The one thing I can say as a youth group leader and advisor over the past 5 years is it gives me hope...hope for the future of our country and our world. I've seen a remarkable number of young men and women go off to colleges and into the world as caring, thoughtful Christians. They may not all enter youth group this way, but most leave with an extraordinary sense of pride in the good that they've accomplished in their time here... and I am sure that their good deeds have just begun.

- Tom

- Mike

"Bound by Friendship, Growing through Service, Exploring our Faith"

- UCC Norwell youth group mission statement

UCC Norwell youth groups are a fun gathering where pre-teens and teenagers from local towns socialize and explore their Christian faith. While many of their families are members of the church, a great number are friends who have been invited to come and continue to do so.

We have two youth groups - the Middle School Youth Group and the Senior High Youth Group - with more than 100 youth attending regularly.

Our program year follows that of the school year from September to June. 

Middle School Youth Group

The Middle School Youth Group is for students in grades 6 to 8. In January of each year, as the 8th graders move on to Confirmation Class, we invite 5th graders to join us.

A typical evening starts out with everyone sharing a "high" point from their week, and then one of our youth opens us in prayer.  Activities and discussion center on a question, usually related to weekly scripture. We finish the evening by asking if there are any prayer concerns.

Senior High Youth Group

Senior High Youth Group is for students in grades 9 to 12. Evenings are structured similarly to Middle School Youth Group, but with a focus on small group discussions on real life events and how they affect teenagers. They explore how the Bible can help them find the answers they are seeking and how their faith helps them to deal with many of the problems and temptations that teens face everyday.

Youth Group Ministry Highlights

Each year, our youth find their most memorable activities to be both those that minster to others, retreats, and a few "fun night" activities, including:

• The annual holiday ball for Arc adults to benefit Friendship Home - the Arc is the world’s largest community based organization of and for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Canned food drive for the Norwell Food Pantry.
• Ski trips, lock-ins, and an end of year cookout and senior send-off.

• Senior High early summer retreat to Nantucket.
• Middle School winter retreat to Deep Freeze in New Hampshire - Deep Freeze is a weekend of games, chapel sessions and activities that push the students to the limit, both physically and spiritually.
• Senior High Service project (see below).
• Senior High Youth Sunday - Each Spring, following the annual service project, our Senior High Youth Group conducts an entire Sunday worship service. The All graduating seniors prepare and deliver reflections about their youth group experience and what they will take forward with them.

Senior High Youth Group Service Project

The most significant ministry project for our youth is the annual service project. Each Spring, during the April school vacation, a large group of students and leaders work in homeless shelters, food pantries, clothing banks, and other settings to support those in need. We have travelled to New York City, West Virginia, Connecticut, Georgia, and Washington, DC to work with Habitat for Humanity and the Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP).

Our students continually say that the service projects have changed their lives, opened their eyes, and strenthened their faith inChrist and his work in our lives. As one former member who is now in college once said, "Some of my friends go to Florida, Aruba or some other warm place to get a tan, but I would much rather spend my vacation helping those who are less fortunate than I am."

The service project is an incredible bonding experience where many life-long friendships are formed.  As a result of their service project work, many of our youth also volunteer with non-profit organizations while away at college and throughout their lives.