Dear Parents and Students,
 
Our High School Fall Retreat is a great opportunity for students to get away from the everyday distractions and focus on their relationship with God. The retreat center is actually in Statesboro, so it allows students the ability to come and go if need be. Please see below for all the details concerning this trip. We hope your student can join us!
Details

• We will be staying at the W.W. Mann Retreat Center
• Cost for the weekend is $60, which includes all expenses.
• Students meet at the SFUMC parking lot on Friday October 27th at 4:00pm. 
• Sign ups will begin September 13th
• Student must turn in payment and parental release form by October 8th. 
• If student is arriving late or leaving early (and they are driving themselves) I must have a written note giving them permission.
• If you are dropping your student off or picking them up early, please just let me know ahead of time.

Address for the weekend:
W.W. Mann Retreat Center
2171 Prather Road
Statesboro, GA

Packing List

• Sleeping Bag and a blanket
• Pillow
• Toiletries (showers and bathrooms are in cabin)
• Shower sandals

• Bathing suit (Girls must wear one piece/tankini or you can wear shirt (tank top) and shorts over swim suit –not a white shirt please
• Towel (might want one for lake and one for shower)
• Tennis shoes (maybe two pair of shoes in case one gets wet)
• Comfortable Clothes
• Sweat shirt/Jacket
• Sweat pants or warm pants (in case it gets cold)
• Poncho/Rain Jacket
• Flash Light
• Bible/Notebook
• Bug Spray
• Sunscreen

Extra Stuff (Not Necessities)

• Camping chair/Fold up chair
• Fishing Pole/Tackle
• Floats/Stuff to play with while swimming (if it’s warm enough)
• Group games
• Camo gear for night games or dark clothing
• Hammock
• Anything you bring will be at your own risk.  Neither the church, nor the leaders will be responsible for anything lost, damaged, or stolen.
• Cell phones are allowed, but students will be encouraged to keep them in their bags during the day. 

Dear Parents and Students,
 
We are so excited for our annual trip to Universal Studios!  Rock the Universe will be nothing short of a great weekend to say the least!  Below you will find everything you need to know to ensure you that you are informed and ready to go.  Please be sure to read this document thoroughly, because we do not want you to miss anything important!

Required Forms

• Parental Consent Form must be filled out and turned in with your final payment for the trip (August 30th).  Your student will not be permitted to go on this trip without this form. 

 
Cost for the Trip

• The total cost for the trip is $230.  This will include your student’s hotel lodging, both park passes for 3 days, a fast pass for Saturday, charter bus transportation, breakfast Saturday and Sunday, and lunch Saturday.
• The deposit of $50 is due when you sign your student up.
• The final payment of $180 and the Consent Form are due by August 31st.  
• If your student has to back out of the trip, you will still be responsible for the remainder of the money unless we are able to replace their spot.
• Your student will need to bring money for 4 fast food meals while traveling Friday and Sunday.  They will also need money for dinner inside the park Saturday.

What to Bring

• Comfortable clothes for 2 days
  • Ones that will dry quickly work best. Girls please be mindful of the length of your shorts. You may wear tank tops if they are not spaghetti strap and if your bra isn’t showing.
• Comfortable shoes (keep in mind we will be on our feet all day long)
• Toiletries
• PJ’s
• Money for meals (1 meal in the park, and 4 fast food meals)
• Sunscreen / Hat

 
 
Schedule
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH
            8:00AM:  Arrive at FUMC
            8:30AM: Depart from FUMC
3:30PM:  Arrive at Comfort Inn & Suites Convention Center in Orlando (Our Hotel Address: 7495 Canada Avenue, Orlando, 32819.)
            4:30PM:  Leave for Dinner
            4:45PM:  Dinner
            5:45PM: Arrive at Universal
            12:00AM: Leave Park
 
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 9TH
                  8:15AM:  Breakfast
            8:45AM:  Depart for Park
            9:00AM:  Universal
            12:30PM:Lunch on the Bus
            12:00AM: Leave Park
 
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH
            8:00AM:  Breakfast
            8:30AM:  Depart for Park
            10:30AM: Depart Park for home
            6:00PM:  Arrive @ SFUMC   **Students will call when we are getting close

Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns.   We're looing forward to a great weekend with everyone!

For more detailed information please click here.

What is Confirmation?
Confirmation is a ministry for 6th grade youth (and older) and their families. It is a time when you will learn about and experience the Christian faith. You will learn about our roots and heritage as Christians and United Methodists, the practices of the Christian faith (the Bible, worship, prayer, ethics) and the basic beliefs of the Christian faith, including God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, salvation, hope beyond death – to name a few. We will also focus on how to be committed disciples of Jesus Christ. We will have a retreat, a mission opportunity, along with our weekly sessions. At the end of the process, students will have the opportunity to confirm their faith, be baptized if they have not been baptized before, and become full members of the church. We want to stress that the decision to be confirmed is just that – a decision. It is a choice and it is not required. 


A Change In This Year’s Process
This year we have decided to take a more holistic approach to Confirmation. After Jesus called the disciples to
follow him, they engaged in a 3-year journey together leading to a much deeper understanding of who Jesus was and what he was calling his disciples to do. Typically, in the past, we have asked young people to gather for about 15 weeks, teaching them the basic tenants of the faith, giving them knowledge, without giving them ample time to practice and demonstrate faith before determining whether this is the life to which they are called. What we have generally observed over the years is that this is simply not enough time for faith to develop enough roots for most students to make an informed decision – a decision which carries so much significance.
In order for faith to develop roots, there are some basic truths we must accept: 1) we are called to engage in regular expressions and practices of faith and 2) we are called to offer these expressions in community. For these reasons, we have decided to implement a confirmation process that is similar to last year’s process, while also attempting to incorporate more opportunities for students to regularly practice (and/or wrestle with) their faith in community. As an added benefit, our confirmation process this year will work cooperatively and in conjunction with the youth ministry, directly tying in to ministries and activities that a) provide opportunities for students to engage and practice their faith in community and b) (ministries and activities that) are already in place.
We will effectively have two components to Confirmation: learning and doing. In the fall, we will meet regularly on Wednesday nights. Students will first gather with all the youth upstairs in the youth room for dinner and then have some time to play games. Then, from 7-8:00pm, we will gather for a time of learning for the first half of our time, following which students will break into small groups that are divided by gender for the second half. We will meet as indicated by the dates on your schedule and this will satisfy the “learning” component of confirmation.
In the winter/spring months, we want students to continue to learn and grow in their faith, and we want them to do it within the church community. If we are asking students to join the church, we want them to be actively involved in the ministries of the church, primarily in the youth ministry; furthermore, we expect them to be actively engaged in worship. These components are crucial to developing a deeper faith and integrating that faith into our daily lives. Consequently, we expect youth and their parents to be actively engaged in the ministries of the church and in worship during the totality of the confirmation process (more on this to come) in order for confirmation to have the greatest impact.
Finally, another two components that are important for faith development are Sabbath and serving. As part of this year’s process, we are requiring all those who wish to be confirmed to attend our youth middle school retreat at Epworth (i.e. Sabbath) in the fall and the youth missions weekend in the spring (i.e. serving). 

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​Come join us on June 7th, June 14th, July 5th & July 12th as we dive into the word of God during our time away from school. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow together! 

COME BE APART OF WHAT WE ARE DOING THIS SUMMER!