March Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)

At a glance…

  • Holy Week – worship opportunities below!
  • Graduating Seniors – Senior Info form is due this Sunday! And Scholarship Applications are due April 7.
  • Join us on April 6 for a Great Day of Service with other downtown churches! We need LOTS more hands!

Modified NightLife Schedule

Thursday, March 28 ~ Maundy Thursday
7 p.m. in the Nave and online

Friday, March 29 ~ Good Friday
12 p.m. in the Nave and 7 p.m. online

Sunday, March 31 ~ Easter Sunday
Sunrise: Courtyard facing Henley Street (breakfast to follow in Parish Hall)
8:30 & 11 a.m.: Parish Adult Choir and the Tennessee Brass, Nave
11 a.m.: Online at www.youtube.com/churchstreetumc

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram for more ways to prepare for Easter. Social links are below!

Senior Info

Attention all Graduating Seniors! We have lots of information for you about the season ahead.  We want to honor and celebrate you.  So, please fill out our Senior Info form, apply for Scholarships, and mark your calendar to lead worship on May 12!

Senior Info Due Date: March 24 (this Sunday!)

Application Due Date: April 7

Senior Info Form

College Scholarships

Great Day of Service

Every year, Church Street organizes the Missions Day of Service and this year, we’ve partnered with other Knoxville churches to pull off a GREAT Day of Service on April 6!

This collective effort will be kick-off at Church Street in Downtown Knoxville and projects vary based on your interest, availability, age, and location. There’s plenty room and opportunities for you to join this ecumenical effort!

Click the link below to learn more about our service opportunities and to register!

Great Day of Service Info

 

Summer Newsletter

Summer is just around the corner! We’d love for you to join us for all our summer programming. Use the link below to check out our newsletter and register.

Operation Backyard – June 28-29

Ocoee Rafting – June 30

MAD in the City – July 7-11

Smokies Game – July 28

Summer Info

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Sunday School Breakfasts

NightLife Dinners

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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February Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)

At a glance…

  • There will be no NightLife on Sunday, March 10 due to Spring Break.
  • Lenten Worship Night is March 17!
  • Seniors – don’t forget to complete our online forms!
  • Summer Registration is out! Earlybird is April 21 and regular registration is May 15.

Lenten Worship

On Sunday, March 17 we will have our annual Lenten Worship Night.  We will begin with dinner downstairs as usual, then move to Parish Hall and the Nave for a night of prayer, reflection, and worship.  This is a way for us to be intentional about growing our faith and drawing closer to Christ in the heart of Lent.  We hope you’ll join us!

Senior Info

Attention all Graduating Seniors! We have lots of information for you about the season ahead.  We want to honor and celebrate you.  So, please fill out our Senior Info form, apply for Scholarships, and mark your calendar to lead worship on May 12!

Senior Info Form

College Scholarships

Bring a Buddy Recap

Last Sunday, we had SO MUCH FUN at Bring a Buddy NightLife! What a joy to have so many friends join us for the night. Here are a few things to remember:

Friends are always welcome. It doesn’t have to be an official Sunday for you to bring someone with you.

We had a great discussion about our Spiritual Gifts. This coming Sunday, we will have a follow up discussion. Come ready to learn more about your specifics gifts!

If you weren’t here Sunday night, use the link below to access our Spiritual Gifts Inventory & Assessment. Parents — feel free to do this test yourself so you and your students can share together!

Spiritual Gifts Inventory

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

Summer Newsletter

Summer is just around the corner! We’d love for you to join us for all our summer programming. Use the link below to check out our newsletter and register.

Operation Backyard – June 28-29

Ocoee Rafting – June 30

MAD in the City – July 7-11

Smokies Game – July 28

Summer Info

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Sunday School Breakfasts

NightLife Dinners

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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REZ24 – Cancellation

REZ24

Good evening friends!

We’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our travels to Resurrection this weekend. The current conditions of Knoxville roads combined with the forecast of additional precipitation and freezing temperatures from tonight on makes travel unwise and potentially unsafe. This is not a decision that has been made lightly, and we are disappointed that we cannot participate as we had planned.

One aspect that makes this particularly difficult is that our youth band was slated to perform live at the Friday evening session. I have spoken with the Resurrection Production Team, and they are going to play our audition video during the session! It’s not the same as being there, but the hard work of our Youth Band will still be celebrated. Tomorrow, REZ24 will share a link to a livestream of the event. I will pass it along once it has been sent.

