Hello from the FGS Team!

Parents, we believe the middle school and high school years are crucial in the life of every child, and we want to do our best to partner with you through this season. One way we do that is by keeping you in the loop about all that is happening in our FGS ministry. In this newsletter, you will find a look at recent events, an update on what is currently happening on Sundays, and some things to know in the coming weeks.

Christmas United Night: In December, FG Students celebrated our annual Christmas United Night with our first United Night at Adams Mill! We loved seeing all the Christmas outfits and tacky sweaters as we ate from the food trucks, drank hot chocolate, and played games together! We finished the night with a Christmas message and singing Christmas songs. Another great end to the year for FGS!

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM at both the Hwy 14 and Adams Mill Campuses! Middle School small groups happen during each service, and new students will be placed in a group on Sunday morning! Middle school will kick off the New Year in a series on the Gospel. Each week we’ll talk about the differences between the Gospel and religion. We are praying that students would have a better understanding of the good news of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection and how that changes their lives for the rest of their lives, starting here and now. 
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM only at our Hwy 14 Campus! Small groups meet at Hwy 14 from 5-6 PM before High School Programming. Students wanting to join a small group should show up by 5 PM on a Sunday night to be placed in a group! In January, High School will begin a new sermon series called “Uncomfortable Faith,” after our “Uncomfortable Jesus” series we finished last semester. In our new series, we will be looking at different biblical characters in both the Old and New Testament who trusted God in controversial and costly seasons of life. 
• FGS Online: For our middle and high students who can’t be here on Sunday, we offer our weekly services online on YouTube. Our Middle School service will livestream at 9 AM on Sunday mornings. The main FG service will continue to livestream at 11 AM on Sunday mornings. Our High School service will livestream at 6:30 PM on Sunday evenings. Our FGS services will stay on YouTube with the full service, but the messages will also be available on Spotify as podcasts soon. 
• Serving Needs: FGS Staff could not care for all of our students without so many volunteers giving of their time, energy, and gifts. Serving with FGS could look like greeting students with the Connections Team, facilitating discussions as a Small Group Leader, playing instruments or singing with the Worship Team, or running lights, sound, or slides with the Tech Team. If you are interested in learning more about what it looks like to serve with FG Students, please fill out the online Serving Interest Form! Our greatest need right now is on the Tech Team, and our Next Gen AVL Specialist can teach volunteers how to use the tech equipment! We are also still in need of two 9 AM Middle School guys Small Group Leaders and two High School girls Small Group Leaders at Highway 14 as well as two 9 AM and one 11 AM Middle School guys Connect Leaders at Adams Mill.

