Succasunna United Methodist Church

Children and Youth Ministries

 

Because we take our responsibility for the safety of our children and youth very seriously, SUMC utilizes a Safe Sanctuaries Policy which provides safety requirements and guidelines for church employees and volunteers in ministry with children and youth. Copies of the policy are available at the church.  All of our volunteers who work with young people undergo a background check.

 

Sunday School

Sunday School classes for children and youth (pre-K through 8th grade) take place at 10:00 am from mid-September through mid-June. Classes are grouped by grade and employ a variety of fun and engaging age-appropriate methods for teaching young people about the Bible and about living as faithful followers of Jesus. Occasionally, combined-ages sessions are held for pre-K through grade 8, utilizing hands-on multiple intelligence learning activities to explore a particular Bible story or topic. Parents are always welcome in Sunday School classes, particularly for combined-ages sessions.  Our high-school aged youth serve as classroom aides for our younger students.

 

Other Opportunities Include:

 

UMYF (Senior High Youth Group, grades 10-12)

Our United Methodist Youth Fellowship is mission-oriented.  Every year, nearly all of our youth participate in Christian Outreach Project, a week-long mission opportunity where youth grow in their faith through service, study, prayer, and connection with other Christian youth.  During the year, our youth also engage in other ways of serving the church and the community:  they lead worship twice per year, visit our shut-ins at Christmastime, and serve food at Faith Kitchen in Dover.

 

BASIC (Junior High Youth Group, grades 6-8)

Brothers and Sisters in Christ is our group for middle-school aged youth.  Here too, the emphasis is on missions and service.  Each year, the youth pick projects to support and work to raise money and awareness for those projects.  In addition, they bake Christmas cookies for prisoners at the Morris County Jail, serve at Faith Kitchen, and participate in other mission opportunities.  But there's fun stuff too:  a highlight of the year is the "Smashing Pumpkins" event in October.  What is it?  You'll have to come find out!

 

Vacation Bible School

We offer a week-long fun, creative learning experience with music, drama, crafts, and storytelling every August. In 2010, we had about sixty children join us.  This is a growing area of the church's ministry. 

 

Children's Choir

The children's choir is a great place for children ages 4 and up to learn the basics of singing and have fun doing it.  For more information, see our Music Ministries page. 

 

Acolytes

Children in grades 3-6 participate in traditional worship each week by lighting the altar candles.

 

Confirmation

Confirmation offers youth an opportunity to learn what it means to be a Christian through the United Methodist Church. Held every other year, the class enables youth in grades 7 and 8 to explore faith more deeply.  Our focus is on experiential learning through field trips and other outside-the-classroom activities. We also seek to model faith for our youth through relationships between the youth and adult mentors.