Would you like to help plan the events and service projects for the year? Are you interested in a Summer Youth Mission Trip? Snow Camp? It’s a busy year!
We meet every Friday evening in the church dining room 6-8 p.m.
We eat dinner, then have the meeting, games and prayer time. Join us and bring a friend! If you are not on the email list, contact Mr. Deal at tomnsally@gmail.com
Calling all high school students!
Are you looking for ways to fulfill your community service hours? There are many opportunities here at FPC:
• Volunteer on Sunday mornings in the Nursery or Young Children and Worship. Contact Lynn Tenney or Karen Mancini.
• Be part of our VBS this summer or our review team in March.
• Help serve at our soup kitchens. Contact Alice Hand or Colleen Spencer to see how you can help.
• Do you need support for an Eagle Scout, Gold Award, or Senior Project? Let us know if you need ideas or help with your project.
Now this was fun!
College Scholarships to URI
Sarah Beck Hill Memorial Scholarships are awarded in May. These scholarships provide a grant each semester for eight consecutive semesters. Applications may be submitted by anyone planning to begin, or currently enrolled in, a full-time course of study in a degree program at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
Looking back . . .
October 2009. We went to two Christian Concerts in October. First we went to see and hear and feel Skillet and the other groups were Decyfer Down and Hawk Nelson in Worcester, MA. The next week a small group went to see Newsboys in Lowell. Later in the month we went to the Escobar Corn Maze on Sunday and then went to the church for an evening of food and fun. We had 21 current students and 6 college-aged participants at our Alumni Event.
2008 During October we explored the five love languages of gifts, acts of service, quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation. We discussed how we must understand others’ love language in order to minister to them. We also began our search for a theme song for the year and as usual enjoyed the games we play under the direction of Mr. Kent. We had a fabulous time October 17 when we did the Corn Maze at Escobar’s and returned to the church for dinner and a movie. In November, we are exploring how a teen achieves his/her goals of independence and identity in a Christ-like manner.
In November we explored the age-old desire of teens for independence and identity, and how to approach those needs in a Christ-like manner. November 4 was “Messy Game Night” and everything about it lived up to its name. On Veteran’s Day, Mrs. Ferree led the night and on November 18 we celebrated Mrs. Ferree’s birthday (her 29th of course.) We had a superb day on November 15, when 24 of us went to Rock the Sound and “rocked out.” The wide range of music made it fun for all of us. (Although I still don’t think I know a single word that Skillet sang.) We did two days of “sitting” at the church to raise money for Snow Camp in November. December and January included the blood drive, Ugly Quilt Day, and Snow Camp
We enjoyed snow camp with 28 campers from FPC! We played and prayed and worshiped and ate, (notice the lack of the word sleep in this). First place in sled and banner and overall contest winners, we ate our share of tripe, and cow tongue, and worms, and Mrs. Ferree of course got chocolate again. In February, we provided babysitting for the Sweetheart Dinner and had some extended get-together time during Vacation Week.
March was an exciting month. Our ranks grew to 25! On Youth Sunday, May 17. we led the worship service and provided a "potato bar luncheon" afterward as a fundraiser for the youth mission trip. The yard sale May 30 was a great success.
Remembering Summer '08. In Sunday School we took a practical approach to Worship by planning the Youth Worship Service. On Sunday 18 May, we led the worship program for Youth Sunday, which included musical offerings, scripture readings, and testimonies. Later in May we went to Rumney for a work weekend. The week of 22-27 June we sent a team to the Boston Project. Several of us attended “Upward Challenge,” a week long Christian camp and teaching experience in Black Mountain, NC from 21-26 July. Also, this summer, we have examined different types of Christian worship services by attending services at other churches in the area and then discussing our experience at our youth meetings on Tuesdays.
Every Day. . .
We realize there is lots going on in the life of Senior High students.... As you learn to balance the many competing demands on your time, daily devotions and prayer.
All enjoyed the September game night at the Atlantic Solutions Garage in Portsmouth. The highlights of the event was the food eating relay (how does Ben always end up with the candy?) and of course Mrs. Ferree and Molly searching for those special worms. Nine youth and two adults went to Six Flags New England and after a day of rides saw a great concert by Third Day, Thousand Food Krutch, Farewell Flight, Koi, and Siloam. Several youth also participated in a volunteer work project under the direction of the Deacons, doing yard work for church members who were having surgery and unable to do it themselves.
Team NOLA was a great success. Several of our teens went to New Orleans to assist Katrina victims in rebuilding.
During November we continued working on our study of temptation, looking at temptation from the perspective of “Putting on Our Armor” to be ready for the fight and accepting our role as His knights in battle. Our thanks to November’s “mystery guests” Tony and Elaine Ruggiero. Also, 16 people went to the Steven Curtis Chapman concert in Lowell. A big thank you to Zoe and the others who sold calendars on Sunday mornings for our summer trips.
December and January were jammed packed. Sure, we had our usual exciting meeting on Tuesday night meetings, but we also had a special night of caroling in Newport and New Year's Eve lock-in at the Newport Athletic Club.
In January we got back on the Tuesday meeting schedule with topics of Doubt: Does God Really Care About You? and Impact: Can a Teen Really Make Any Difference in the World? We enjoyed our mystery guest, Tyler Will, on his winter break from URI. Will provided food from the kitchen and food for thought. Also, we sponsored the yearly church blood drive for the RI Blood Bank. And of course who could ever forget the fabulous Snow Camp weekend, when we set the 21st Century First Presbyterian snow camp attendance record with over 30 at a snow camp retreat! We did our banner and skit on the idea of “Under Armor” about the full armor of God and medieval theme. The Holy Spirit fell, snow fell, our goals were lifted and rumor has it the bus driver will be able to return to his job after a few more weeks of psychological rehab.
In Sunday School we finished looking at the end times as revealed to us in the Scripture. We moved to our new Sunday School classroom. We started working on a study of Worship and how we can really worship God in our church services and in our lives.