Student Minister: Bethany Dowdy (601-248-0958 or 601-684-6698)
Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide our teenagers with a safe, caring, Christian environment in which to grow spiritually and equip them with the knowledge and skills to go out and reflect God's light in this world.
Meeting Times:
Youth meet at the Centenary Youth House at 507 Maryland Avenue right beside the church playground.
FALL/WINTER/SPRING -
Sunday mornings: 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Youth meet for a Sunday morning scripture lesson and devotional before church.
Sunday afternoons: 4:00 p.m. Youth Band Practice (anyone interested is invited)
Sunday evenings: 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. UMYF and Snack supper - Jr. and Sr. High students gather together for a snack supper and games. Then we break off into separate groups for the evening bible study and discussion. We come back together as a whole group at the end of the evening for our closing discussion and prayer.
Small Groups: From August - April our teenagers are divided up into small groups with 2 adults as group leaders and one teenager as a co-leader. They are divided according to grade level and can meet any time during the week that is convenient for their small group. During this time, the group discusses on a more intimate level what was previously discussed on Sunday night. This gives the teenagers a chance to bond with a smaller group of kids and provides each of them with a support system.
SUMMER -
Sunday activities remain the same during the summer with Youth Sunday School on Sunday mornings, youth band practice at 4:00 p.m., and UMYF and snack supper on Sunday evenings at 5:00 p.m.
There are no small groups during the summer.
MISSION TRIPS and RETREATS:
Centenary Youth Retreats: During the school year, the Jr. and Sr. High students take separate weekend retreats with just our group to a nearby camp or home to learn more about each other, ways to improve our program, and just to hang out and relax away from our day-to-day activities.
Camp Wesley Pines Spiritual Life Retreats: During the Winter, the Jr. High and Sr. High go to separate retreats at Camp Wesley Pines with kids from all over the conference. They have small group discussions, live music, chapel services, great food, and late evening talks. This is a great time for the teenagers to meet other youth as well as bond with their own group.
Spring Break Mission Trip: Only one or two days are taken during Spring Break for a mission trip. We travel to different places depending on where there is a need. Over the past few years, we have traveled to the Gulf Coast to help with Hurricane Katrina recovery and the Mississippi Delta to provide various services in Mound Bayou, Mississippi.
Summer Mission Trips:
Mission Fest - Mission Fest is held in Jackson, MS, and the youth stay in dorms on Millsaps College campus. They choose what area of the city they want to work in and go out every day into the city to do various jobs. They work with the elderly, help at a children's camp, paint houses, repair homes, organize clothes in thrift shops, teach cheerleader camp and basketball camp, and many other things. At night, they have the opportunity to listen to dynamic speakers, listen to live bands, enjoy delicious meals, and meet kids from all over the state. Mission Fest is usually held the first week in June.
We take one other Mission Trip during July. For many years the youth have helped with a camp in South Carolina called Camp Providence. This is a day camp for underprivileged children. They get to swim, play games, do crafts, and get lots of hugs.
The youth will travel to Honduras in 2009 to help with a children's day camp in Santa Elena.
Our goal is to use our summers as an opportunity to assist with the needs of the world and provide love, encouragement, and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ to others.
