Youth ministries, as a special mission
effort of First Presbyterian Church, began in earnest with the formation
of a partnership agreement with "Young Life," an interdenominational Christian
organization working with high school youth. The Director of Youth Outreach
Ministry is also a Young Life Director, and administers the youth program
at First Presbyterian Church.
The relationship with Young Life gives our
youth ministries special features. An outreach ministry takes place
one evening a week with high school students, often those who do
not have any church affiliation. There are also middle school and high
school programs for the youth of the congregation who meet on Wednesday
evening around the Family Night Supper. In addition to these weekly meetings,
the youth have many opportunities for service and fellowship through our
involvement with the Tampa Bay Presbytery and the Young Life camping ministry.
The emphasis of the youth ministry, however,
is not the program, but the relationships.
Building relationships between caring adults and youth is the foundation
for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a quality program seeks to
enable this.
Youth ministries at First Church have another
special advantage. Not only are youth at First Church given peer support
through youth fellowship, but something schools and community youth programming
rarely provide: quality relationships with people who are sometimes older
than their grandparents. The youth ministry treasures associations with
all age groups, while recognizing the need of this group for peer association.
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