allows us to stop pretending and be real. No one has it all together. No one is finished running the race. Everybody is still a work in progress. If we know this and believe this we will let God love us just the way we are. And when we experience God's love we will grow. The areas of our life that need to change will be changed. Our youth small groups are a place where you don't have to worry about being right or wrong; you can just be real. Become: Becoming is essential for staying on mission.  Romans 8:29 says that God has called us to be conformed to the image of his Son. This means that God wants us to be like Jesus. When we follow Jesus we become like Him. Our times of teaching, prayer and worship, games, service opportunities, and mission trips are all focused on this goal. Our passion is to watch you grow to be the person God designed you to be. We want you to become like Jesus. What: Weekly Gatherings: At our youth meetings we hang out, learn together, laugh out loud, get pushed out of our comfort zones, catch up with friends, pray, discuss the Bible, receive grace, find a place to belong, celebrate our victories, share our sorrows, discover Jesus, and follow Jesus together.  Relevant Discussion: From premarital sex to world religions, from terrorism to homosexual couples, young people are daily faced with issues that would not have even been discussed only a couple of decades ago. These issues need to be faced with honesty and to be discussed from the Biblical perspective. We provide young people with a safe, supervised, and constructive environment for facing today's issues head on. Exciting Trips and Real Missions: "Getting away" is often the way that young people grow best. They grow friendships and grow closer to God as they experience new things together. The Orchard Youth Group trips range from whitewater rafting to local mission trips, from Six Flags to the local Dairy Queen. Each trip will be designed to help kids grow relationally and spiritually. Look for up-to-date info each Sunday. Cool Events: You can't have a great youth ministry without having cool events. These events serve as anchors of activity and involvement for our youth. More importantly, they are vehicles for inviting friends to join in the fun. These events include concerts, sports tournaments, socials, lock-outs, and spiritual growth events. Because we want to maintain the appropriate "cool" level, they will be planned and implemented by the youth themselves. More Information: Contact The Orchard Student Pastor, Heather Hopkins for more information about youth events.         Feel free to attend any youth gathering.  All weekly gatherings are open to any child in the appropriate grade level.  Our advice: the first time a child visits, have them bring a friend with them. Visit Youth News & Events