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.

• HS Hike Day: Last month, a group of our High School students went on a hike to Black Balsam Knob in the mountains of North Carolina! We enjoyed being in Creation, building relationships, and flying kites together at the top of the mountain! Our next High School hike will be in the fall.
• End of Small Groups: Our Middle and High School Small Groups have finished for the school year. We are so thankful for all of our small group leaders and the great memories, conversations, and relationships over the school year! Small groups will launch again in September!
• May United Night: In May, our Middle and High School students gathered together for our last United Night of the school year! We loved playing games in the courtyard, eating pizza, hanging out with friends, worshipping, and learning how to follow Jesus well this summer.

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM at both the Hwy 14 and Adams Mill Campuses! Small groups have ended for the year, but we will relaunch groups in September! In June, we will be diving into a series called “Ancient Wisdom.” Each week, students will explore how biblical wisdom helps them navigate friendships, self-control, words, and daily decisions in a way that honors God. Feel free to ask your student what they are learning about God's wisdom and how it might be shaping their decisions.
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM only at our Hwy 14 Campus! Small groups have ended for the year, but we will relaunch groups in September! In June, we will finish our “My Story” series in which some of our students and volunteers share how God has worked in their lives, and we will begin a new series for the summer called “Deeper.” What if we consecrated all of our summers to pursuing depth with God and others? What if we chose depth instead of distraction? Summer can sometimes be a vacation not just from school but from our faith. But what if Jesus' invitation for our souls... is to come deeper? What if He wants greater closeness and greater relationship with us than we've ever had before? This summer is an invitation from Jesus into the depths.
• FGS Online: For our middle and high students who can’t be here on Sunday, 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 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. 

• FGS Summer Programming: Our Summer Programming for Middle and High School will launch on Sunday, June 1! Over the summer, Middle School will meet weekly (except on July 6), and High School will meet most Sunday nights (except June 15, July 6, and July 20) 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 during June and July! 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.
• MS Park Day: It’s time for some fun in the sun! On June 2 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!
• MS Missional Impact X-Days: On June 9 and June 16, 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 days (Monday, June 9 or Monday, June 16), to allow as many students to participate in one of these days 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!
• HS Pool Party: High School students are invited to cool off from the summer heat with us on Thursday, June 26 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.
• 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 Tuesday, July 15, from 5:45-7:45 PM. 
• 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 21 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. There is limited space so make sure to sign up online as soon as possible!
• MS Park Day: On Monday, July 28 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, July 31 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. Register online for this free event to receive the address!
• EPIC Retreat: FG Students is offering an amazing experience for your students on Labor Day weekend—our annual EPIC Retreat! Students can escape for a weekend at Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, GA. This year, our theme will be “Battlegrounds.” Every day, we face fights—between who we’re called to be and what pulls us away, between what’s real and what’s fake, between hope and despair, between going it alone and standing together. God calls us to step into these spiritual battlegrounds, not unarmed, but equipped with His strength and truth. Jesus didn’t just talk about the fight—He won it, and He invites us to join Him in the fray. We’d love for your Middle and High School students to come to EPIC 2025 as we dive into Scripture to uncover some of the key battles we face. This is an incredible opportunity for physical and spiritual rest, loads of fun, and a unique opportunity to jumpstart our students’ faith as they enter into the new school year. EPIC is also a great way for students to build relationships with other students and leaders that could be in their small group! Register for this retreat online now to pay $204 per student. The price will bump up to $224 per student on July 1!

• 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