First Congregational Church takes pride in its youth programs
From B.J. Gannon’s lengthy description, it’s fair to assume the teenager had fun while on a Work Camp trip in July with the youth group of Crystal Lake’s First Congregational Church (FCC), United Church of Christ.
During First Congregational’s Sunday service dedicated to Work Camp, Gannon gave a 15-minute summary of the revelry — and hard work — the group had on the trip to Somerville, Tenn. He recounted a hike in 90-degree heat near Mammoth Cave in Tennessee, a rainy Nashville Sounds baseball game and a side trip to Elvis Presley’s Graceland.
But among the fun he also recounted the hard work and rewarding experiences. One of 17 youth on the trip, Gannon noted a portion of the job became complicated saying “during Work Camp things have a tendency to not go according to plan.” Despite the long days, Gannon and other members of the Work Camp say they’ll undoubtedly sign up to go next year.
High school students in FCC’s Pilgrim Fellowship youth group joined forces with other youth groups from around the country to help Somerville families who were in need of home repairs. First Congregational’s 17 youth and three adult advisors were separated into work crews with other youth from around the country.
One of FCC’s adult advisors, Dan Ryerson, also shared his experiences with the congregation noting, “After three Work Camps, I can assure you that the adults have just as much fun as the kids do.”
The church prides itself on its youth ministries and Work Camp is one example of how the youth groups come together, says Rev. Dave Inglis, associate minister at FCC. He joined FCC two years ago and says it was the youth groups that solidified his desire to work at the church.
“When I saw the strength of the youth program, I knew FCC was the place for me to be,” Rev. Inglis says. “Their programs were already visible and tangible and I’ve been able to join right in. There are a wide variety of programs for children of all ages from infants to high schoolers.”
In addition to the Pilgrim Fellowship and Junior Fellowship for 6th through 8th graders, FCC also has an active music program including choirs for all age groups. The church also has a volunteer-led Sunday School program leading up to confirmation for children in the 8th grade. The youth groups also stay active outside of Sunday School, Rev. Inglis says.
“Throughout all of Sunday school the youth get to know each other and they start to form a tight bond,” he says. “They tend to get very close and become very good friends.”
Friendships are also forged during various outings and service events. For Rev. Inglis, it has been inspiring to see the youth grow from their experiences.
“One of the things I found to be wonderful this year was the number of our kids who were leaders in their work crews,” Rev. Inglis says. “The adults in the crew have to allow that, but many of our kids were given the role as leader of their group. It was great to see them be really respectful and listening to their crew.”
The congregation at FCC also comes together to support the youth group’s efforts. Ryerson took the time during the August service to thank the congregation and families of the youth for their support to allow the youth to attend Work Camp.
A lot of fundraising is required for Work Camp, Rev. Inglis explains. Fundraisers include Flamingo Flocking in which church members pay to have local yards filled —or not — with pink plastic flamingoes. With fundraising, as at youth camp, the members of FCC manage to have fun, while still working hard.
For information on First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, and their youth ministries, visit the church at 461 Pierson St., Crystal Lake, 60014, call 815-459-6010 or online at www.fcc-cl.org.