Some logistics to cover:

  1. Please use the link below to let us know how you would like to address your funds paid for this retreat. (Options: transfer to future event, full refund, donation). Click here for the survey.
  2. The church building will remain closed on Friday & Saturday.
  3. Sunday will operate with a modified schedule — one 11:00 service, no Sunday school, no evening programming. Please check the Messenger for any additional updates at the weekend goes on.

When circumstances cause an unexpected change in plans, I find myself considering what the Lord might have for me there. This school year, more than any I can remember, we’ve seen students battling anxiety and stress at a high level. Maybe you’ve been there at some point this year? When something causes us to pause, it allows us the space to rest and recover in a way we didn’t realize we needed. Whether you have cabin fever or are a homebody thriving in this unexpected week, I hope that you will take a moment to pray and ask the Lord to reveal His Presence to you. As we sit with disappointment and frustration, my prayer is that there might be hope and respite, too.

I’m sad to not be spending the weekend with you — those big, family style cabin breakfasts are some of my favorite times. And as disappointed as I am, I’m also relieved to know that we won’t be navigating that curvy road to the cabin in the icy dark. Like so many things, this is both/and. I’m praying for you as we pivot away from our original plans. May this weekend be filled with unexpected blessings.

All my love,

Jenny
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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REZ24 Info

Friends!

I am so excited to spend next weekend together at Resurrection!! This post contains everything you need to know to prepare for this event. If you have any questions at all, please let me know.

Grace and peace,
Jenny

*Please note, the schedule for this event is different from past Resurrections and will require an earlier departure on Friday night and an earlier return on Sunday.

Preparing our Hearts

The focus verse for this year’s Resurrection is Ephesians 3:20 “God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” (MSG)

As we do the work of packing and planning, let us also spend time reflecting and meditating on these words. Let us arrive at our sessions eager to learn more about God and His love!

Schedule

To learn more about the Resurrection event schedule, please click here. The event has moved to one session instead of two. The schedule below includes travel on Friday & Sunday.

Additionally, we have the exciting privilege of our Youth Band singing on stage during the Friday night session! It is going to be really special. They have a sound check at 6:00 PM in the Convention Center – so we will be working around their schedule for that!

Friday

4:00 Arrive at Church Street in the Youth Department
4:15 Meeting with students
4:30 Depart for Pigeon Forge
5:45 Arrive at Cabin + Dinner
8:00 Session I

Sunday

7:00 Up, breakfast, pack up & clean
8:30 Session IV
11:00 Depart from Pigeon Forge (snacks on the road, will not eat lunch)
12:00-12:30 Arrive at Church Street

Packing List

  • Bible
  • warm, casual clothes
  • coat, gloves, hat
  • water bottle
  • shoes (good for walking)
  • pajamas
  • swim suit
  • beach towel
  • rain jacket
  • spending money (for REZ24 t-shirt)
  • toiletries
  • snack to share
  • chargers

REZ24 Schedule

Friday Arrival

When you arrive at Church Street on Friday, please do the following things:

  • load your luggage in the trucks/bus
  • keep any “carry on” items you want on the bus (backpacks, purses, pillows, etc) in the 11th-12th grade room – please be sure to keep all your stuff together
  • check in and turn in any forms or payments
  • put your snack in the kitchen
  • head to the worship room for our team meeting

Photo Album

If you take photos over the weekend, use the link below to share them with the group!

REZ24 Photo Album

Lodging

We are going to the Big Elk Lodge! Your rooms have been assigned in advance. We will share all our meals in the cabin and will all help out in the kitchen.

Expectations

We will talk about these more on Friday, but please keep these guidelines in mind for the weekend.

  • You will travel in the same van all weekend.
  • The chaperone who checks your room at night will also be your chaperone in the Convention Center.
  • You must stay in groups of 3 at all times.
  • There is a Starbucks kiosk at the Convention Center. We will not be using it. The lines are too long and you miss part of the session when you get in line. There will be coffee at the cabin if you are wanting some.
  • Your rooms in the cabin will be assigned.
  • Everyone will have different tasks throughout the weekend to help things run smoothly and contribute to our group. Please do your jobs in a timely and joyful way!
  • There is a movie room in the cabin. You can bring movies to watch remembering:
  • they must be G or PG rated
  • lights out still means lights out – even if it isn’t done
  • movies will be voted on by the majority planning to watch – democracy, people
  • There is also a pool and hot tubs at the cabin. There will be designated times for these to be used.
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January Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)

At a glance…

  • NightLife returns this week! See you there.
  • REZ packing list & schedule will go out tomorrow! Be on the lookout.

