“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

--I Timothy 4:12

These are words every youth group should live by, and here at Emmanuel, we certainly try to. Our youth group is open to teens in grades 8-12, and you do not have to be a member of the church to join the youth group.

We have three goals we stress in Youth Group:

Study– We meet approximately every other week, and at least once a month, our meeting is a Bible Study. Unlike Sunday School, these meetings are longer and can, therefore, be more in-depth. Also, the teens give me input as to what they would like to study, and we go from there. Past Bible Studies have included Prioritizing your life, Turning up the volume on God and down on the world, and Spiritual Gifts.

Service– Christ said, “’Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40b).

Service to others is one of the quintessential ways Christians emulate Christ and serve Him. Teens are usually enthusiastic and energetic, but they are also often overlooked by adults. In Youth Group, I try to bring the two groups together – to give the youth some guidance by setting up service projects, and to ask the church adults for their support – something they are always willing to give at Emmanuel! Past service projects have included delivering Easter baskets to our homebound members, visiting nursing homes, work days, our annual Iron Chef Dessert competition (to raise money for ongoing church projects) and our annual summer Missions Trip, implemented through Group Workcamps Foundation.

Social– Finally, we are the family of God, and while families grow together through work, they also grow together through socializing and play. So after the study and the service, we make some time for fun, too. Past social functions have included seminars/guest speakers, parties, laser tag, and some annual functions: an International Potluck dinner, an all-nighter with games, Twister, food and movies, and our trips to the American Baptist Youth Convention in Syracuse.

We have an active and welcoming Youth Group, and we encourage new people to join us!



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