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.

• 6 Rise and 9 Rise: We loved getting to celebrate moving up with our rising 6th and 9th graders at our Rise events! Students and parents got to experience dynamic games, activities, and teachings all designed to help navigate the transition into Middle or High School. 
• Next Gen Leader Launch: In August, we celebrated the past year of ministry with kids and students with our current volunteers while also launching into the next year with our new volunteers at our annual Next Gen Leader Launch! If you missed the Leader Launch but want to serve in FG Kids or FG Students, please reach out to the Next Gen Staff!

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM at both the Hwy 14 and Adams Mill Campuses! Small groups relaunch at both campuses on Sunday, September 7! Middle School small groups happen during the service, and you can register your student now to ensure they are with a friend in the right service and at the right location! As small groups kick off in Middle School, we are also kicking off a series on community. The Bible seems crystal clear that humans were not meant to do life alone, so we are going to spend the month of September talking about why community is important, what healthy, God-honoring community looks like, and how to find solid community in the world we find ourselves in. 
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM only at our Hwy 14 Campus! Small groups will relaunch on Sunday, September 7! Groups meet at Hwy 14 from 5-6 PM before High School Programming. You can register your student now to ensure they are with a friend! Our fall series in high school is going to be focusing on growing in spiritual power and strength as radical disciples and instruments of Jesus who bring about the Kingdom of light in a spiritually dark and lost world.
• 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.

• Small Group Launch: Our Middle and High School small groups will launch on Sunday, September 7, after the EPIC Retreat. We place a very high value and emphasis on our small groups and the transformation that happens within community. Middle School small groups meet during Sunday morning services at either 9 or 11 AM. High School small groups meet from 5-6 PM before HS Programming on Sunday nights (only at Highway 14). Please register your students for MS Small Groups and HS Small Groups even if you have registered them for past years.
• Foundations Night: This is a brand new event for students! Are you a new believer? Are you curious about following Jesus? Do you have questions about God, the Bible, or what it means to follow Jesus in everyday life? Join the FGS Team on Wednesday, September 17 from 6-8 PM for dinner and a special event as we talk through the foundations of our faith. Register online for free!
• Next Gen Stepping-In Class: On Sunday, September 28 at 11 AM at Hwy 14, we will have another Next Gen Stepping-In Class. Stepping-In is a fun and interactive 60-minute class that will help your student understand what baptism is, discover exactly what the Bible says about it, and build their confidence in sharing their faith with others. Students will need to attend this class before participating in NextGen Baptism in November. This class is offered 3 Sundays a year during our regular service times. Register your student online here.
• Father Son Campout: Dads, grandfathers, and sons, get ready to unplug, get a little wild, and make lasting memories! You are invited to the Father-Son Campout at Sadler's Creek State Park, October 3rd-5th. It's an unforgettable weekend designed for fun and reconnecting including intentional father-son time, lake activities, and an epic smores bar! The cost of the campout is $75 per family. Register online now!
• United Night: On Sunday night, October 5 from 5:00-8:00 PM in Auditorium 2, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our first United Night of the school year! This is a special time to gather the entire student ministry, both middle school and high school, to laugh, worship, learn, and unite together to grow our individual relationships with God. Students can feel free to invite friends to this event! For this fall themed United Night, students can wear a flannel, football jersey, fall sweater, boots, or anything festive for fall. There will be free pizza for dinner, and no registration is needed!
• Understanding Your Student: Join us on Sunday, October 5 from 5:00-8:00 PM for a glimpse into student ministry followed by Understanding Your Student—open to all parents of Middle or High School students. From 5:00-5:30 PM, parents will be given a pizza and salad dinner in the Student Cafe while having time to meet & greet with their students’ small group leaders and FGS staff. From 5:30-8:00, parents will join Student Pastor Dallas Greenaway and Executive Pastor Rob Marks for content, Q&A, resources, and some intentional collaboration time with other parents in the Student Auditorium. Parents, please register yourselves for this event! Childcare registration will be sent to you after registration.
• MS Fall Fest: On Tuesday, October 21 from 6-8 PM, the FGS team is inviting all of our Middle Schoolers and their friends to our annual Middle School Fall Fest! The night will include a costume contest, a hayride, outdoor games, a bonfire, fall treats, and even a little line dancing! Come dressed in your best costume for a chance to win a prize. Please keep costumes fun and appropriate! We hope your Middle School Student will join us for a night of fun to create memories and build relationships! Please register online for this free event to receive the address.
• HS Fall Party: On Thursday, October 23 from 6-8 PM, FG Students will be throwing our annual Fall Party for our High School Students and their friends! Cooler weather and changing leaves is our favorite season of the year, so come celebrate with us and invite a friend! There will be line dancing, fall treats, competitions, and games. Come dressed in your best fall attire. We hope to see you there! Please register online for this free event to receive the address.

• 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