Regular Sunday Schedule

After a wild start to the year, we are back into the swing of things! Join us for Sunday school where we will continue our Creed study and for NightLife where we will continue with our new Spiritual Gifts study. Sundays are our time for connection, conversation, and study. We hope you’ll join us! Friends are always welcome to join you. And it is never to late to jump right in!

February 11

The second Sunday of February marks the last Sunday before Lent begins (Ash Wednesday is February 14 and Easter is March 31!) as well as Super Bowl Sunday. So, we will have a modified plan that night. For Dinner, we will have our Shrove Tuesday Sunday Pancake Dinner followed by Game Night. We will not watch the Super Bowl. Parents, feel free to pick kids up after dinner if you plan to watch! If you want to stay through our regular schedule, pick up will be at 7:00.

Confirmation Retreat

This weekend, our 6th graders and their families are traveling to Lake Junaluska for our annual Confirmation Retreat. We pray for safety in their travel, for a meaningful weekend together, and for spiritual development.

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Sunday School Breakfasts

NightLife Dinners

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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December Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)

At a glance…

  • Please join us for Christmas Eve worship! Service times are below.
  • There will be no Sunday school this week. We will have one service at 11:00 AM for the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Christmas Eve services will be later that day.

Christmas Eve Greeters

We are looking for greeters to serve for our Christmas Eve services and golf cart drivers for the later services.

This is a wonderful way for our families to serve those who are worshipping with us on Christmas Eve! If you would like to offer hospitality in this way, please sign-up below!

Greeter Sign-Ups

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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November Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM (begins 8.27)

At a glance…

  • Sunday Night: Advent Missions Night! Regular time — but make it festive! Wear your Christmas PJs and come ready to complete some service projects!
  • We had a great weekend at SLA! Click here to view the album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/HnSdCRYP3PyUCMhq6

Advent Missions Night

This Sunday night, we will have our annual Advent Missions Night during NightLife! We’ll be completing several mission projects to help serve our neighbors in need.

We will meet during the regular NightLife time (5:00-7:00). Wear your Christmas PJs! And bring your holiday cheer.

We’ll complete our projects, decorate the Youth Area for Christmas, and have breakfast for dinner. See you there!!!

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Youth Breakfasts

Youth Dinners

 

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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SLA Info 2023

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SLA Info

Next week is SLA week! On November 10-12, we are heading to the mountains for a weekend of intentional worship, fellowship, study, and prayer.  It is one of the highlights of the year for many of us!  Please use the info below to prepare your hearts and minds for the days ahead. If you have any questions at all, email Jenny at jcross@churchstreetumc.org!

Schedule

Friday

5:30 — Arrival at Church Street (Youth Area) & Load Trailer

5:45 — Dinner in Youth Area

6:15 — Brief group meeting

6:30 — Departure for Camp Bays Mountain (Kingsport, TN)

 

Sunday

12:00 — Lunch at Bays Mountain

12:30 — Pack & Clean Up

1:00 — Depart from Locust Springs

2:30 — Arrival at Church Street

 

Packing List 

A printable/saveable version of this packing list is available below.  That way you can have your own checklist as you get ready!

  • sleeping bag or twin sized linens
  • pillow
  • Bible
  • water bottle
  • warm clothes, casual clothes (bring a flannel if you have one)
  • pajamas
  • shoes for walking & hiking
  • coat, gloves, & hat
  • rain jacket (just in case)
  • towel
  • toiletries
  • snack to share (individually packaged please!)
  • chargers

Packing List

 

Additional Info

  • Late Arrival/Early Departure — If you have a conflict and need to either arrive late or leave early, please let Jenny know the specifics by Wednesday, November 8.
  • Release Form — Everyone must complete release forms for both Church Street & Bays Mountain.  Please use the links below to access them.
  • Rooming — Students will be sleeping in bunk rooms with 8 individuals per room. We will all be in one lodge.
  • Sickness Policy — If a student becomes ill while we are at SLA, we will contact parents and ask that you plan to come and pick them up.

Church Street Youth Annual Release Form

Bays Mountain Waiver

Preparing for SLA

Our prayer for this weekend is that it would be one of restoration, connection, and hope.  SLA stands for Spiritual Life Advance, and we are believing that God will grow our faiths as we spending time with Him away from the pressures of everyday life.  Here are some ways you can intentionally prepare your hearts and minds for this special time.

