Hello, Youth & Families!

In this email...

• Join us for Crossroads on Sunday at 12:30 pm!
• Sign Up to Volunteer for Heart to Heart on Wednesdays.
• Registration is open for the Fall Youth Retreat!
• Learn about choir opportunities for youth.
• View our Fall 2023 calendar for upcoming events.
• View a recap of our Parent Info Meeting from last week.
• Register for youth programs so we have updated info on your family.

WEEKLY EVENTS

Weekly on Sundays

Crossroads

Sundays, 12:30 - 1:30 pm

First Community North

What does it mean to be part of a community of faith? We'll discuss together by illustrating our "ideal" Crossroads classmate this Sunday! Here's the plan:

• Meet in the Crossroads Room. Those attending worship at 11 am are welcome in the Crossroads Room anytime after worship ends. Those arriving closer to 12:30 can enter through the main Sanctuary doors. Leaders will guide you to the big room with couches.
• Full-group gathering. Fred and Sarah will welcome the group and lead a quick ice breaker.
• Small group time. We'll split into small groups for check-in time, then classes will create together.
• Come together. As always, we'll end with a short closing prayer!

Youth Volunteering at Heart to Heart

Wednesdays, 5 - 6:30 pm

FC South (1320 Cambridge Blvd.)

Join us each Wednesday to help prepare grocery bags for the clients at Heart to Heart Food Pantry!

Who can get involved? Anyone in grades 6-12 is welcome to serve with us! Middle school parents: we strongly encourage you to attend with your child the first time they volunteer at Heart to Heart. Once they get to know the tasks, they're welcome to come on their own!

Required: Minor Waiver. All participants under 18 must bring a waiver the first time you volunteer. These need to be filled out anew each program year, so please fill out a new one for the 2023-24 year! Click here to find the Minor Waiver.

Required: Sign-Up. Spots are limited for each Wednesday evening and signing up is required. Click below to claim your spot! Note: if you are signing up yourself and your child, be sure to occupy two volunteer spots.

FALL RETREAT

Register Now!

Fall Youth Retreat

Saturday, October 21 - Sunday, October 22

Camp Akita

Registration is now open for the Fall Youth Retreat! Youth in grades 6-12 are welcome to join us for a great weekend!

WEEKEND SCHEDULE



Saturday

• 10 am – check in at First Community North. We’ll drive down to camp together in church vans.
• 11:30 am – get settled at camp, do some introductions, and small group welcome games.
• 1 pm – Lunch
• Afternoon activities (hiking, crafts, tag games, etc.)
• 6 pm – Dinner
• Evening activities (games, scavenger hunt, and movie with popcorn)
• 11 pm – Lights out

Sunday

• 8:30 am – Morning devotion
• 9 am – Breakfast
• 9:30 am – Small group debrief time
• 10:30 am – Pack up
• 11 am – Those going home load the vans; those staying for Akita Fun Day help us set up pumpkin carving and eat lunch.
• 12 pm – Those going home arrive back at First Community North
• 1 pm – Those staying for Akita Fun Day meet up with families.

MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT

Who Can Attend?

Youth in grades 6-12 are invited! Friends are welcome, even if they have not attended Crossroads or other FC youth programs. Just be sure they register; feel free to forward this email!

Fees & Scholarships

The Youth Retreat is $75 per participant. Full and partial scholarships are available. 

Living at Camp Akita

Youth Retreat participants will live in the Camp Akita Lodge, which has heat and air conditioning and bathrooms with hot showers. All meals are provided. On the registration form, you'll find we ask about medications and allergies so we can serve all participants safely. The retreat is led by Sarah and Fred (Youth Ministry/Camp Akita Directors), as well as volunteer Crossroads Leaders.

Akita Fun Day: October 22

Akita Fun Day is on Sunday, October 22, a free family event with pumpkin carving, hiking, climbing the tower, and more. We encourage families to attend Akita Fun Day! If your family is attending Akita Fun Day, participants will meet up with their family once they arrive, enjoy Akita Fun Day (1 - 4 pm), then ride home as a family. If your family is not attending Akita Fun Day, you'll head back to Columbus with youth retreat leaders and get dropped off at First Community. See above for timing.

The deadline for registration is Monday, October 9!

MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Choir Opportunities for Youth

Middle School (grades 6-8)

Middle schoolers are invited to join our Junior Choir and our Youth Bell Choir, both under the direction of Lori Walls. Our Youth Choirs rehearse weekly and perform during worship services throughout the year, including our Christmas musical!

• Junior Choir meets Wednesdays from 6:30 - 7 pm.
• Youth Bell Choir meets Wednesdays from 7 - 7:40 pm.

