OSLC Youth

The youth program at OSLC for the upper elementary age kids continues since its start in April of 2002. The goal of this program continues to allow the kids to spend time with each other in a fellowship setting and with a group of Christian adult mentors. Additionally, as the group continues to grow, mission components have been added.

Some of the activities have included window night, giving all a chance to discuss what has happened at school, work, and play.

Activity Days have included a progressive restaurant dinner, origami folding, leap frog racing, kite flying, reading an Easter story and making Easter cookies, hiking along the Huckleberry Trail, visiting the Virginia Tech sheep barn, participation in the Seventh Day youth retreat, participating in the Lost and Found.  The group has gone bowling, to  the movies, shopping, canoeing/kayaking, and have game nights. 

Mission activities have included cleaning the church, mowing the church yard, a Lenten savings,  shopping spree for MCEAP, a Christmas shopping spree at Wal-Mart funded by Thrivent to collect food and household items for MCEAP and to collect stocking stuffers (personal items, fruit and candy as well as the remaining items, sweatshirts, hats, and gloves) off of the Angel Tree at church for the NRV Youth Detention Home.  Another activity was to collect bookbags and school supplies for needy children.  Dinner was cooked by the youth group for the parents while they enjoyed an evening together by candlelight.

Learning activities included participation in bible studies (three were done per day at the beach) and discussion of factors that make it hard to be a Christian teen.

Present and past goals: Expanding mission activities to allow the youth to grow in their Christian faith and service; provide a support structure outside of the family for youth members; build a high-school youth program for current and future high school members; and further involve the Congregation and parents in activities of the youth.