  • Prayer — Spend time in intentional prayer leading up to SLA.  Ask God to be with you and protect you, to help you learn and grow, to heal brokenness, and restore joy.  Lift up anything on your heart to Him!
  • Worship — We have a worship playlist of all the songs we will be singing over the weekend.  Listen to it over the next couple of weeks! Listen here.
  • Reflection — Consider where you find yourself at this point in the school year.  Worn out? Excited? Hopeful? Discouraged? Disconnected? Stuck? Energized? Bring those things to Him and come to SLA aware of where you are in your life.
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October Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM (begins 8.27)

At a glance…

  • Regular NightLife this Sunday!
  • This Sunday we will volunteer with the Children’s Ministry’s Fall Festival from 4:00-6:00. And let Jenny know Sunday morning if you want to have dinner from 6:00-6:30.
  • SLA is just around the corner!

Fall Festival – This Sunday!

On Sunday, October 29, we will have an adjusted schedule.  We will volunteer with Children’s Ministry’s Fall Festival. The event will be from 4:00-6:00 in the Magnolia Lot (moved to the gym if it rains). We’ll help with Trunk or Treat, leading crafts, and manning bounce houses.

We are having a zoo themed trunk for Trunk or Treat. Feel free dress like your favorite animal, or wear your own Halloween costume.

If you are interested in having dinner together from 6:00-6:30, let Jenny know during Sunday School this week!

SLA Info

SLA is a little less than a month away! We are so looking forward to spending time together in the mountains November 10-12.  You will receive an email with lots of information in a couple of weeks, but for now, mark these things down!

Friday Arrival: 5:30 at Church Street (dinner provided)

Sunday Return: 3:00 at Church Street

All drop-offs and pick-ups will take place in the youth area!

Football Parking Fundraiser

For each of Tennessee’s home football games, we have the incredible opportunity to park cars on our campus and raise money for our Youth Department and Youth Choir. Each weekend, we tithe (give 10%) of our earnings to a Parking Lot Maintenance Fund, and the remaining is divided evening between the two groups.

It requires a significant amount of volunteer support to make this fundraiser work, and we ask all families to volunteer for at least two shifts during the season. Please use the link below to sign up and learn more.

We need lots more hands to make this season happen. Please check out the sign-up and find two shifts to serve.

Football Volunteer Sign-Ups

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Youth Breakfasts

Youth Dinners

 

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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August Update

Sunday Schedule: 
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM (begins 8.27)

At a glance…

  • No NightLife this week.
  • We need LOTS more help for the first home game on September 9.
  • Don’t forget to complete our surveys & Annual Release Form!
  • Parents – we’d love your help with our meals on Sundays!

NightLife

NightLife this past week was good for the soul. Spending time around the table, worshiping together, and having small group discussions was a joy.  We meet from 5:00-7:00 in the Youth Area and have a $5 dinner each week.

If you are new to NightLife, we hope you’ll consider taking the NightLife Challenge and commit to being with us 4 weeks in a row to see if it’s a good fit for you. (We think it will be!).

Please note: there will not be NightLife on Sunday, September 3 due to Labor Day Weekend. We’ll be back on September, 10!

Kick-Off Follow Up

This past Sunday night, we celebrated a new year of Youth Ministry altogether in Parish Hall. We shared a meal, worshipped together, and heard about what we have in store for this year.

Below, you’ll find the links to our forms/surveys. Please take some time to fill those out (it won’t take long!) to help us plan for the year ahead.

As always, if you have any questions, reach out to Jenny at @jcross@churchstreetumc.org.

Annual Release Form

Student Survey

Parent Survey

Football Parking Fundraiser

For each of Tennessee’s home football games, we have the incredible opportunity to park cars on our campus and raise money for our Youth Department and Youth Choir. Each weekend, we tithe (give 10%) of our earnings to a Parking Lot Maintenance Fund, and the remaining is divided evening between the two groups.

It requires a significant amount of volunteer support to make this fundraiser work, and we ask all families to volunteer for at least two shifts during the season. Please use the link below to sign up and learn more.

We need lots more hands for the first game on September 9!! Please consider volunteering. Shifts will be 8:45-1:15 and 12:45-5:15!

Football Volunteer Sign-Ups

Youth Ministry Meals

Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and dinner. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!

Youth Breakfasts

Youth Dinners

 

Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!

Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org

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