Youth Group

Youth Group is a welcoming community that seeks to support Youth in their relationships with themselves, with one another, and with God. Youth Group is a ministry in which young people deeply explore faith, church, and their own identity.  Our vision is a Youth ministry where pre-teens and teens:

• feel comfortable raising questions and thinking critically about faith
• connect with one another and the wider community
• explore what it means to follow Christ and grow in their relationship with God

Youth Group Overview:

Youth Group takes seriously the need to deal with what is real for young people. It seeks to honor questions and to view each Youth’s life experience through scriptural, spiritual, and liturgical lenses.  Youth develop their understanding of faith, community, spirituality, and much more.  Regularly scheduled Sunday evening sessions will utilize collaborate, a curriculum by SparkHouse. This curriculum empowers Youth to explore the core stories of our faith and develop their personal understanding of who God is. This curriculum will be supplemented with material by Youth leaders to better fit our Youth’s formation needs.  And… Youth Group is fun!  In addition to weekly meetings, Youth participate in mission trips, immersion experiences, the Mardi Gras Pancake Supper and a ton of other exciting activities.

Short-Term Mission & Immersion Trips:

Jesus sent his followers into the world with instructions to proclaim the good news of God’s love to and for all of creation.  Grace Youth share that message with others through word and action both in the church community and outside of it.  Two prime experiences that empower teens to do just that are Grace Youth Mission and Immersion Trips.  An Immersion Trip is a short-term experience serving others and finding God in places beyond the DC metro area. Middle School Youth have gone on Immersion Trips to New York and Philadelphia. High School Youth participate in a Mission Trip, which builds on the experiences begun in Immersion Trips. Mission Trips tend to be a week-long experience of seeking and serving God and others.

Grade/Age:

All Youth and their friends are welcome to participate in Youth Group, Immersion Trips and Mission Trips.  You don’t have to be a “member” of Grace Church to join the fun.  You just have to be in either Middle School (Grades 6-8) or High School (Grades 9-12) to participate.

Contact:

Kevin Antonio Smallwood ([email protected])
301-585-3515 ext. 22