Youth Groups

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Junior Youth Group Grades 5-8

During Sunday School time, our junior youth are invited to meet together in the church library for conversations about faith with a leader from our congregation, or to remain in the sanctuary for worship. We also meet monthly outside of worship time to foster our relationships with God and one another. Recent activities include a corn maze, making care packages for kids at JUMP, Winter Olympics, and a Junior Iron Chef competition! Youth are always encouraged to bring friends; all are welcome. 

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Senior Youth Group Grades 9-12

Our Senior Youth Group is open to youth in 9th-12th grades.  This program is in transition and has been meeting as opportunities and interests arise.  Activities include engaging in mission projects, enjoying the wonders of God in the great outdoors, trips to Montpelier to bring our faith into the public square, etc. For more information please contact our Senior Pastor, Rev. Kevin Goldenbogen at rev.kemg@gmail.com or our Associate Pastor, Rev. Susan Cooke Kittredge, scookekitt@mac.com.

 

Learning and Service Trips

In recent years, the Junior Youth Group has had a local overnight retreat with a balance of service and fellowship. The most recent Senior Youth trip was a week on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.  A service trip to Massachusetts was canceled due to pandemic travel restrictions, but planning resumed for more local mission work.

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Kids Cook! 

That’s what we do! Open to all children and youth age 6 and older, we get together once a month to cook for the hungry, providing food for the Salvation Army in Burlington, Harbor Place in Shelburne, the Charlotte Food Shelf, and coffee hour after the church service, among others. In the summer many of our ingredients come from our Stewardship Garden; through this the children lean both environmental and social stewardship. 

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Sacraments and Traditions

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Confirmation

Our confirmation program is an opportunity for 8th and 9th graders to explore their faith with one another and to learn more about the history and traditions of Christianity.  Over the course of a set of classes, the Confirmation program allows 8th and 9th graders to engage in a process of faith formation, learn the history and heritage of the United Church of Christ, assist with Ash Wednesday, Easter, and Pentecost, and prepare and present their Confirmation project.

 

Baptism

In our tradition, parents often choose to have children baptized when they are newborns or infants; however, this is not always the case.  Baptism will be incorporated into the confirmation ceremony for any confirmand who has not been baptized.  

Fees

There are no fees to participate in Sunday School, nursery care, or the youth group programs.

 

For some youth group outings, there is a nominal charge to cover outside fees (e.g., bowling, etc.); however, scholarships are available and everyone is encouraged to participate, regardless of ability to pay.

 

Learning & service trips do incur a higher cost; however, scholarships and fundraising opportunities are available to help defray these costs.