• FGS Summer Mission Trips: Applications are open for our two FGS summer mission trips from November 2 through January 11! Our Lexington, SC trip is open for all current 7th-10th graders to apply, and our Costa Rica trip is open for all current 11th-12th graders to apply. Even if your student applied for one of these trips last year, please complete the application again! These trips are not “first come first serve.” In January, the student team will go through the applications and build teams for the trips.
• MS Sky Zone: FGS invites all of our Middle School students and their friends to join us for our annual trip to an indoor trampoline park! FGS Middle will be at Sky Zone (Greenville location) on Wednesday, January 7 from 6:30-8 PM! Check-in will start at 6:00 PM, and we will jump from 6:30-8 PM. The cost is $10 per person at the door. Bring a friend (must be in middle school) and come jump with us! No registration is required, but complete the waiver online now.
• HS Bonfire: FGS invites all High School students to join us and kick the new year off the right way with a chill night of food, fun, and fellowship! Our Annual High School Bonfire will be on Friday, January 23 from 6-8 PM. It will be a casual night of warming up by a bonfire, cooking s’mores and hotdogs, and laughing together as we jump back into the swing of the school year. Register online for this free event to receive the address.
• United Night: On Sunday night, February 1 from 5:00-8:00 PM in Auditorium 2, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our first United Night of 2026! This is a special time to gather the entire student ministry, both middle school and high school, to laugh, worship, learn, and unite together to grow our individual relationships with God. Students can feel free to invite friends to this event! The theme for this United Night will be Valentines! No registration is needed, and there will be free pizza for dinner!
• Understanding Your Student: Join us on Sunday, February 1 from 5:00-8:00 PM for a glimpse into student ministry followed by Understanding Your Student—open to all parents of Middle or High School students. From 5:00-5:30 PM, parents will be given a pizza and salad dinner in the Student Cafe while having time to meet & greet with their students’ small group leaders and FGS staff. From 5:30-8:00, parents will join Student Pastor Dallas Greenaway and Executive Pastor Rob Marks for content, Q&A, resources, and some intentional collaboration time with other parents in the Student Auditorium. The topic for the evening will be mental health, and we will have two professional counselors who attend FG share their expertise. Parents, please register yourselves for this event! Childcare registration will be sent to you after registration.
• No HS on Feb 8: FGS High School will not meet for small groups or programming on the night of Sunday, February 8. We know many of our students and leaders enjoy hosting and attending Super Bowl parties, and we want to encourage our students to spend time with family and friends!
• MS Girls Night: We are inviting all of our Middle School girls to a special girls-only event with FGS on Friday, February 13 from 5:30-8:30 PM! We will be getting together for a movie and game night at FG complete with pizza, popcorn, soda, and candy. This will be a fun night as we spend some time getting to know each other, watching a movie, and playing games together. We can't wait to spend some time building deeper relationships between our Middle School girls and their small group leaders! Movie title coming soon! Please register online for this free event. 
• MS Guys Night: If you are a Middle School boy and enjoy playing games with your friends, then FGS would like to invite you to a fun guys-only game night at FG on Friday, February 13 from 5:30-8:30 PM! We will be playing video games and board games while eating pizza and snacks and having fun with other middle school boys and leaders. Make sure to register online for this free event!
• HS Girls Day: On February 28 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, the FGS staff invites all 9th-12th grade girls to our annual High School Girls Day! Each year, we gather together to hear teaching, have discussions, and worship together all led by the amazing female staff and leaders at our church! Throughout the morning, we will have snacks, group activities, and time for crafts and fellowship! Put this date on your calendar and invite a friend! Registration is just $10 per girl and will open in February.
• HS Guys Day: On February 28 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, the FGS staff invites all 9th-12th grade guys to our new High School Guys Day! Come join us for a day of fun games, competitions, and sessions centered around Biblical Manhood and teaching on what it means to become a man like Jesus. Put this date on your calendar and invite a friend! Registration is just $10 per guy and will open in February.

• Books for Parents: “Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon” by David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock gives parents insight on how to raise the next generation with a resilient faith. “Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World” by Sissy Goff is a great resource for parents of daughters struggling with anxiety and worry. This book helps parents understand what contributes to anxiety and worry and how to empower their daughter to overcome those fears. “The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims” by Rebecca McLaughlin gives parents insight on some of the current claims and beliefs of culture and helps parents have conversations with their students about these topics.
• Raising Boys and Girls Resources: Sissy Goff, David Thomas, and Melissa Trevathan have been sitting with children and families as therapists at Daystar Counseling Ministries for over three decades. Through their counseling, podcast, books, and speaking, they've made it their life’s work to offer practical help and hope to families through their resources and experience. Check out their website to explore all the resources including books, newsletters, podcasts, and online parenting courses!
• The Culture Translator: This is a weekly email from a group who focuses on helping parents navigate the changing culture and news that keeps coming at us at a rapid pace. Each Friday they send an email that takes five minutes to read but keys you in on three major culture/news happenings along with questions to discuss with your students. A lot of us on staff have subscribed and have found it very insightful. We hope this helps you stay in the cultural loop and gives you strategic ways to keep speaking into the lives of your children!
• Past FGS Messages: Check out our online library of past Middle School and High School Sunday messages. This is a great resource for parents and students wanting to hear sermons on specific topics including relationships, spiritual disciplines, anxiety and depression, community, doubt, the life of Jesus, and more.
• FGS YouTube Channel: Here you can find videos from FG Students including Middle and High School messages, FGS vision, training for small group leaders, volunteer highlight videos, and insights on adolescent culture.

If you ever have any questions about our ministry or about navigating life with a middle schooler or high schooler, feel free to reach out to the student staff at students@fellowshipgreenville.org.

The FGS Team