Youth - United Methodist Church

What is FLAME Ministries about?

Director of Youth Ministries Dan Colthorp leads the way Igniting this Generation for Christ through programs that encourage and strengthen those in middle school, high school and college on their journey of faith.  In FLAME, we teach youth to:

Follow Jesus
Learn the Word
Advance the Good News of Jesus Christ
Minister to Others
Encourage Others in their Faith

See the FLAME newsletter to learn the latest news and events.

FLAME Youth Group
Sundays – High School, 7:30-9:00 pm
Wednesdays – Middle School FLAME Youth Group, 7:00-8:30 pm
We get together every week for worship led by a praise band.  We play games, eat snacks and break down into discussion groups.  We get into God’s Word and learn how to put teen issues into a Christian perspective.  We get out and do extra activities like paintball, laser tag, bowling, hayrides, swimming, shopping, etc.  Get to FLAME – for fellowship, discipleship and fun!

Life Together Small Groups
Mondays – Lakeshore & St. Joseph High School students, 2:45-4:30 pm
Tuesdays – Lakeshore Middle School students, 2:30-4:30 pm
Thursdays – Upton Middle School students, 2:45-4:30 pm
We pick up everyone at school in the church van and go out to eat first, a great time for socializing and unwinding after school.  Then we go to the church Youth Center for a Bible study, taking turns reading aloud, sharing thoughts and discussing.  Life Together Groups lead to deeper friendships and spiritual growth – go for it!

Mondays – High School & College Life Together Group, 7:00-9:00 pm
This group meets at Dan’s house, a more intimate setting for young adults to really open up and share what is going on in their lives.  If you want to develop strong, deep Christian friendships, then come to this group.  If you want to find answers to some of your questions and doubts, then join us as we bond together through prayer, Bible study, group games, and fun outings.

Confirmation
Sundays, 4:30 pm
This is a nine-month, in-depth class that helps teens with their questions about God, Christianity and the Church.  During the weekly sessions, teens confront their doubts, dig deeply into the Bible, learn important Christian beliefs, and explore what is unique to Methodism.  At the end of the class, the Confirmation students are asked to write a paper that explains their view of God, Christianity and personal beliefs.  Also at the conclusion of the class, each person makes a decision concerning joining the church.  This class is limited to teens in 8th Grade and above.

Young Men's Bible Study
Every other Tuesday, 7:00-8:00 pm
This group is led by Will Flaherty and meets in the Youth Room to discuss Biblical principles important in the lives of young men.

Sunday School Classes
11:00  Youth Room: for high school age
11:00  Library: for middle school age

Special Events

Mission Trip – Every year our teens go on a 1-week mission trip to develop a servant's heart and to draw closer to Jesus.  Mission trips are a wonderful opportunity for teens to grow closer to God and to each other while learning that with the help of God, they too can make a difference in the world.  For more information about this year's mission trip, please contac Dan Colthorp.

Summer Camps – Every summer middle school and high school students have the opportunity to attend one of several United Methodist camps in Michigan.  These camps radically impact how our teens live for Jesus Christ and we recommend that they all go to camp to draw closer to God, to make some awesome friendships with other Christian teens, and to simply have fun!  Camp brochures are available at the church, or go to the “Camping” quick link at www.westmichiganconference.org

Winter Weekend Retreats – Activities include: tubing, tobogganing, ice skating, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, basketball, dodge ball, volleyball, carpet ball, ping-pong, cards and board games.  There are also incredible worship services and discussion times.  Just ask anyone who has been to Miracle Camp before!  It is a memorable spiritual experience.

Church Lock-Ins – Every year we host one Middle School Lock-In and one High School Lock-In.  During these evenings we eat tons of food, play lots of dodge ball, play video games, watch movies, play pool, ping-pong, air hockey, foosball, carpet ball, and simply hang out together.

Summer Teen Book Club – There are so many great books out there, so during the summer we try to read one or two of the best Christian books.  At the end of summer we always wrap up by doing something fun together like Dune Buggy Rides or Chuck-E-Cheese!