Youth Partnerships
Our Youth have many partners in ministry. Locally we partner with The Diversity House, Ronald McDonald House, Rebuilding Macon, local elementary schools, and other community organizations. These organizations allow us to live out our Christian calling to care for the least of our brothers and sisters in Jesus’ name. Each month our youth participate in at least one mission project that helps move from discipleship to mission so we may transform our learning and being into doing.
Youth Discipleship
On Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, we gather to explore, to study and reflect on our lives as Christians and how the Bible offers guidance to our lives. For our youth ministry, discipleship is more than simple Bible Study; it is the way we order our lives. We are not afraid to tackle difficult issues, including: Jesus’ call to minister and befriend the marginalized, outcast and downtrodden in our neighborhood, Jesus’ call to speak out against a society that pushes the least of God’s children to the edges, current events that shape the present and can transform our future, and the Jesus’ call, echoing the prophet Isaiah, in Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon us because he has anointed us to bring good news to the poor. He has sent us to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of site to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
We have Middle and High School Bible studies that are age and topic appropriate, but we keep our eyes fixed on learning more about Jesus and his call for us to make a difference in the world.
On Sundays we meet at 9:45 AM and on Wednesdays we meet at 6:30 PM.
Youth Community
One of the most important development factors of the adolescent experience is the building of friendships and community. In our Youth Ministry, we strive to build relationships across the boundaries that so easily divide students: school, neighborhood, social standing and the like. We are a diverse group with many different schools, activities and interests. Through it all, however, we find common ground at FBC.
On any given Sunday or Wednesday gathering, you will find students shooting pool, playing ping-pong, goofing around on our piano, eating popcorn, doing homework, texting each other across the room, or even taking a nap (when nothing else is going on!). We value the time together that allows us to celebrate our commonalities rather than promote our differences.
Once a month we gather on Sunday evenings for our VESPERS, a time of relaxation at a youth’s home, the church or a local restaurant. Some times we have a focus for the evening, such as a mission project or a Christmas Party, but most of the time, it is a time to unwind from the pressures of the week and hang out with with friends. Guitar Hero or SingStar Competitions will pop up, a random game of wiffle ball or volley ball, skiing at Lake Tobesofkee, or swimming in a pool; all of these and more make their way into our VESPERS line up.
Annual Activities
Fall Retreat - ReCharge – Sponsored by the CBF of GA. A great weekend of relaxation, spiritual exploration and making new friends from around the state.
Winter Retreats – Just for our FBC students, the Winter Retreat is a time to a break over the Winter Holidays to re-center our lives, have fun, and get our spiritual lives prepared for the coming Spring semester.
March Mission Madness - Held in March every year and sponsored by CBF of GA, MMM is a weekend of service, worship and fellowship with students from around the states. It’s a time to get our hands dirty by serving our neighbors and our hearts clean through worship and Bible study.
Summer Mission Trips:
Middle School - Passport Camp – Our Middle Schoolers go to Passport each summer to get a taste of missions, Bible study, discipleship, and fun! Usually held at Wingate University in North Carolina, Passport provides a place for students to discover God’s calling in their lives.
High School - Our Youth Group Mission Partners – Our High Schoolers participate in a more intensive mission trip with one of our mission partners: Rebuilding Together (local), Koinonia Farm (state), and Touching Miami With Love/Open House Ministries (national). We rotate through going to these different locales to serve, learn, and love our God and our neighbor.