Youth Ministries

Youth Ministries Documents
AACRC Child Safety Guidelines For Conduct
Youth Ministries Permission Form 2011-2012

New Programs
Roots – The Middle School Ministry at Ann Arbor CRC

Ministries for Preschool Children

Nursery
A safe and caring nursery is provided for infants through 2 year olds during Sunday worship services and the Sunday School hour. Children who are 3 years of age are welcome in the nursery during the Sunday School hour while their older siblings and parents attend Sunday School classes. For safety, parents must sign children in and out of the nursery. Pagers are provided in case a child needs the attention of his/her parent.
Contact: Andrea Bennink, 439-1809


Preschool Church Hour
A class for 3, 4 and 5 year old children who have not started Kindergarten meets during both morning services. The children hear Bible stories, work on crafts or activities, sing and play. Children attend the worship service with their families before being dismissed to class, usually after a children’s message.
Contact: Rachel Redder, 395-5558


Ministries for Youth

Sunday School for Students in Pre-K through 12
Sunday School is the primary tool for educating and training our young people. Our comprehensive Sunday School curriculum is for pre-K through 12th grade students. Our elementary and middle school classes use various materials from Faith Alive Resources LiFE and Walk with Me curricula. Our high school curriculum makes use of many excellent books covering such topics as creeds and confessions, catechism, apologetics and ethics.
Meetings: Sunday mornings, September – mid-June
Pre-K through 5th grade meets from 9:55 – 11:05 AM for singing and study time
6th – 12th grades meet from 10:15-11:00 AM
Contact:
Pre-K through 5th grade: Neal and Suzanne Kessler, 996-9942
6th – 12th grades: Rachel Bush, 449-9011


Vacation Bible Schoolt
Vacation Bible School is a ministry that engages children, grades Pre-K through 4, and their families in a life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ and guides them toward an active Christian life both within and outside the church.
2012: June 25-29
Contact: Naomi 나 정연 Schult, Director of VBS, 485-6054


Pizza Night

Pizza Night provides a time for all members of the congregation to come together for food and fellowship. This free event occurs on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 5:45-6:30 PM. All who come are treated to pizza, salad, and lemonade. Pizza Night is hosted by the Youth Ministries Committee.
Contact: Rachel Bush, Coordinator of Youth Ministries, 449-9011


Cadets

Cadets is a place where boys, in 2nd through 5th grades, learn to grow spiritually in all areas of life; devotional, mental, physical, and social. Christian men serve as role models to the boys as together they learn about God and His will for our lives through prayer, crafts, activities, service opportunities, merit badge work, fun outings, and fellowship.
Meetings: During the school year on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings of each month from 6:30-8:30 PM. Additional special outings are planned for other nights or weekends.
Contact: Paul De Kraker, Head Counselor, 878-7318

GEMS, Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior

The GEMS Girls Club seeks to bring girls, in 2nd through 5th grades, into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Leaders help to nurture this relationship as they mentor the girls in their small groups. Badges, singing, dance, crafts, service projects, and other activities offer fun ways for the girls to build relationships with each other and their leaders. The name for GEMS, Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior, clearly identifies the purpose for which the ministry was created.
Meetings: during the school year on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings of each month from 6:30-8:30 PM. Additional special outings are planned for other nights or weekends.
Contact: Laura Boonstra, GEMS Club Coordinator, 883-5953

Roots (6th – 8th grades)

Roots is a designed to give middle school students a time to be together, framed by an intentional focus on mission and service. Meetings are structured to help build relationships among the teens and their adult leaders, to celebrate and grow in Christ, and to simply have fun.
Service projects are also planned throughout the year in order to provide the students with the opportunity to grow in the Love that Christ wishes us all to share with our neighbors.
Meetings during the school year are on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 6:30-8:30 PM.
Contacts: Victor Chen & Jill Fenske, 717-3842

Roots – The Middle School Ministry at Ann Arbor CRC


The Paraclete Project (6th – 8th grades)

The word paraclete comes from the Koine Greek word παράκλητος, which means “one who comes alongside.” This signifies “one who consoles or comforts, one who encourages or uplifts.”
As part of the Roots program, each middle school student will be paired with a paraclete from the congregation. Paracletes would be the same gender as the student and would encourage their student through prayer, cards, and one-on-one interaction.
Paracletes make a commitment to partner with a middle school teen for the entirety of the teen’s middle school years.
Contact: Rachel Bush, 449-9011


High School Large Group

High School Large Group is a fellowship program for grades 9-12 where adult mentors and teenage students meet for friendship, fellowship, service or fundraising for group events or mission trips.
Meetings: during the school year on the 1st and 3rd Sunday evenings of the month, 7:30-9:00 PM
Contact: Jaime & Betsy Ventura, 516-2574 or 515-2642



High School Small Groups
High School students meet in small groups by gender for a more personal experience in which a student’s relationship with Jesus is strengthened through interpersonal relationships and mentored by mature leaders. This is done through a Biblically guided study of issues important to teens such as prayer, ethics and decision-making, relationships and accountability, and discipleship, while fostering social interactions that welcome each student as a unique image of God and provide a role model of faith in action.
Meetings: during the school year on the 2nd and 4th Sunday evenings of the month, 7:30-9:00 PM
Girls’ Contact: Deb Weener, 945-0608 or Kelly Van Ee, 340-3031
Boys’ Contact: Todd Redder, 395-5558


Trips and Retreats
High School and Middle School students have the opportunity to go on trips that combine real encounters with God and service to people in need.

  • Middle School Winter Retreat, Cran-Hill Ranch in Rodney, MI, January 27-29, 2012
  • Middle School Summer Retreat, Camp Greenwood and Retreat Center 30 miles north of Grand Rapids, June 24-30, 2012
  • High School Winter Retreat, SpringHill Camps in Avert, MI, January 27-29, 2012
  • High School Summer Trip, Thomassin, Haiti, July 21-28, 2012

Middle School Summer Retreat 2012
Camp Greenwood and Retreat Center – June 24-30, 2012
More Info

Youth International Mission Trip 2012
Thomassin Haiti – July 21-28, 2012
Presentation to Parents and High School Students
Brent Gambrell Ministries

Contact: Rachel Bush, 449-9011

Middle School Photos
Serve 2011 - Photos from Friendship CRC
Grace Adventures Retreat
Summer Celebration

High School Photos
Youth Modular Update - August 2011
More photos
FID Furniture Delivery
Nicaragua Trip
Belize Trip
High School Spring Hill Retreat
Belize Mission Trip Web Site
Belize Trip Photos