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 Student Ministry. In this newsletter, you will find an update on what is currently happening on Sundays, events to know about in the coming weeks, and a monthly resource highlight.

• 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! In May, Middle School will continue our annual “My Story” series in which some of our students and volunteers share how God has worked in their lives!
• 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 May, High School will continue our annual “My Story” series in which some of our students and volunteers share how God has worked in their lives!
• 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 our HS Connections Team. We are also in need of musically proficient adults with willingness to serve Sunday morning and/or evenings for the Next Gen Worship Team. 

• MS Hike Day: The FGS staff invites any outdoor-loving Middle Schooler to a fun, adventurous hiking day on Saturday, May 2 from 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM! We will be driving up to North Carolina and spending the day hiking in DuPont State Recreational Forest. The hike will be almost 4 miles with opportunities for students to get in the water. The cost is $10 to help cover dinner and transportation, and there is limited availability. Registration is full, but if you would like to get your student on our waiting list, please reach out!
• United Night: On Sunday night, May 17 from 5:00-8:00 PM at our Adams Mill location, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our last United Night of the school year! 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! There will be free pizza, and our theme is Summer Luau!
• No FGS on May 24: FGS Middle and High School will not be meeting over Memorial Day Weekend on Sunday, May 24. We encourage students to sit in the main service and enjoy time with family and friends!
• Re:generation for Students Information Meeting: Re:generation for High School Students is Coming in the fall with another session planned for next spring! Whether you’re a HS student, a parent, or someone who’s interested in serving, join us for a short informational meeting at our Hwy 14 location on Sunday, May 31 at 12:30 PM to learn more about what this ministry is all about and how you can get involved. We’re looking for volunteers to help co-lead small groups, lead worship, and serve in a variety of ways.
• FGS Summer Programming: Our Summer Programming for Middle and High School will launch on Sunday, May 31! Over the summer, Middle School will meet weekly (except on July 5), and High School will meet most Sunday nights (except June 14, July 5, and July 19) from 6-8 PM. Small groups do not meet over the summer.
• Senior Sessions: All graduated seniors are invited to join our summer Senior Sessions after High School Programming on Sunday nights from 9-10:30 PM from May 31 - July 26! We will meet in the Student Cafe as we spend time worshiping together and discussing a variety of topics about your next stage of life. These Senior Sessions are free to attend with no registration needed, and all dates can be found online.
• Women’s Ministry Body Image Workshop: On Wednesday, June 10 from 9:30-11:30 AM at our Hwy 14 location, the Women’s Ministry at FG has invited all female students in Middle and High School to join them for an interactive workshop led by Kathryn Davis, LPC on body image and how breaking free from shame can lead us to walk more deeply with Christ and live the life He’s called us to. Register online for free to join us for this unique opportunity!
• MS Missional Impact X-Day: On Monday, June 15, FGS Middle will be coming together to serve the Greenville community. To foster growing hearts and minds focused on serving, students will have the opportunity to learn and serve alongside some of our local partners. Students can sign up for just one of the two summer serve days (Monday, June 15 or Monday, July 13), to allow as many students to participate as possible. Students will meet at FG, ride in vans together, and return to FG that afternoon for pickup. The cost is $15 per student to cover transportation and food. There is limited space so make sure to sign up online as soon as possible!
• MS Park Day: It’s time for some fun in the sun! On Monday, June 22 from 11 AM - 1 PM, all Middle Schoolers are invited to join the FGS Staff at the fields at our Adams Mill Campus to play some games and hang out. Feel free to invite any of your Middle School friends! Make sure to bring your own packed lunch. Registration is not required!
• HS Pool Party: High School students are invited to cool off from the summer heat with us on Thursday, June 25 from 6-8 PM at our HS Pool Party! Join us for a fun evening of swimming, grilling out, playing outside games, and hanging out with other students and leaders. Invite a friend and register for this free event on the website to receive the address.

Our Parent Resource Highlight for this month is the Fuller Youth Institute’s Gen Alpha & Faith Research Report. If you are a fan of statistics or learning insights from research, you definitely want to check this resource out! A couple notable findings include the impact of family and the home and teens desire for adults to listen without judgment. The next generation is craving relationships with adults. Making time to really get to know them matters more in establishing trust with younger teens, while showing respect and living with integrity matters more to establishing trust with older high schoolers. After each of the top six insights, the FYI includes applications for parents and mentors as well as questions to ask your student.

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 our student staff! You can find all of our contact information on the website!

P.S. We’ve started including just one important parent resource that changes each month in our newsletter! Be sure to check each month for the new resource. As always, if you need more resources for a specific topic, please reach out to our team!

Brentley Sheehan and the FGS Team