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.

• Spring Break Events: We always enjoy our spring break weeks with FG Students! We loved playing volleyball and ultimate frisbee at the park, eating lunch together at Maple Street Biscuit Company, and serving with Miracle Hill, Homes of Hope, and Rebuild Upstate!
  
  

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM in the Student Building! Small groups happen during the service, and all new students will be placed in a small group! In the month of April, Middle School will start our “My Story” series in which some of our students and volunteers share how God has worked in their lives.
• FGS High: High School meets Sunday nights from 6-8 PM in the Student Building! Small groups happen before service from 5-6 PM. These small groups are optional, but highly encouraged. Students wishing to join a small group can show up at 5 PM in the Student Cafe on any Sunday when High School meets! In April, High School will finish the Relationships series. In this series, we’re going to be exploring and learning wisdom for how to cultivate healthy relationships with God, others, and ourselves. The application of these truths will bleed into how we think about pursuing friendships, dating, and a deeper relationship with Jesus. After the Relationships series, High School with start our “My Story” series in which some of our students and volunteers share how God has worked in their lives.
• FGS Online: For our middle and high students at home, 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 at home 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. 

• FGS Park Day: Middle and High School students are invited to join the FGS staff over Spring Break at Pittman Park to play some games on Monday, April 1 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM. Students can invite a friend and bring a packed lunch and water! No registration is needed, but the address can be found on the website.
• FGS Student Lunch: Middle and High School students are invited to join the FGS staff for lunch over Spring Break on Tuesday, April 2 from 12:00-1:30 PM at Maple Street Biscuit Company at Five Forks. First 10 students to arrive will win a free lunch! No registration is needed, but the address can be found on the website.
• MS Missional Impact X-Day: Over Spring Break on Wednesday, April 3, FGS Middle will spend the day serving the upstate. To foster growing hearts and minds focused on serving, students will have the opportunity to learn and serve alongside some of our local partners. Students will meet at FG at 8:15 AM and return to FG at 5:00 PM. The cost is $15 per student to cover transportation and food. There is limited space so make sure to sign up online as soon as possible!
• HS Missional Impact X-Day: Over Spring Break on Thursday, April 4, FGS High will spend the day serving the upstate. To foster growing hearts and minds focused on serving, students will have the opportunity to learn and serve alongside some of our local partners. Students will meet at FG at 8:15 AM and return to FG at 5:00 PM. The cost is $15 per student to cover transportation and food. Registration for this date is full, but please email the student staff if you would like to get on the waiting list!
• Next Gen Stepping-In Class: On Sunday, April 7 at 11 AM, 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 Next Gen Baptism. This class is offered 3 Sundays a year during our regular service times. Register your student online here.
• United Night of Worship: FG Students invites all Middle and High Schoolers to join us for a night of fellowship and worship with other youth groups in the Upstate! Join us Sunday evening, April 21 for a United Night of Worship from 5-8 PM at Fellowship Greenville. The night will begin with games and time to hang out while eating from a lineup of food trucks. This is a great chance to hang with friends and meet new kids from other churches. Later in the evening, we will gather together for worship and teaching. Invite a friend and bring cash for the food trucks!
• HS Guys Hike Day: The FGS staff invites our High School Guys to a fun, adventurous hiking day on April 27 from 8:00 AM - 8:30 PM. We will be driving up to North Carolina and spending the day hiking in Pisgah National Forest. At different times along the trail, we will be pausing to soak up creation, engage in discussion, and enjoy fellowship with one another. Please join us as we reconnect with Jesus in what He has made! The cost is $10, and online registration is limited!
• HS Girls Day: On April 27 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, the FGS staff invites all 9th-12th grade girls to our annual High School Girls Day! This year, we will gather together to talk about healthy (and unhealthy) habits with teaching from our own McKara Johnston and a special panel of ladies! Throughout the morning, we will have snacks, group activities, and time for crafts and fellowship! Invite a friend and register online for just $10 to be a part of this unique opportunity.
• Last Day of Small Groups: Sunday, May 12 will be our last week of small groups for this school year for High School, and Sunday, May 19 will be our last week of small groups for this school year for Middle School! We take a break from our regular small groups over the summer, but we continue to have regular programming!
• MS Hike Day: The FGS staff invites any outdoor-loving Middle Schooler to a fun, adventurous hiking day on Saturday, May 18 from 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM! We will be driving up to North Carolina and spending the day hiking in DuPont State Recreational Forest. The hike will be almost 4 miles with opportunities for students to get in the water. The cost is $10 to help cover dinner and transportation, and there is limited availability. Register online now!
• FGS United Night: On Sunday night, May 19 from 5:00-8:00 PM, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our last 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! We will be in Auditorium Two, and there will be free pizza! The theme is summer!
• No FGS on May 26: FGS Middle and High School will not be meeting over Memorial Day Weekend on Sunday, May 26. We encourage students to sit in the main service and enjoy time with family and friends!
• Known & Loved Pieces of Me Teen Camp: Pieces of Me Camp is a therapeutically informed day camp that includes teaching, discussion, and fun activities to help adopted children and teenagers explore their identity, process their past, celebrate who God created them to be, and discover their story. This year, Teen Camp is July 8-12. Visit their website for more information! 

• Parent Podcast: FG has launched our parent podcast, Parenting for a Change, with 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!
• Parent Cue: This resource offers content for parents that is specific to your students’ phases and can be accessed on the Parent Cue website or with the Parent Cue app. Available content includes parent resources, discussion prompts, and blog articles written by parents with relevant topics that matter to parents. We hope this resource provides you with encouragement and helps you disciple 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