Youth Group
Hi! My name is Maleita Lemke, and I am a 13-year-old seventh grader and Youth Group member at SUM Church. Every Thursday night from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, ten or more of us go to Youth Group. It is held in the barn. Youth Group is open to any child attending 6th grade through 12th grade!
Mrs. Ott and Ms. Erica run the Youth Group. To start off the Youth Group meeting, we head right into what we like to call “Rose, Bud, Thorn.” It is an opportunity for kids to share one good and one bad event that happened in the past week and one thing we look forward to in the upcoming week. This gives the Youth Group members a safe place to vent and to connect.
After “Rose, Bud, Thorn,” we usually grab a quick bite to eat (pizza and fries are common treats) and head into a game. Our games include anything from card and board games to an outside activity, including dodgeball, basketball, “Youth Group Ball,” and “Keep Away." These games are fun and easy for new members and those who are up for a challenge. If you are lucky enough to win a game, the “Happy Everything Bag” is coming your way! It is filled with fun surprises that you get to choose from randomly!
Once one or two rounds of our game of choice are done, three or four kids will start their weekly chores. These chores include doing the dishes, vacuuming, ensuring the barn is all cleaned up, etc. One or two members get assigned each chore, and once finished, get to write their name under the chores whiteboard to show it has been completed. The chores rotate each week, so one week, you may be assigned to one chore, and another week, you may be off the hook! This helps ensure members clean up after themselves and take responsibility within our group!
Our Youth Group loves helping out the community. We have looked into helping Gifts of Love and doing a “Midnight Run.” Gifts of Love is a local organization that helps whoever needs it. We will help organize their back room so it can be easier for them to locate and give out donations. Midnight Run is an organization that helps feed the homeless in New York and helps people get back on their feet. More to come as those opportunities develop!
We are also helping to spread the mission of our church community! Each December, the Youth Group puts together the Cookie Caper. The Cookie Caper is an event where the Youth Group members come together and sell cookies during the holiday season. We get cookie donations from Youth Group members and the SUM community. We then package the cookies into boxes that we hand decorate and sell them to the public. We were so thankful for all the people who donated cookies. We wrote each of them a thank you note that we delivered in person.
Hear what others have to say about Youth Group:
Isaac Ott (6th Grader): “I love playing ‘NBA Jam’ and all the other fun games at Youth Group!”
Maeve Lemke (6th Grader): “This is my first year at Youth Group, and it is so much fun! I am definitely coming back next year!”
Abby Desson (8th Grader): “I really enjoy Youth Group and playing lots of fun games!”
You're probably thinking, “Woah, this all sounds like a lot of fun! Where can I sign myself or my child up?” Well, you can reach out to Pastor Ott, Deacon Deb, the Church Office, or Mrs. Ott! Do you know of someone in the 6th-12th grade who does not attend SUM? No problem! The Youth Group is open to all!
We hope to see you soon. We will save you a slice of pizza!
- Maleita Lemke