October 2017

Dear Parents of Fourth Church Youth,

It's hard to believe, but since the last newsletter we've had a month of youth groups, a retreat, a lock-in, a choir introit, and a worship service with four youth leaders. I have learned in my short time here that there is no such thing as a "down" week. I know that is true for all of the pursuits, teams, and activities our youth are committed to. I am grateful that Fourth Church is one of those things.

As we enter October, here's what to look forward to over the next four Sunday mornings (in addition to the 10:30 a.m. community time for all youth in the Bumpus Room, which meets every week).
  • October 8 is Chicago Marathon Sunday, so we expect attendance to be low. We will not have our regular Sunday morning gatherings but will instead run an All-Youth Get-Together in the Bumpus Room from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. 
  • October 15: The Junior High group starts a three-week series on women in the Exodus story by learning about Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives; Senior Highs will be exploring Psalm 23 (Shelley will be in Cuba); and Confirmation will meet in Circle Groups for the first time! There will be a parent meeting at 11:00 a.m. (more on that below)
  • October 22 : Junior High is all about Moses's mom; Confirmation will be together in 5A for a keynote about Jesus' miracles; and Senior Highs will hear from the prophet Isaiah. (Shelley will be in Cuba this week too.)
  • October 29: Junior Highs will learn about Pharaoh's daughter, and Senior Highs about Moses and Martin Luther. Confirmation will gather in Circle Groups.
parentmeetingSpeaking of that parent meeting on October 15 . It will be at 11:00 a.m. in the Loft. I envision these meetings as a chance for parents to connect with other parents, to learn more about goings-on in youth ministry, and to voice any questions or concerns with the staff. The October meeting will share some information about "Our Whole Lives," the dating and sexuality curriculum we plan to introduce in the spring. If you can attend, RSVP by emailing me (Rocky), so I can be sure to have enough coffee.  

Now a word about your involvement in our youth ministry . So many of you have been so generous in sponsoring the bagels we provide for our all-youth community time each Sunday. That brief time is a uniquely valuable space for youth to connect with each other, and I am so grateful to all of you for your contributions. More than fifteen families and individuals have sponsored bagels!

In addition to designated contributions to bagels, mission trips, retreats, and fundraisers, youth ministry at Fourth Church is propelled by a growing budget supported by the entire congregation's annual pledges. I know many families of youth already enthusiastically participate in the Annual Appeal, and for that I am grateful. There would be no youth ministry otherwise. If you haven't already made your 2018 commitment and need to know more about how to participate in the appeal, the church's website has all the information you need . You can even pledge online. Thank you for your faithful support of the ministry of the entire church.   

I mentioned fundraisers already. These form another critical piece of not only financial support, but face-to-face, relational support for students' summer trips on the part of the wider congregation. We have four trips scheduled for the summer of 2018, and four fundraisers planned to raise money for them to assure that any student who wishes to go on a trip can, regardless of their ability to pay the recommended contribution toward the cost. We have a goal of raising $20,000 with four fundraisers:
  • A Chili Cook-Off on January 7, 2018
  • A Bake Sale on March 18, 2018
  • A Pancake Breakfast on April 10, 2018
  • A Stock Sale on May 13, 2018
We are assembling teams of parents and volunteers to help steer each of these events. Involvement would mean a planning meeting and attendance at the respective event. Please consider contributing your energy and skills to making our fundraising as robust as possible. Email me to express your interest, and please indicate which event you're looking at.   
 
 
Fourth Church youth went to Cuba on a cross-cultural discipleship experience.  
With your support more youth will go back this summer!  
 
Finally, ministry with youth at Fourth Church is ministry with families, and we care a lot about providing opportunities for teenagers and their parents to serve together. The first opportunity this year is the Sunday Night Supper on November 19, where we will serve a special Thanksgiving dinner restaurant style. Katie has put together a terrific SignUpGenius form that you can use to sign up for that event right now. Email Katie if you have any other questions.
 
 
Katie, Shelley, and I love working with all of you in ministry with your kids. Thank you for walking with us.
 
In Christ,

Rocky Supinger
Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry
 
   

Fourth Presbyterian Church
126 E. Chestnut St., Chicago, IL 60611