Youth

The goal and mission of Highland Baptist Youth Ministry is to provide a safe and accepting community of faith that shares the good news of Jesus Christ's revolutionary Love with middle and high school youth.  In order to do this, we provide opportunities for youth to engage in relevant study of scripture, to nurture their spiritual lives, to build strong authentic relationships, and to impact the world through serving others.

Our 2011 Fall Calendar of Youth Programming can be found at the bottom of this page!
 

Opportunities for Forming

Sunday Mornings: Bible Study

Youth gather together on Sunday mornings for fellowship and Bible Study.  We begin in the main room of our Youth Suite for fellowship, games, announcements, and the occasional feast of donuts.  Then at 10:00 a.m., we break into separate groups to study scripture and discuss how it applies to the living of our days. In the fall of 2011, we will be participating in a series, Becoming Like Christ: Grounding Youth in Jesus. This series will help us think more deeply about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him with our lives.

Youth Bible Study Teachers:

6th-7th Grade:  Mitch and Bonnie

8th Grade:  Ron and Sara

9th Grade:  Vi and TBA

10th-12th Grade:  Phil and Kori

Wednesday Nights: Youth Group Faith Formation

After enjoying a dinner together with the congregation, youth head up to second floor to begin their Wednesday night programming!

Middle school girls meet in Room 212 from 6:00-6:45 p.m. for Handbells and then move to fellowship time with their mentor, Michelle, from 6:45-7:00 p.m.

Middle school guys meet with their mentors, Phillip & Ron, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. to fellowship and explore life together in one of the rooms in the Youth Suite.

High school youth meet with Robert, Vi, & Carol from 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the main room of the Youth Suite to discuss how faith and their lives intersect.

Then, from 7:00-7:15 p.m., all youth meet together in the main room of the Youth Suite for games and announcements!

Mentor Groups: Living as Community

One of the most important parts of youth ministry at Highland is building relationships with peers.  At Highland, youth find a group of people who care about them and want to walk alongside them on the journey of life.  One of the main ways this happens is through mentor groups.  Middle school mentor groups meet during weekly programming while high school mentor groups meet outside of church every other week in homes.

Middle School Guys: Meeting on Wednesday Nights (Phillip & Ron)

Middle School Girls: Meeting on Wednesday Nights (Michelle)

High School Guys: Meeting outside of normal programming (Drew & Dan)

High School Girls: Meeting outside of normal programming (Suzanne & Anna)

Youth Choir: Expressing Our Love for God through Music

HBC youth have regular opportunities to join with other singers from our church community in song! Within the last year, a good number of youth have sung with Highland’s Sanctuary Choir, as they have led in worship through the major choral works of John Rutter’s Requiem and Magnificat.

Also, HBC’s youth have begun a new endeavor by joining with youth from around the state to participate in the annual KBF Youth Choir Festival!  This year’s festival will be on April 29-30, 2011, in Louisville at Buechel Park Baptist and Broadway Baptist.  In addition to rehearsals, youth will get to fellowship with youth from around the state and have a mini lock-in at Broadway Baptist (with access to their gym!).  

Yearly Highlights

Fall Youth Retreat: Middle School Retreat & High School Retreat in Fall

Each year, we take a weekend retreat with youth to a local retreat center in order to draw us closer to the heart of God and to one another as a community.  Our Middle School Fall Retreat will be a Friday and Saturday trip, while our High School Fall Retreat will be a Friday through Sunday trip.

Lock-Ins: Twice a Year

Every semester, we hold Lock-Ins to celebrate with an all-night party with HBC youth and their friends.  Lock-Ins are usually scheduled the evening of the last day of JCPS school before semester breaks. Activities at Lock-Ins have included ice-skating, movies, game parks, and scavenger hunts.

KBF Youth Spring Mission Weekend

Join youth from KBF churches from across the state in Nada, KY, for a weekend of missions, worship, and fun for its annual KBF Youth Mission Weekend!  For more info, click here.

House Party: Youth Spring Retreat

House Party is our spring retreat that we hold every other year.  Unlike our fall retreat, where we go away somewhere for the weekend, House Party is an in-town retreat for our middle and high school youth.  The retreat has a different twist from a regular retreat, though, because the youth are divided into groups of around six and they stay at members' houses. At each home, there will also be two small group leaders who will be leading sessions of Bible study, discussion, and fellowship!  Also on Saturday, we will be gathering back together for a big video scavenger hunt and a worship gathering at the church.

Youth Sunday

Every May, HBC youth celebrate Youth Sunday, where youth are able to dream, plan, organize, and lead in worship for the congregation. The youth at Highland are incredibly blessed to be a part of a congregation that supports them, loves them, and encourages them to bring their true selves to worship.  Their leadership through ushering, praying, making music, giving testimonies, reading scripture, preaching, and collecting the offering help us encounter God in fresh ways. 

Passport Summer Youth Camp

Every summer, Highland takes the youth group to attend Passport Youth Camp.  Passport Youth Camp’s mission is “empower students to encounter Christ, embrace community, and extend grace to the world.”  Highland Baptist Church has been taking youth to Passport Youth Camp since 1996. Passport always proves to be one of the best weeks of youth ministry that we have all year long.  Youth are challenged to grow in their understanding of scripture and their relationship with Christ.  They also grow in their relationship with one another and feel more bonded as a group by the end of the week.  Not to mention, it is fun!!!  Find out more information on Passport’s website, www.passportcamps.org

For more information on youth ministry, contact Carol Harston.< >