Our new upcoming series starts this Sunday, Cooties, and we want to help keep some of the discussion questions posted so that what we talk about in class can also be discussed at home.  This first week we get into some general information about dating.  Why does this start to become of interest in middle school and how are we to respond as Christians to dating?

Here are some questions to discuss as a family:

1. Do you think you should be allowed to date in middle school?  Why or why not?

2. What do you see as the purpose of dating or having a boyfriend or girlfriend?

3. Who do you see people change when they start having a new boyfriend/girlfriend?  Is this good or bad?

4. Is dating in middle school beneficial?  Why or why not?

5. What are important qualities to look for in a friend?  How are this similar to what people should look for in a boyfriend/girlfriend?  In a future spouse?

We will be leaving on Saturday, January 14th.  Please meet in the youth room at 9am.  Also our theme for the weekend will be “Show & Tell”; we are asking each student to bring an item to use for a show and tell time during a group discussion.  For parents, leaders, and students please spend some time reading through the appropriate letters and be sure to bring a medical form filled out on Saturday when we leave.

Parent/Student Letter

Leader Letter

Medical Form

If for some reason you cannot make it on this retreat, but would like to discuss an alternate option for first communion, please contact RJ.

Download the Retreat Letter

Download the Medical Release Form

- Download the Parent Letter

- Download the Med. Form

Summer is coming to a close and that not only means back to school, but there are a lot of events and things going on to be aware of in the Middle School Ministry.  Here are a few of the things that you should no about:

Good Morning Gameshow

We are kicking of the fall at the Ground Floor with a morning jam packed full of great games and prizes.  We’ll fit as many games as possible into an hour and play games from Fear Factor, Price is Right, Minute to Win It and more.  Plus everybody loves the chance to win some great prizes.  The fun starts at 9:15am.

Ground Floor

Every week during the fall, we meet on Sunday mornings at 9:15am.  The Ground Floor is a great place to come and hang out on a Sunday morning.  We have the usual pop and donuts and will spend some time playing fun games together and spending some time learning about the Bible.

Check out our upcoming teachings.

2nd Floor

The 2nd Floor is a great place to get together on Wednesday nights.  We meet in the youth room at 6:30pm.  2nd Floor is designed to be all about discussion.  We have a focused topic and lesson plan and all the bible reading and study is done in your small groups.  And if you’re looking for something to do before class, come as early as 3:30pm and hang out, play video games, play dodgeball in the gym, eat pizza, or just do some homework.

7th Grade Retreat

As a part of our confirmation program, every year we take our 7th Grade students on a retreat.  We will be heading to Michigan Christian Youth Camp in Attica, MI for a weekend of fun and learning about what it means to take Communion.  This years trip will be taking place from October 22-24th and the cost is $75.

It’s that time of the year again and we are approaching the new school year and thus a new confirmation year.  We recently completed our first of two parent meetings, the next being Thursday, August 5th at 7pm.  Please be sure to attend that meeting if you did not make it to the first one.

6th and 7th Grade Confirmation:

We need you to sign up by filling out one of the student info sheets available in the youth room.  Our confirmation curriculum will be available in the bookstore starting on August 15th.  Please note that you will need to purchase this curriculum even if you have had kids go through in the past as this is a new set of material.

8th Grade Confirmation Groups:

If you’re student is in 8th grade they will be going through our Small Group classes. They also will need to fill out a student info sheet as well as note the day of the class that works best for them.

For more information on details of the program, any changes, and dates and time of tests, classes, and more download or pick up a confirmation packet.

6th Grade Information

7th Grade Information

8th Grade Information

Summer’s coming and what better way to celebrate than a party at church with giant inflatables, pizza, lots of cool games, and more.  Mark your calendars for Friday, May 28th from 6:30-9:30pm and make sure you join us for this party.  The cost is only $5 and it is open to anybody currently in grades 5-8.

April 6 – Crazy Bowling at Troy Lanes – 6pm to 8pm – $5 includes pizza and bowling

April 7 – Open Gym at 5pm, Movie Night in the Youth Room from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

This summer we have some incredible trips planned!  We have two main trips that will happen during the summer, which will be great opportunities for our middle school students grow in their faith and get connected with other students at our church.

GrowingU

From June 25-27, we will be taking a trip out to Frankenmuth, MI.  The idea behind this trip is to challenge everyone that comes and encourage personal study, worship, and prayer.  We will spend time at the hotel and local areas having fun and doing Bible Study.  In the short time that we have we really hope that we can have a blast hanging out at the hotel and in Frankenmuth and give every student practical ways that they can be growing their faith at home.

Summer Sand Dunes Retreat

From August 19-22, we will be heading to the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes  and Lake Ann Camp for an incredible summer retreat.  We will be staying at the beautiful camp with great cabins and tons of activities for us to take part in.  We will get the chance to do some dune climbs, go canoeing, try out the high ropes obstacle course, fly through the air on the giant blob, and much more.

For more information on these trips and to download a copy of the registration forms, go to our trips page.