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 have paused for summer and will resume in September! In July, our Middle School students will explore the things that can block God’s light in our lives in our new series, “Eclipses.” Just as an eclipse blocks our view of the sun, distractions, apathy, and shame can keep us from clearly seeing God, hearing His voice, and experiencing the life He has for us. Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at how Jesus helps us cut through the noise, find purpose beyond the empty promises of the world, and walk in the freedom that comes from bringing our struggles into the light. As we study Scripture together, students will discover that no matter what stands in the way, God’s truth is greater than anything that tries to block it.
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM only at our Hwy 14 Campus! Small groups have paused for summer and will resume in September! This summer, our High School students will be in a new series, “Fighting Shadows.” In this series, we’ll be exploring spiritual shadows or struggles that can often plague and damage a Christian’s friendship and walk with God. These shadows can feel elusive, invisible, and hard to talk about. Jesus wants to give us His power for overcoming shadows like comparison, doubt, apathy, and shame. Discovering our already won spiritual victory in Christ is our passion and pursuit with our High Schoolers this summer!

• FGS Summer Programming: Our Summer Programming for Middle and High School launched 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 9-11 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.
• No FGS on July 5: FGS Middle and High School will not be on Sunday, July 5 because of Independence Day Weekend. We encourage our families to enjoy main service together and spend time with family and friends!
• Discovery Island: FGS invites all Middle and High School students and their immediate families out to Discovery Island Waterpark for a fun evening of water sliding, flo-riding, and enjoying summer with our FGS families! This free event is on Wednesday, July 8, from 5:45-7:45 PM. 
• MS Missional Impact X-Day: On Monday, July 13, 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 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. All spots are currently filled, but please reach out to us if your student would like to get on the waiting list!
• No HS on July 19: FGS High School and Senior Sessions will not be meeting on Sunday, July 19! We encourage our students and volunteers to enjoy a Sunday night with their friends and family over this summer break!
• HS Missional Impact X-Day: To foster hearts and minds focused on serving others locally, our High School students will have the opportunity to spend the day on Monday, July 20 learning and serving alongside some of our local partners. 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. All spots are currently filled, but please reach out to us if your student would like to get on the waiting list!
• HS Pool Party: High School students are invited to cool off from the summer heat with us on Thursday, July 30 from 7-9 PM at our HS Pool Party! Join us for a fun evening of swimming, smores, playing outside games, and hanging out with other students and leaders. Registration for this free event will open on July 1!
• No FGS on August 2: FGS Middle and High School will not meet on Sunday, August 2 because of Next Gen Sunday. We would like all our students to be a part of the main FG service that morning!
• 9 Rise: FGS invites all rising 9th graders and their parents to 9 Rise on Sunday, August 2 from 6-8 PM, where you will get to meet the FGS staff and experience dynamic games, activities, and teachings all designed to help navigate this transition into high school. This event is a great way for students to begin the transition into FGS High and feel more comfortable about coming to their first High School Programming on Rise Sunday the next week. Register for this free event online!
• 6 Rise at Adams Mill: FGS invites all rising 6th graders and their parents at Adams Mill to 6 Rise on Friday, August 7 from 6-8 PM, where you will get to meet the FGS staff and experience dynamic games, activities, and teachings all designed to help navigate this transition into middle school. This event is a great way for students to begin the transition into FGS and feel more comfortable about coming to FGS Middle on Rise Sunday the next day. Register for this Adams Mill event online!
• 6 Rise at Hwy 14: FGS invites all rising 6th graders and their parents at Hwy 14 to 6 Rise on Saturday, August 8 from 1:30-4:30 PM, where you will get to meet the FGS staff and experience dynamic games, activities, and teachings all designed to help navigate this transition into middle school. This event is a great way for students to begin the transition into FGS and feel more comfortable about coming to FGS Middle on Rise Sunday the next day. Register for this Hwy 14 event online!
• Rise Sunday: Sunday, August 9 is Rise Sunday, the day that all grades will move up to their grade for the 2026-2027 school year! On Rise Sunday, FG Students will kick off a new year of FGS Programming!
• EPIC Retreat: FG Students is offering an amazing experience for your students on Labor Day weekend—our annual EPIC Retreat! Students can unplug from distractions (including phones) and escape for a weekend at Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, GA. This year, our theme will be “The Search,” and we are stepping into the story of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John, a religious leader who quietly came to Jesus with big questions and an honest desire to know what was true. We’d love for your Middle and High School students to come to EPIC 2026 as we dive into Scripture to explore who Jesus is, why He can be trusted, and how His truth speaks into real life right now. This weekend is not only an incredible opportunity for physical and spiritual rest, loads of fun, but also a unique chance to jumpstart our students’ faith as they enter into the new school year. Register for this retreat by July 31 to pay $264 per student! The price will go up to $284 on August 1! There are limited spots, so sign up your students online as soon as possible!

Our Parent Resource Highlight for this month is the book “Fighting Shadows: Overcoming 7 Lies That Keep Men From Becoming Fully Alive” by Jefferson Bethke and Jon Tyson. This resource is especially for our FGS Dads, but we also recommend it for our High School guys. This book has been the inspiration for both our High School summer series, “Fighting Shadows” and our Middle School July series, “Eclipses.” Some of the biggest topics in this book that have influenced our summer messages in FGS include distractions, apathy, shame, comfort, familiarity, and comparison.

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. The pictures on this month’s newsletter are of our two FGS Mission Trip Teams to Lexington, SC and Tilaran, Costa Rica! Thank you so much for praying for both of our teams. Everyone saw God work on the trips, experienced incredible team unity, and came home safely! If you know a student or leader who went on one of these trips, be sure to ask them about how they saw God move!

Brentley Sheehan and the FGS Team