Youth

Becoming a Youth Movement

What keeps us up at night? Finding ways to empower the next generation of disciple-makers. Our passion is to see students see themselves as sons and daughters of a loving Father who loves to give good gifts. They in turn deepen their love for God, grow together as His family, and share the good news of the gospel with others. We believe relational discipleship is the best way for students to become disciples who disciple others. Come join us on Wednesday nights for a family meal, worship, teaching, fun antics, and huddle times.

Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you are welcome here.

Wednesday Nights

6 to 8 PM

Why Underground Youth?

John 12:24(Message) “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.”
Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, the seed never produces fruit.  The Underground is the place where students learn to die to sin, to the things of the world, and love God and others. The Underground is the place where new things are birthed and multiplied.  Ultimately, we want to see the fullness of God’s kingdom experienced in our middle and high school students and in the lives of teenagers in the greater Fort Wayne area.
 
Each week we meet together, 5-12th grade, for a family meal around the table at 6 PM.   Right after the meal there is a worship and teaching time followed by small group huddles for more conversation and prayer time.  Huddles are divided into grade levels and led by our Underground Youth staff.

Serve the Fort

Serve the Fort is a 4-day local mission trip (July 13–16) for students who just completed grades 6–12. It's designed to equip youth to live on mission for Jesus right here in Fort Wayne. Students will serve with local ministries, grow in sharing their faith, and experience powerful times of worship and prayer. Middle and high schoolers will have unique experiences tailored to their age groups.

Details:
Serve the Fort is an opportunity for middle and high schoolers to live on mission for Jesus Christ right here in Fort Wayne, going to the places that others might bypass.

We will provide different "tracks" for middle schoolers and high schoolers! There will be time together as a large group, but we're intentionally creating different experiences for each group.

Here's what you'll be doing during this 4-day local overnight mission trip...

  • Serving alongside and learning from other organizations already making an impact for Jesus in Fort Wayne. 
  • Interacting with individuals from different cultures and religious backgrounds with the goal of growing your confidence in sharing your faith with others no matter the situation. 
  • Growing in our awareness of the presence of God and responding to His voice as we worship and pray together (e.g., daily morning time with God, prayer walks, nightly worship and ministering to one another).

There is a MANDATORY training date on Wednesday, June 18 from 10am-2:30pm at Fellowship Missionary Church (2536 E. Tillman Rd, 46816). Lunch will be provided!

Details:
Mission Trip Dates: July 13-16
Registration Cost: $49 through May 31 ($69 starting June 1)
Registration Deadline: June 15
Who can register: Anyone who just graduated from 6th-12th grades
Start Time: 8:00 AM drop-off time at Fellowship Missionary Church
End Time: There will be a parent/student gathering from 6-8 PM at Fellowship Missionary Church. Students will share what God did during Serve the Fort!

Parents and Leaders, please register for Serve the Fort using the button below.  

If you have questions, please contact Pastor Sam.

Register for Serve the Fort

Meet our Underground Youth Team!

Pastor Sam Hardy

Fifty-Six

Josiah Joseph

Kathryn Seelye

Seventy-Eight

Kara Shrestha

Fran Stabler

Nine-Twelve

Gabriel Secheverell

Corrine Reynolds

Kati Jones

FAQs

Will my son or daughter feel welcomed?

Yes! We know that visiting a new group of people can bring anxiety. We work hard at making sure your son or daughter feels welcomed by adult leaders as well as other students.

What can I expect at a youth gathering?

We meet students where they are and create space for them to meet God through worship, the Bible, and each other. Because Jesus asked us to disciple others, we place a high emphasis on knowing God’s voice and responding to what He is saying. We use Jesus’ life as an example and train teens to live and lead like Him. At youth gatherings, we pattern each week to represent one of four aspects of Jesus’ life: UP (worship), IN (family), and OUT (evangelism) and APPLICATION (practices).

Will my son or daughter be safe?

Absolutely! We interview and perform background checks for all of our leaders. We always have two adults present with students and every leader is trained to take seriously the responsibility of keeping your student safe and reducing the risk of any harm.

How can I get involved as a parent or guardian?

We realize that we only have your son or daughter for 52+ hours a year.  With that being said, we also realize that we are an important part of helping you disciple your son or daughter.  If you are sensing a call to NextGen ministry, consider hosting a small group of students at your home each week.  We call them Tables.  We’d love to talk to you about that.  It can be centered around a sports team, dance troupe, neighborhood, home-school network, or anything!  Our goal is for regular everyday students to live and lead like Jesus did.

How do I stay up-to-date with what is going on?

We have a Facebook group for parents where we post events, pictures, and more. Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/firstmcparentspage.