TF²
Youth Fellowship for Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders

TF² is a vibrant community of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders who share their stories and explore their faith in an environment that fosters genuine relationship with all of God’s children by:

• Playing fun and engaging games
• Embodying spiritual practices
• Praying together
• Creating spaces for joy, openness and moments of grace

 General Information

• TF² meets bi-monthly on Wednesdays from 5:00-6:30pm.
• Optional dinner shared with Junior High Fellowship is available from 6:30-7:00pm. Cost is $4 per person; families are welcome.
•  All elementary school-aged friends, 3rd-5th grade are welcome to attend TF². It is not necessary for a student to attend church or be part of a family that worships here; we welcome everyone at any time!
• TF² Fellowship is held on the lower level.
• Children not opting for dinner will be escorted by a leader to the north parking lot entrance for pick-up at 6:35pm; children staying for dinner will be escorted by a leader to the north parking lot entrance for pick-up at 7:00pm.

This group is led by Rachel Bahr, Director of Youth Ministries, Caroline Andres, Youth Education Coordinator, as well as volunteer leaders.

For additional information please contact Caroline Andres.

TF2 2011 - 2012 CALENDAR

Junior High Youth Fellowship for 6th, 7th and 8th Graders

Junior High Youth Fellowship (JHYF) is an engaging community of students that explores faith, celebrates diversity, and fosters a genuine relationship with God by:

• Sharing our faith and spiritual community through fun games, activities and entertaining outings in Large Group fellowship
• Creating relationships and safe spaces for youth and leaders to dive deeper into challenging questions through Small Group Night 
• Embodying spiritual practices from a variety of faith traditions during Spiritual Practice Night
• Living faithfully through Service and Justice projects

General Information

• JHYF meets on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30pm.
• Optional dinner shared with TF² (Elementary Fellowship), is offered from 6:30-7:00pm. $4 per person; families are welcome.
•  All middle school-aged friends, grades 6-8 are welcome to attend JHYF. It is not necessary for a student to attend church or be part of a family that worships here; we welcome everyone at any time!
• Fellowship held on the lower level.
• Youth are picked up at north parking lot entrance at 8:30pm.

This group is led by: Rachel Bahr, Director of Youth Ministries, and Caroline Andres, Youth Education Coordinator, together with adult and student leaders.

For additional information please contact Rachel Bahr or Caroline Andres.

Activity Waiver form required for any off-site activity.

JUNIOR HIGH YOUTH FELLOWSHIP 2011 - 2012 CALENDAR

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Senior High Youth Fellowship

Senior High Youth Fellowship is for ALL 9th-12th graders--athletes, musicians, intellectuals, agnostics and faith seekers; we embrace you. Our youth group is a faithful gathering of open-minded youth welcoming of diverse perspectives and critical thinking. Our youth say they come because it’s fun and because we create spaces for honesty, compassion and grace.

• We meet Sunday nights from 7:00 - 8:30pm; we gather outside the Chapel from 7:00 - 7:15pm and then move to the all-purpose room (former preschool).
• We provide Large Group, Small Group, Outings and Service Opportunities

All youth are welcome to attend. It is not necessary for youth to attend First Congregational Church or be part of a family that worships here. We welcome everyone at anytime!

Senior High 2011-2012 Events & Opportunities

Tool Raiser

On the Sundays in January, Senior High Youth will be collecting your donations of gently used tools for our use at Work Camp this summer. Please be sure to stop by our table in the Atrium.

Here's what we need: hammers, cloth nail aprons, pencils, safety goggles, work gloves, speed squares, cat's claws, tape measures, sawzalls, circular saws, sledge hammers, t-squares, 2' levels, 4' levels, socket sets, wrench sets, chalk lines, brooms, framing squares, ladders, step ladders, extension cords, crow bars, wonder bars, screwdrivers, caulking guns, utility knives, paint brushes, hand saws, saw horses, drywall screw guns, jig saw, knee pads, putty knives, dust masks, cordless drills, rakes, shovels, wheel barrow, hose, five-gallon buckets, tarps and sanding blocks.

Work Camp

We are reminded in Micah 6:8 of our call to do justice and love kindness; our purpose on Senior High Work Camp is to live out this call. We’re having our fall Work Camp meeting on Sunday, November 20 after the 10:30am service. This meeting is mandatory for all youth attending Workcamp.

• Work Camp will be in St. Louis, MO June 9-16, 2012
• Please note the following requirements:
  Attendance Requirements - 50% attendance at Senior High Fellowship and Events (Whirlyball, Sleep Out Saturday, Dec. Crosswalk, Lock-In, Spring Retreat); 100% attendance at Senior High Forums, “Workcamp Learning Nights,” 10/23, 12/11, 3/4 and 5/6; 100% attendance at Youth & Parent Workcamp meetings 11/20 and 4/22.
  Reading Requirement - We will read “Beyond the White Noise: Mission in a Multi-Cultural World,” by church member Tom Fate.
  Fundraising Requirement - Participation is expected at our two fundraisers, St. Patrick’s Day Youth Dinner on March 17 and ‘Tool Raiser’ (details forthcoming).
  We anticipate the cost of the trip will be $500-550 per youth; sign up by sending in a $200 deposit. If your youth has scheduling conflicts, contact Rachel Bahr, Director of Youth Ministry; she is more than willing to meet at alternate times.
  

Student Leadership

Student leadership is a part of the culture of our youth fellowship; any youth interested in leading must attend leader training. Our August training was a great success, and our next one is scheduled for Sunday, January 22, 2012 from 11:30am - 2:00pm. Please sign up with Rachel Bahr, Director of Youth Ministry.

Staying Connected & Informed

We’ve been communicating directly with your teens almost exclusively through the First Congregational Church of Glen Ellyn Senior High Youth Group Facebook Group. Please know that we will send monthly parent updates through e-mail, since we realize information often doesn’t reach parents! We will send occasional updates through the post office, but watch for announcements at the beginning of worship, in the weekly bulletin, the weekly electronic mini-newsletter and the monthly Pilgrim newsletter.

If you have any questions during the year, please don't hesitate to contact Rachel Bahr, Director of Youth Ministry. We look forward to a truly awesome year accompanying your youth on their faith journeys.