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.

EPIC Retreat: Over Labor Day Weekend, FGS Middle and High School headed to Woodlands Camp for our annual FGS EPIC Retreat! This year was our biggest year yet with almost 550 students and leaders! We also had the opportunity to celebrate 21 students making first time decisions to follow Jesus! We loved getting to see our students grow in their faith and build relationships with others in their small groups while in the beautiful mountains of Georgia!

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM in the Student Building! Small groups happen during each service, and all new students will be placed in a small group! This month, FGS Middle is beginning a new series exploring the practical habits, routines, and ways of Jesus. If we truly want the abundant life that Jesus offers, we must take on the life that Jesus models in the Scriptures. We are calling this series L. L. J. D. or Live Like Jesus Did. 
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM in the Student Building! Small groups happen before service from 5-6 PM. These small groups are optional, but highly encouraged. Students wishing to join a small group should show up by 5 PM on a Sunday night! In October, High School will continue our L.L.J.D. (Live Like Jesus Did) series exploring and discovering the practical habits, routines, and ways of Jesus. If we truly want the abundant life of Jesus then the Scriptures would also invite us to adopt the life-style of Jesus. In this series, we’re going to be taking a deeper look at the daily rhythms, core habits, and transformative practices of Jesus as we seek to put these same practices into place in our own lives.
• FGS Online: For our middle and high students at home, we offer our weekly service online on YouTube. This online service will be a livestream of our first hour middle school service at 9 AM on Sunday mornings. Our high school students at home can watch the livestream of the main FG service at 11 AM and keep up with our current high school series by listening to the FG Students Podcast or watching the message on our YouTube channel later in the week. 
• High School Leadership Team: The FGS High School Leadership Team is a group of HS Students that attend FGS High School on Sunday Nights, are a part of an FGS HS Small Group, and serve somewhere at Fellowship Greenville on Sundays! Any HS Student that meets these expectations can join the team to be a part of our monthly training meetings, show up early on Sunday nights to pray over the night and set up for High School, and be a welcoming and friendly face for other High School Students! If your student would like to join the team, reach out to Brentley Sheehan at bsheehan@fellowshipgreenville.org! 
• Middle School Leadership Team: This Fall, we are starting a Middle School Leadership Team! The FGS Middle School Leadership Team is a group of MS Students that attend FGS Middle School on Sunday mornings, are a part of an FGS MS Small Group, and serve somewhere at Fellowship Greenville on Sundays! Any MS Student that meets these expectations can join the team to be a part of our monthly training meetings and show up early on Sunday mornings to be a welcoming and friendly face for other Middle School School Students! If your student would like to join the team, reach out to Brentley Sheehan at bsheehan@fellowshipgreenville.org! 

• United Night: On Sunday night, October 6 from 5:00-8:00 PM, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our first 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! For this fall themed United Night, students can wear a flannel, football jersey, fall sweater, boots, or anything festive for fall. There will be free pizza, chips, and drinks! There will be no High School Small Groups on this night. Students will play games, eat pizza, and hang out from 5-6 PM, and the service will be from 6-8 PM in Auditorium 1.
• Understanding Your Student: Join us on Sunday, October 6 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 5:00-6:00 PM, parents have the opportunity to spend some time at the FGS United Night and get to know their students’ small group leaders, talk with other parents, and eat some pizza in the courtyard. Following that, parents will join Student Pastor Dallas Greenaway and Next Gen Pastor Matt Densky from 6:00-8:00 PM for some intentional collaboration time with other parents in the Student Auditorium located in Building B (second level). Parents, please register yourselves for this event! Childcare registration will be sent to you after registration. This fall, our topic will focus on safe technology use for teens and the emotional and psychological impacts of social media.
• HS Hike Day: If you have a High School Student who loves the outdoors, then FGS would like to invite them to a fun, adventurous hiking day on Saturday, October 12 from 8:00 AM - 8:30 PM. We hope your student will join us as we reconnect with Jesus in what He has made in the mountains of North Carolina! Register your student for one of our limited spots now!
• MS Tailgate Twist: On Tuesday, October 15 from 6-8 PM, the FGS team is inviting all of our Middle Schoolers and their friends to Tailgate Twist, our annual fall party for Middle School! The night will include a costume contest, a hayride, outdoor games, a bonfire, fall treats, and even a little line dancing! Come dressed in your best costume for a chance to win a prize. Please keep costumes fun and appropriate! We hope your Middle School Student will join us for a night of fun to create memories and build relationships! Please register online for this free event to receive the address.
• HS Fall Party: On Thursday, October 24 from 6-8 PM, FG Students will be throwing our annual Fall Party for our High School Students and their friends! Cooler weather and changing leaves is our favorite season of the year, so come celebrate with us and invite a friend! There will be dancing, fall treats, and games. Come dressed in your best fall attire. We hope to see you there! Please register online for this free event to receive the address.
• Father Son Campout: All dads and sons (6 -18 years old) are invited to join the 2024 Father/Son Campout on Friday, October 25 - Sunday, October 27! This year will feature several survival-style activities. Bring your best Bear Grylls and get ready to make amazing memories with your son or sons. This year's campout will be more local, located at the Trail Life USA Headquarters. Bring a tent, warm sleeping gear, warm clothes, and plenty of layers. Arrive at the camp between 3 & 7 PM on Friday, October 25, 2024. Cost of the campout is $75 per family. Register online now!

• Parent Podcast: FG has launched our parent podcast, Parenting for a Change, with Next Gen Pastor, Matt Densky, and Executive Pastor, Rob Marks. How do we parent our kids well in the midst of all kinds of change? How do we change as parents so that, in turn, our kids change for the better? Our hope and prayer is that parents would grow in their own faith in Christ and then pass on that kind of authentic faith to the next generation. This first series of podcasts will break down 5 principles of what it looks like to pass on our faith. Listen on Spotify or the FG Website!
• 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!
• FG Students Podcast: Each week, we upload our Middle School and High School Sunday messages to our FG Students Podcast. This is a great resource for parents wanting to have further conversations with their students about what they are learning on Sundays! If your student misses a week, they can also go back and listen to past messages. Our podcast is available on Apple Podcasts or on the FG Students page of our website under Resources.
• 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