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United
Methodist Youth
Fellowship (UMYF)
Our Church is a Safe Sanctuary
for
Children and Youth
When Jesus told the masses to Let the children
come to me, he set the standard for
including children and youth in our faith, our worship and our church.
Over the last few years, our
church has
adopted and implemented a
Safe Sanctuary
Program that takes large strides to make certain that our children and youth are revered in the way Jesus intended, that coming to church is a happy occasion,
and that the tragedies that have befallen children in other places of worship do not happen here. Under our new
policy, which protects both children and youth and
vulnerable adults from abusive situations, we have taken steps to
make certain that opportunities for such situations are minimized and that
we have effective means in place for reporting and addressing suspected abuse,
whether it should happen at church or during a church activity, or elsewhere.
Under our policy, there are heightened
screening procedures for new and existing
employees, as well as for volunteers who have regular contact with our
children and youth. These procedures include criminal background checks, child abuse
history clearances and reference checks. Further, our standard practice
for activities including children and youth is that two adults are present at all
times. Remember, the more volunteers we have serving the church, the easier
it is to meet this standard! On those occasions where two adults cannot be
present all the time, a second adult will be available and checking
in on the group periodically.
If a volunteer or church employee receives a
good faith report of abuse of a child or youth, we
have reporting processes in place that insure that the information gets
reported to the pastors and to the authorities in a prompt manner that maintains
the confidentiality of the child or youth and the person accused while an investigation
is completed. We are training our employees
and volunteers about our Safe Sanctuary Program and trust that the result of our
efforts will be an environment that helps our church and its many valued and trusted employees and volunteers
to
serve children and youth in the manner Christ intended. Children and Youth are welcome at FUMC-Hershey!
Safe
Sanctuary Training – If you work with children or youth at FUMC-Hershey, you must
meet our
Safe Sanctuary Policy guidelines.
Youth In Mission
The youth ministry of First United Methodist Church is constantly growing and changing to meet the needs of youth in grades 6 through 12. Christian friendship, spiritual growth, leadership training, and outreach through service are among the goals of this ministry.
Got-Grand
Youth from area Churches are being invited to come together for a
time of fun, food, fellowship and devotion, with the residents of
Country Meadow's. We will meet in front of Country Meadows each
month at 1:30 p.m. and finish at 3 p.m. Each month an area church
will be responsible for an opening and time of prayer, then we will
play games and interact with the residents. Big screens with video
games will be available for use, including the Wii. Please join us.
Permission slip and sign up on the youth wall. For questions?
contact Christine Drexler, 533-7980.
Upcoming dates:
Date: August 24, 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Host: Fishburn United Methodist Church
Date: September 28, 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Host: Derry Presbyterian
Youth
Fellowship
All youth, regardless of church membership, are invited to our
Middle School (grades 6-8) and Senior High (grades 9-12)
group meetings. These
meetings usually meet most weeks each month for programs of
Christian growth and fellowship, as well as fun and service.
Throughout the year, programs and projects focus on activities such
as: CROP Walk, lock-ins, college care package projects, mission
trips, Bethesda Mission, caroling to shut-ins, parent’s nights
out, weekend retreats, Youth Sunday, hayrides, skiing, tubing,
service through local or global missions, guest speakers, and the
study of topics relevant to young people seeking Christ’s
direction for their lives.
Usual
Sunday
Meeting
Schedule
- 4:45-5:30 p.m.
Handbell
Rehearsal
- 5:30-6:00 p.m.
Youth
Choir Rehearsal
- 6:00-7:30 p.m.
UMYF
Sunday School
Middle School and High School classes meet together at 9:15 a.m. in the
Youth Room for announcements, praise music, and opening Scripture.
The groups then split for teachings based on the material from www.teamce.com.
Youth Music
Opportunities for expression of faith through music are offered in various forms to youth. Participation is open to all who are interested and includes choirs and ensembles such as the Youth Choir;
Handbell Choirs (three groups of youth, grades 6-12); and Celebration Worship Singers and Instrumentalists.
For more information, visit the Music
Ministry page and contact Shawn Gingrich.
Confirmation
Classes
for confirmation are organized for youth who wish to join the
church. Each participant is given a mentor, attends workshops, field
trips, reads the Gospel of Luke, and learns about the United
Methodist Church and about one's own personal faith in Christ before
choosing to be confirmed.
(Photo by Bill
Fraley)
Boy Scouts Of
America
For
many years, BSA Troop 203 has been an integral part of First United
Methodist Church-Hershey. This Cub Pack and Scout Troop provide
friendship, outdoor activities, leadership training, and service
opportunities to young men in Hershey and surrounding communities.
Regular Troop meetings are Mondays at 7 p.m. when school is in
session. Cub Pack regular meetings are the 3rd
Friday of every month at 6:45 p.m.
For
more info on the Cub Pack, contact Belinda
Svirbely. Click
here for details and a registration form to sign up for Cub
Scouting.
For
more info on the Scout Troop, visit the Boy
Scout Troop 203 website.
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