Find more information and sign up here: Youth Choirs.

High School (grades 9-12)

High schoolers are invited (and encouraged!) to join our choirs that participate in worship on Sundays. These opportunities include...

• Cambridge Choir at South. Amy Blosser, Associate Director of Music, leads this choir that participates in worship at the 10 am service at FC South. Rehearsals are on Sunday mornings and occasionally on Thursday evenings. Amy also directs the choirs at Bexley High School. You will be joining some of her students in this group as well as adults of all ages. Contact Amy for more information.
• Chancel Choir at North. Andy Blosser, Director of Music, leads this choir that participates in the worship service at 11 am at FC North. This choir rehearses every Thursday evening during the program year. Dr. Andy Blosser is a voice professor at OSU. You will be joining several of his students in this choir as well as adults of all ages. Contact Andy for more information.
• Common Grace Band. This contemporary music group is led by Janelle Rogers. They play at the 9 am contemporary service at North. There are opportunities in this band for vocalists, drummers, keyboard, guitar, and bass players. Rehearsals are on Sunday mornings. Contact Janelle for current openings and specific information.

Looking for more info? Reply to this email! I would love to speak to you about our music opportunities and help connect you to the staff that oversees them.

Fall Calendar

Mark your calendar for these activities and times when Crossroads does NOT meet in the coming weeks and months.

• October 21-22: Youth Fall Retreat. See above for details and registration.
• October 22: Akita Fun Day. Join us for an open house with fall activities from 1-4 pm at Camp Akita.
• October 22: NO CROSSROADS. We will not meet for Crossroads due to Akita Fun Day and the Fall Retreat.

• October 29: Halloween Hullabaloo. Join us for Halloween-themed parking lot games and activities from 12-1 pm. This will be our Crossroads activity for the day (stay til 1:30!).

• December 10: Adopt-a-Family: 5-7 pm. We will shop for and wrap Christmas gifts for families we know through the Heart to Heart Food Pantry. We will have Crossroads at the normal time (12:30 pm) to prep for shopping. Then, we'll return to church from 5-7 pm to shop at Target. This will allow us to shop when the store is less busy.

• December 24: No Crossroads. Youth will not gather due to Christmas Eve.

• December 31: No Crossroads. Youth will not gather due to New Years Eve.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS

Click the images below for more info!

Parent Meeting Recap

This past Sunday we gathered parents and guardians for an information session about First Community's Youth Ministry. For those who missed it, here's what we discussed: Parent Information Meeting 2023.

Questions? Want to learn more? Reply to this email!

So much to look forward to! This year will be full of Youth Ministry events and opportunities for connection, such as the Halloween Hullabaloo, the Mexico Mission Trip, and more! But most of all, I look forward to getting to know our amazing group of youth and families! Please reach out if you'd like to schedule a time to chat or get to know each other better. I'd welcome your email!

With gratitude,

Sarah

Rev. Sarah C. Kientz

Minister to Youth and Camp Akita

First Community | Where Everyone Is Accepted

3777 Dublin Rd, Columbus, Ohio 43221

she/her 

skientz@fcchurch.com

FCchurch.com | CampAkita.org

Youth Registration

Registration is free and simply ensures we have updated info on your family for the 2023-24 program year. Take a moment to update us! Also, do you know someone who might want to get involved in First Community Youth Ministry? Forward this email along, have them register, and they'll get these emails right to their inbox.

Important Resources

Need some extra support? Use these resources or reply to this email. I can provide conversation and referrals.

Suicide Lifeline. In immediate danger? Call 911. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new number: call 988. It provides free and confidential support for you or your loved ones. Learn more about local suicide prevention resources through Nationwide Children's Suicide Prevention.

Mental Health Crises. The Franklin County Youth Psychiatric Crisis Line provides 24/7 services for non-life-threatening crises. Ages 17 and under: (614) 722-1800; 18 and older: (614) 276-CARE (2273). Learn more about local mental health resources through Nationwide Children's Crisis Services.

Domestic Violence & Teen Dating Abuse. In immediate danger? Call 911. For domestic violence resources, visit thehotline.org. Young people who have concerns about their relationships can text 22522 or visit loveisrespect.org.

LGBTQ+ Support. The Trevor Project provides affirming resources for LGBTQ+ youth and families. Text START to 678-678. In crisis, feeling suicidal, or need a judgement-free space to talk? Call the TrevorLifeline at 1-866-488-7386.

Sexual Health Resources. Nationwide Children's Hospital provides a program called AwkTalk, free videos that help parents discuss sexual health, puberty, and healthy relationships. Each video is less than 10 minutes, provides medically accurate information, and can be viewed at any time.