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.

• MS Sky Zone: At the beginning of the new year, our FGS Middle School students hung out at Sky Zone Greenville for our annual trip to an indoor trampoline park! We loved playing dodgeball, doing obstacle courses, and jumping everywhere with our students and leaders!
• HS Bonfire: In January, our FGS High School students gathered for our annual bonfire! The super cold night didn’t stop us from enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, s'mores and warming up by one of the three fires! It was a great way to start the year!

• FGS Middle: Middle School meets Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 AM in the Student Building! Small groups happen during each service, and all new students will be placed in a small group! Starting in February, FGS Middle is jumping into the book of Galatians. We'll spend a few weeks going through the key themes and points of all 6 chapters, exploring how Paul breaks down the good news of the Gospel and the true freedom that comes with being in Christ.  
• 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 should show up by 5 PM on a Sunday night! In February, FGS High School will continue our series called Encounter. In this series, we'll be exploring some radical stories in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' most powerful and personal encounters with people where life change and transformation takes place. These inspired stories tend to spark in us a deep heart longing for our own experiences and encounters with Jesus. Our aim and application in this series is for our students to walk away inspired to seek their own transformational encounters with Jesus on a daily basis. 
• 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 United Night: On Sunday night, February 2 from 5:00-8:00 PM, FGS invites all of our Middle and High School students to our first United Night of 2025! 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 1, and there will be free pizza! HS small groups will not meet.
• Understanding Your Student: Parents, join us on Sunday, February 2 from 5:00-8:00 PM for Understanding Your Student—open to all parents of Middle or High School students. From 5:00-6:00 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 6:00-8:00, parents will join Student Pastor Dallas Greenaway and Next Gen Pastor Matt Densky for content, Q&A, resources, and some intentional collaboration time with other parents in the Student Auditorium. Childcare is available for Birth-Grade 5 upon registration. Parents, please register yourselves online here.
• No HS on Feb 9: FGS High School will not meet for small groups or programming on the night of Sunday, February 9. We know many of our students and leaders enjoy hosting and attending Super Bowl parties, and we want to encourage our students to spend time with family and friends!
• MS Girls Night: We are inviting all of our Middle School girls to a special girls-only event with FGS on Friday, February 21 from 5:30-8:30 PM! We will be getting together for a movie and game night at FG complete with pizza, popcorn, soda, and candy. This will be a fun night as we spend some time getting to know each other, watching Disney’s Big Hero 6, and playing games together. We can't wait to spend some time building deeper relationships between our Middle School girls and their small group leaders! Please register online for this free event. 
• MS Guys Night: If you are a Middle School boy and enjoy playing games with your friends, then FGS would like to invite you to a fun guys-only game night at FG on Friday, February 21 from 5:30-8:30 PM! We will be playing video games and board games while eating pizza and snacks and having fun with other middle school boys and leaders. Make sure to register online for this free event!
• HS at Adam’s Mill Open House: FG is hosting an Open House for Adam’s Mill on Sunday night, February 23. We know that many of our families and students will want to be a part of that night, so we are canceling our regular HS Programming and HS Small Groups on Sunday, February 23. Instead, we are encouraging our HS students to come to the second service of the Open House at 6:30 PM and stay after in the student auditorium for a time of prayer and gathering in our space.
• HS Girls Day: On March 8 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 Biblical Femininity in Relationships 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.
• HS Guys Day: On March 8 from 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM, the FGS staff invites all 9th-12th grade guys to our new High School Guys Day! Come join us for a day of fun games, competitions, and sessions centered around Biblical Manhood and teaching on what it means to become a man like Jesus. Invite a friend and come hang out with us! Register online for just $10 to be a part of the day!
• Spring Break 2025: This year, Greenville County Public Schools’ Spring Break is March 17-21 while other schools like Southside Christian School will have Spring Break April 14-18. FGS will have identical Spring Break events for both of these Spring Breaks!
• FGS Park Day: Middle and High School students are invited to join the FGS staff over Spring Break at our Adams Mill campus fields to play some games on Monday, March 17 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, March 18 from 12:00-1:30 PM at Maple Street Biscuit Company at Five Forks. The 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, March 19, 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, March 20, 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. There is limited space so make sure to sign up online as soon as possible!
• 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, March 30 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 students 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!

• 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 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