First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg

Welcome to the Youth Ministry Page of
First Presbyterian Church!

The purpose of the Ministry of Youth is to encourage young people to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by nurturing their spiritual growth through the study of God's word, corporate worship, fellowship, and service. Such experiences will equip them for ministry in the church and the world in order to glorify God.

Weekly Programs (back to top)

Need the Youth Schedule for the Year - Click Here!

Sunday School - 9:45 to 10:45am each Sunday
We have 3 Sunday School classes for our youth. The Junior High class is for youth in grades 6 and 7 and meets in the Junior High Room. We have a 8th and 9th grade class that meets in the 8th and 9th grade classroom. The Senior High class is for youth in grades 10-12 and meets in the Senior High room. All youth classes meet upstairs in the Family Life Center.

Sunday Night Youth Program
U-Turn is essentially a representation of what we pray to happen in this ministry through Jesus Christ.
God calls us to turn from our sinful ways and walk with Him in holiness. God wants us to "make a U-Turn" and strive to live a holy life for Him. Our goal is to live as people who have experienced the wonderful grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, serving, and leading others to turn from a worldly life and make a U-turn towards God.

5:30pm Youth Choir Ends
5:30-6:00pm Dinner for both Jr. and Sr. High Youth
(Catered and picked up by volunteer parents in Fogartie Hall)
6:00-7:15pm Sr. High (9-12) meets in Sr. High Room (led by Jeff Smith)
Jr. High (6-9) meets in Jr. High Room (led by Carrie Williamson)

Format includes: Games/Mixers, Devotion, Small Groups, Music

Wednesday Night Youth Program
Detour is designed for us to look in-depth at the scriptures and learn that Christ calls us to take a “detour” to the narrow road that leads to life. God calls us to be set apart and to stand out in a world of conformity. We will deepen our faith as we look to Jesus for direction and insight of how we should live as Christians in the world.

5:00-6:16pm Dinner in Fogartie Hall (Youth need to sign up for dinner each Wednesday)
6:15-7:15pm Jr. and Sr. High Small Groups (led by various small group leaders)

Format includes: Discipleship Study in a small group setting

Sr. High Monday Breakfast Club
On Monday mornings throughout the month, we have a prayer breakfast for all Sr. High youth at Hardee's - both on the Eastside and Westside of town. Transportation to school is provided for students who need a ride from Hardee's.

• Eastside breakfasts meet the first and second Mondays of the month at the Hardee’s on E. Main St. across from SHS.
Eastside breakfasts run from 7:00-7:30am
• Westside breakfasts meet the third and fourth Mondays of the month at the Hardee’s on Hwy. 221 near DHS.
Westside meet from 7:25-7:55am

Jr. High Monday Breakfast Club
Our Jr. High students meet at the church the last Monday of the month for breakfast and short devotion. Parents volunteer to bring breakfast for our students. They meet 7:03-7:30am and transportation is provided for students who need rides to school.

Confirmation
Confirmation is for students in the 9th grade. Confirmation is primarily held over three major retreats during the year, along with Sunday school, Sunday night gatherings, and local mission projects. Each confirmand is connected with one male and female adult leader in the church who leads the small group portion of the retreats and commits to mentoring them throughout the rest of their high school experience. Confirmation is also open to students who have not been previously confirmed.

CrossWalk Youth Band
CrossWalk is our student led youth praise band led by Leigha Singleton. They lead our closing worship times after U-Turn and also play during our summer Sunday School sessions, as well as on Youth Sunday. CrossWalk practices on Wednesday nights (6:15-7:15pm) during our regular programming with Wednesday at First. CrossWalk is open to all youth grades 6-12 who are interested.

Special Programs / Conferences (back to top)

Jr. High Great Escape Youth Conference
Each summer our Jr. High students travel to Cleveland, TN and join over 1,000 other students at Lee University to fellowship, worship, and grow deeper in their faith. They are challenged by tremendous speakers and an exciting worship band. Students compete in athletic events, and get the opportunity to make new friendships with other youth, as well as deepen their friendships at First Presbyterian Church.

Sr. High Montreat Youth Conference
Our Sr. High students travel to Montreat, NC for a time of spiritual renewal with 1,200 other students and adults from all over the nation. We stay in homes provided by church members and get to participate in recreation, worship, and small groups. Our students get the opportunity to make new friends from other churches and are challenged in their faith during the week by a keynote speaker and a Presbyterian pastor. Students grow close together with their peers, and are challenged into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Blue Ridge Weekend
Our youth and their families travel to Black Mountain, NC and stay at the Blue Ridge Assembly for a fun filled weekend. Students and their parents participate are equally challenged in their faith and have the opportunity to spend quality time together.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes
During the year, our youth directors provide breakfast and a message to our student’s right where they are at school, through FCA. First Presbyterian Church provides a meal and a message once a semester to connect with students and to reach out to students seeking a church home.

