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: 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 650 students and leaders! We also had the opportunity to celebrate 15 students making first time decisions to follow Jesus and 137 students recommitting to following 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!
• Small Group Launch: After EPIC, we launched our Middle and High School Small Groups for the school year! We place a very high value and emphasis on our small groups and the transformation that happens within close community. We are so thankful for all of the volunteers who serve and care for our students as their small group leaders! 
• Foundations Night: This past month, we held our first Foundations Night open to any Middle or High School Student interested in learning more about the foundations of our faith. We loved talking with students about the Bible, studying Scripture, praying, the church, community, baptism, and more! We plan to have more of these nights in the future, so keep an eye on upcoming events!

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM at both the Hwy 14 and Adams Mill Campuses! Small groups relaunched at both campuses on Sunday, September 7! Middle School small groups happen during each service, and new students will be placed in a group! In October, Middle School will be in a series on Story in which we will be helping students to see the overarching narrative of the Bible story and how they are a part of that story. In this series, we want students to see how Jesus has worked in their lives so that they can share their story with others.
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM only at our Hwy 14 Campus! Small groups relaunched on Sunday, September 7! 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! This month, we’ll be finishing our series called “Spiritual Fit-Check” where we’ve been learning what it means to put on and wear the Armor of God as disciples of Jesus. Each piece of equipment is invaluable to our walk with God and our impact in the world!
• 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. 

• United Night: On Sunday night, October 5 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 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 for dinner!
• Understanding Your Student: Join us on Sunday, October 5 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. For this event, we will also have an expert give a presentation about internet safety. Parents, please register yourselves for this event! Childcare registration will be sent to you after registration.
• MS Fall Fest: On Tuesday, October 21 from 6-8 PM, the FGS team is inviting all of our Middle Schoolers and their friends to our annual Middle School Fall Fest! 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 23 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 line dancing, fall treats, competitions, 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.
• 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, November 1 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!
• No FGS on Nov 30: FG Students Middle and High School will not be meeting on Sunday, November 30 because of Thanksgiving weekend. We encourage our students to sit with their family or friends in the main FG service on that Sunday!

• 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.
• Parent Podcast: FG has launched our parent podcast, Parenting for a Change, with former 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