Youth in grades 6-8 gather for Sunday School in person – our lessons follow the sermon series and/or scripture being shared in the Sunday morning worship service. We read scripture, watch videos, talk through the day’s lesson and learnings, and play games.

Messiah 6-8th Grade Sunday School meets Sunday mornings during the school year during the 8:30 and 10:30 am worship services. The first Sunday of each month, all youth attend worship – in person or online. On that Sunday, there is no Sunday School programming for youth.

Middle School Youth are working our way through the Old Testament, learning about some “stories we all know” and some we’ve never heard before. By learning about God and God’s people through the Old Testament, we see how the whole story points toward Jesus – but also about how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. We play games, do activities, read stories, and watch videos from The Bible Project each week in Middle School Youth Group.

Middle School Youth Group (grades 6-8) meets Wednesday nights from 7-8 pm on the back patio (weather permitting) or in the Lakeside Room.

Before Youth Group, we have a casual “Dinner + Hang” time from 6:30-7 pm. We serve dinner (pizza, subs, tacos) and hang out before Youth Groups get started. We gather on the back patio by the lake for dinner (weather permitting) or in the Youth Room. We have some games and stuff to play, but mostly this is a time to catch up with friends and Youth Leaders. There’s no cost for dinner, and youth do not need to RSVP. This is an optional activity – many youth come just for Youth Group, but we offer this before Youth Group to help youth who feel like Wednesdays are too hurried to grab dinner in between school, activities, and church.

Faith + Life is a weird intersection in high school. We gather each week to study the stories of Jesus, his disciples, and God’s people. Understanding how their stories affect your life might help make sense of things. We alternate between Large Group gatherings and Small Group discussions each week, including a game and some teaching/conversation – always striving to better understand God and each other.

High School Youth Group (grades 9-12) meets Wednesday nights from 7-8 pm in the front parking lot (weather permitting) or in the Youth Room.

Before Youth Group, we have a casual “Dinner + Hang” time from 6:30-7 pm. We serve dinner (pizza, subs, tacos) and hang out before Youth Groups get started. We gather on the back patio by the lake for dinner (weather permitting) or in the Youth Room. We have some games and stuff to play, but mostly this is a time to catch up with friends and Youth Leaders. There’s no cost for dinner, and youth do not need to RSVP. This is an optional activity – many youth come just for Youth Group, but we offer this before Youth Group to help youth who feel like Wednesdays are too hurried to grab dinner in between school, activities, and church.

Confirmation allows youth an opportunity to take a closer look at the inner workings of Christianity and the United Methodist Church. We study the Bible, the life of Jesus, what it means to be a disciple, the early church, and basic tenants of the United Methodist Church. We learn about other world religions, and grapple with some tough questions. We approach this through experiential activities, class meetings, discussions with mentors, church visits, service projects, and retreats.

Confirmation Classes begin with a parent/student meeting in October and classes in November. Confirmands meet on the first and second Sundays of each month, with additional activities throughout the year.

Each Summer, Messiah Youth have two opportunities to spend a week serving others. Middle School and High School students can participate in STORM Camp (Service To Others in Relational Ministry), where they will do two things: work and worship. Groups of five youth and one adult spend the day serving in the community – building, painting, cleaning, weeding, etc. Each evening is spent in worship, complete with music, testimonies, and preaching. 

High School students also have the opportunity to serve for a week with YouthWorks. They’ll travel out of state and spend a week serving in various ways, while also learning about the community they are serving. Each evening there is an opportunity to engage with members of that community. 

Messiah Church never wants finances to prohibit a student from participating in summer missions. Partial and full scholarships are available.