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.

Confirmation Pictures:
Sunday, March 14th – 10:15-11:00am and 12:15-12:45 in the gym
Thursday, March 18th – 7:00-8:00pm in Room 10

Confirmation Gowns:
The cost for gown rental is $20. Measurments and payments need to be turned in to the church office or RJ Grunewald by March 21st.

Confirmation Retreat:
The dates for the retreat are Friday, April 16th-18th. The retreat is held at Michigan Christian Youth Camp in Attica, MI and costs $75. We will meet at 5:30pm before we leave on Friday and return back to Faith at approximately 12:00 noon on Sunday.

Confirmation Service:
The confirmation service will be held on Saturday, May 8th from 2-4pm in the Worship Center. We ask that each student and at least one parent meet in the Youth Room by 1:15pm sharp in order to receive instructions for the service.

As we begin to approach the dates for our Castaway Bay retreat, we’d like to give you a brief glimpse into what we will be talking about while we are at Castaway.  Our theme for the weekend is going to be “Move” and focused all around the simple idea of looking at how God is moving in each of our lives and how God can use us to move into the lives of those around us.

At each of our Move Sessions we are going to study a different components of how God is moving in our lives today.  We will look at  how God has moved all throughout history and how that is still so important today.  Our worship, videos and lessons will all be designed to help us connect with this theme.  Think about some of your favorite stories throughout the Bible, how did God move in their lives?

I’d like to update you as to a change in our staff. Pat has been offered, and accepted, a position at Cross of Christ Lutheran in Bloomfield Hills. He will serve them as the Director of Student Ministries. This is a great opportunity for Pat and Melody, it allows them to stay in a local congregation, while at the same time allowing Pat the opportunity to  build and lead his own ministry team. Pat’s last day will be October 21st.

We are very thankful for the 8 years of ministry and leadership Pat and Melody have provided here at Faith, as well as their friendship, they will be missed. We also know and trust that God has great things planned for their future and look forward to hear of how He uses them to bless Cross of Christ. Please take a moment to congratulate Pat and Melody on this new ministry opportunity.

I know for many people this was a surprise.  After talking with a few people on Sunday I figured I would try to answer a few of the common questions that people have already brought forward to me:

Why are you leaving?
As Joe stated, this truly is a great opportunity for Melody and I.  I have loved every minute of serving as the Middle School Minister here at Faith over the last 8 years (yes, even the 2am jogs around SpringHill camps).  After lots of time thinking and praying over the last several months both Melody and I feel it is the right time for me to use my gifts to help grow and develop ministries at another place.  This was an incredibly difficult choice for us because we have such a rich and amazing history here at Faith, and such a connection with so many families.

What are you going to be doing at Cross of Christ?
I will be the Director of Student Ministries, overseeing both Middle School and High School ministry.  As only the 3rd full-time staff member at the church I will also be able to give guidance and direction in a few other areas as well.

Who will replace you?
I know that Dave Frank, the Director of Student Ministries, is working very hard to find the best possible replacement for the Middle School Ministry.  He is currently taking resumes and will begin interviews, etc. in the near future.  Until a replacement has been found many of our volunteers have stepped forward to run, teach, etc. at all of our programs.  So the Ground Floor, 2nd Floor, Castaway Winter Retreat and Christmas Blitz will all still happen.

When is your last day?
My last Ground Floor is Sunday, October 18th.  My last 2nd Floor (and last day) will be on Wednesday, October 21st.

What’s this we hear about a party?
Faith has been gracious enough to throw a farewell/celebration of service party for Melody and I on Sunday, October 18th at 12:30pm in Room 16.  We will have pizza and other food for any families and students that would like to come and hang out with us and say “see ya later”.  Everyone and anyone is invited, and I’d love to be able to see all of you there!