Missions (back to top)

Jr. High Washington D.C./Chicago Mission Trip
Our Jr. High students charter a bus each summer alternating between Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL to server the needy in the inner city. We partner with an organization called Center for Student Missions, who provides us with agencies to work with. Students have worked in soup kitchens, food banks, after school programs, at nursing homes, and even helped do landscaping. Open to students who have completed grades 6-8.

Sr. High Mexico Mission Trip
Our Sr. High students travel by charter bus to Reynosa, Mexico each summer and partner with an organization called World Servants. We stay at a Best Western Hotel in Reynosa and are bused each day to our worksites. Our partnership with World Servants allows us to build four new homes for four different families and lead a vacation bible school for the children of the community during the week. Open to students who have completed grades 9-12.

Local Missions
Our students have the opportunity to do local mission work right here in Spartanburg. We have done work with Habitat for Humanity, Winter Warmth, and Souper Bowl of Caring. We are currently working to provide mission opportunities once a month for our youth.

Forms Needed: Liability Form, Insurance Form, and Behavior Covenant.

Retreats (back to top)

Jr. High –
Fall Retreat – Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, NC
Our Jr. High students travel to Black Mountain, NC during the fall and stay at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly. Over the weekend they are challenged in their faith by a great speaker and worship leader. Students work together in team building initiatives and experience an awesome high ropes course.

Ski-Retreat – Winterplace, WV
Our Jr. High students travel to West Virginia for a fun filled weekend of skiing. Over the weekend they are challenged in their faith by a great speaker and worship leader. It’s a wonderful weekend to get away and be renewed in their faith.

Sr. High –

Fall Retreat – Our Sr. High students travel to Elizabethton, TN and stay at a camp called Doe River Gorge in the fall. We are challenged by a speaker and a worship leader to grow deeper in our faith together. Students participate in team building exercises, a high ropes course, and in small groups led by volunteer adults. It’s a wonderful weekend to get away and see the beautiful fall leaves and experience God in the mountains!

Disney/Universal Studios – During the winter/spring semester our students travel to Orlando, FL and stay at the Pine Lake Retreat Center for their Disney World/Universal Studios Retreat. Each year we alternate between Disney World and Universal Studios. Students receive park hopper passes that allow them to enter which ever park they want to visit. At night we are lead in devotions by a speaker and a worship leader. This is a wonderful getaway to a warmer place during the colder months!

Worship (back to top)

Merge Worship Services – Merge Worship is what we call our youth led worship services. These services are held at the end of each semester and are led only by our youth, and a pastor if communion is served. They take place in the Jr. High youth room and are for both Jr. and Sr. high students.

Youth Sunday – Our youth lead one Sunday a year in during our regular worship services on Sunday mornings. Students lead everything from the prayers to the sermon. Our youth band CrossWalk, OneWay, and our youth choirs lead our music for the services. Our Jr. High youth lead the 8:45am service and our Sr. High youth lead the 11:00am service.

Baccalaureate Celebration – Each year we honor our seniors by providing a breakfast for them and their families the Sunday prior to graduation. We bring in a speaker to encourage them as they prepare to move forward during the breakfast, as well as awarding them with gifts. Students process in during the 11:00am worship service and are recognized in cap and gown.

Fellowship (back to top)

U-Turn – Every 2^nd Sunday of the month during our regular Sunday night U-Turn time, we take a break from Scripture and focus on fellowship. Activities include: video scavenger hunts, roller skating, bowling, flag football games, etc… These nights are focused on providing our students with an opportunity to play and get to know one another better.

5^th Quarter – During the fall when football season is in full swing, we sponsor a Friday night after the football game event at FPC. It’s open to all youth and exists to provide them with a safe fun-filled night. Food and entertainment are provided for the evening.

Congregational Care (back to top)

We believe that true ministry is fostered in relationships. That’s why we see a need for our volunteers to make time to get to know our youth. If your child is honored in anyway for an achievement, or is feeling under the weather, or if a family member has passed away, please contact us at the church so that our youth directors and our volunteers can reach out as the church and share in your joy or grief. We want to care for our students and their families!

Jr. High Monday Breakfast Club Our Jr. High students meet at the church the last Monday of the month for breakfast and short devotion. Parents volunteer to bring breakfast for our students. They meet 7:03-7:30am and transportation is provided for students who need rides to school.

Jr. High Monday Breakfast Club
Our Jr. High students meet at the church the last Monday of the month for breakfast and short devotion. Parents volunteer to bring breakfast for our students. They meet 7:03-7:30am and transportation is provided for students who need rides to school.