UMYF 2009 Highlights video

Some UMYF numbers to consider from 2009

65: Number of youth and adults who participated on both mission trips in 2009.

66: Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes completed by the UMYF.

31: Youth who attended Pilgrimage in Fayetteville, including 6 first-timers

1300: Amount raised through 2 UMYF-hosted Chili Lunches at the church. Proceeds went towards local missions.

800: Amount raised by UMYF to provide Christmas for a needy family in our community.

1055: Number of cans collected for the Burlington District Canned Food Drive.

On top of the above, youth from Front Street UMC served at various opportunities this past year, whether it was providing childcare for parents during the busy Christmas shopping season, helping sort inventory at Loaves & Fishes during the annual Postal Worker's Canned Food Drive, and served lunch to the homeless in Mebane; and providing volunteers for Front Street's Vacation Bible School and Mission Man Triathlon.

A healthy dose of fellowship opportunities were also on tap in 2009, from the annual ski trip to outings to a Durham Bulls game, a rock climbing gym, District events, and the annual Turkey Bowl football game.

A back-to-school Spiritual Retreat was held in September, and other avenues for spiritual growth via Bible Study, discussion groups, Small Group meetings, and special speakers at church were also provided.

Through all this, the youth of Front Street continue to have plenty of opportunities to serve, worship, learn, and fellowship together as one. May 2010 be as fruitful as 2009 was!

- Derek Tang, Youth Director

Front Street's youth ministry is a ministry with an intentional approach of providing opportunities for fellowship, service, study, and worship for all youth in grades 6-12. 

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This site is intended for youth and parents and will contain news, announcements, articles of interest, and other such things that relate to the Youth Ministry at FSUMC. If you are a parent looking for downloadable forms for the UMYF, click the link above.

What We Do

SERVICE

Front Street youth are not only active within the church, but within the community of Burlington and Alamance County as well. Here are some of the recent service activities the UMYF have been a part of:

The pictures above (click for full-sized versions) provide just a small sampling of how the youth of Front Street reach out in service to others. Whether it's serving hot meals at the homeless shelter, shopping for Christmas presents for needy families, raking yards for elderly church members, packing shoeboxes of Christmas goodies for impoverished children, or raising money for local charities, service continues to be one of the strongest aspects of the youth ministry at Front Street.

SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday school is organized for both the Junior High and Senior High youth at Front Street UMC. These classes meet each Sunday morning. Youth coordinators work with church staff to provide structured teaching by well-prepared instructors. For the winter and spring, our Senior High Sunday School class is continuing the Bookmarks series, and the Junior High class is using Creative Bible Lessons in John.

CONFIRMATION CLASS
Confirmation class at Front Street is a year-long endeavor for youth in the 6th grade. The classes join the UMYF for snack supper at 5:30, and then have their class from 6:00 - 7:00 on Sunday evenings. This year's Confirmation Sunday will be on May 2nd. Below is our Confirmation Class of 2009, when we welcomed 12 new young members into the church.

UNITED METHODIST YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
An important part of the youth ministry at Front Street is the United Methodist Youth Fellowship, known as UMYF. The UMYF provides youth opportunities for:

• developing personal faith and a commitment to Christ.
• experiencing Christian fellowship in a peer-group situation.
• developing leadership skills through planning and leading United Methodist Youth programs.
• giving support to and sharing concerns with one another and with adults in a caring Christian community.
• developing personal relationships with adults who show characteristics of Christian maturity.
• participating in service, outreach and study activities, such as serving at holiday soup kitchens, Loaves & Fishes, mission trips, and other volunteer opportunities.

The Front Street UMYF is divided into two age groups on Sunday evenings: The Junior High UMYF for those in grades 7 and 8 and the Senior High UMYF for those in grades 9-12. Both groups meet at 5:30 p.m. for a snack supper and then meet separately for study, planning, worship and recreation from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

SMALL GROUPS (SGs) have been introduced to the Front Street UMYF. Youth are assigned a group depending on their grade (7th/8th grade, 9th/10th, or 11th/12th). Together with their leaders, they meet twice a month and plan a variety of fellowship and service projects. After a successful implementation during the 2006-2007 year, the UMYF will be continuing with the Small Group ministry. Group meetings are on a flexible schedule, and meet outside of church, be it at a leader's home or for a fellowship meeting at a local restaurant/coffee shop.

THE MUSIC PROGRAM for youth includes the Youth Handbells which plays regularly in worship. No prior musical training is necessary, although some experience is helpful. Under the leadership of Front Street's music director David Ratchford, the group practices on Sunday afternoons. Informal short-term music groups form from time to time for special occasions, and a youth choir also sings for special occasions.

Please contact the Youth Director Derek Tang if you would like more information.