Youth Ministries
Welcome from our Youth Coordinator, Margie Walker
Hello! Thank you for visiting the Painesville United Methodist Church (PUMC) website. I’m glad you’re thinking about attending worship and/or Youth Group with us! Below is a little bit more information about what to expect during your worship experience and Youth Group at PUMC. If you have any questions or need help with direction or information while at the church, please feel free to ask a greeter, or an usher, or have them point me out to you. For more information, please contact me at the church office.
Parking and Building Layout
Parking is available around Painesville Square, behind the church building, and next door behind the Lake County Administration Building. Entrances to either parking lot is off the square and they share a driveway. The driveway to the left is the church and to the right is the county building. There are stairs from the county building parking lot to the church.
Handicapped parking is along the driveway side of the church; and near these spaces, you will find the glass Atrium entrance and inside the Atrium is the elevator.
Take the elevator to the 1st floor to enter the church offices, Circle Room (fellowship), and Sanctuary. The 2nd floor will lead you to the balcony of the Circle Room; and where you will locate the Western Reserve District Offices and Christian Education & Youth Office. This level also leads to the balcony of the Sanctuary and Choir Loft. Parson’s Fellowship Hall is on the lower level – LL – for potlucks and events.
On the entry level “E” of the Atrium is our Chapel and to the left is our Education Wing. On the main floor of the Education Wing, you will find our Adult Sunday School Classrooms, Resource Room, Choir and Bell Music Rooms, Stitchers Room, and Nursery. Upstairs in the Education Wing are our Children’s Church/Sunday School Classrooms, Youth Room, and History Room.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located throughout the church. There is a unisex restroom in the Narthex west corner under the balcony stairs. To the right side of the Sanctuary before the Circle Room is a women’s restroom, and to the left side of the Sanctuary in the kitchenette is the men’s restroom. There are also restrooms in the Education Building on the west side on both levels.
What should I wear?
We are an easygoing congregation and want you to feel comfortable and enjoy your worship experience. You will see some folks wearing their Sunday best dress/suits; others dress in casual business clothing. Others will wear a T-shirt and jeans. We want you to be comfortable; come as you are and worship with us! There are coat racks in the Narthex and to the right side of the Sanctuary is a coat room before the Circle Room. The Sanctuary does have air-conditioning and heat, so you are comfortable in every season.
Worship Bulletins
Worship bulletins are available on tables just outside of each inner entrance to the sanctuary. We invite you to take one so you can follow along with the worship service. Where there is an asterisk (*) in the bulletin, this indicates that those who are able to stand, please stand. Bold passages are responsive texts, often lead by a liturgist or the pastor as a call and response.
A Special Note About 1st 3rd and 5th Sundays
Communion is typically served on the 1st Sunday of the month and is open to everyone. You do not have to be a member of PUMC to take communion, and all children are also welcome at God’s table. In the United Methodist Church, we serve grape juice rather than wine; this allows all to participate. We also offer a gluten-free bread that the pastor will indicate when he invites you forward to partake.
On the 3rd Sunday of each month, we invite the children and youth to assist with our Change for Change collection. We collect spare change. Do pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters really add up to anything we can do anything with? Actually – yes! These funds help us do missionary work – the missionary work of Christ in a community – right here in Painesville! Missionary work means we serve others and help meet the needs they have – hence the name “Change for Change”. We appreciate your contributions and the children’s help to make this mission work possible!
The Youth Group and families are the hosts for Fellowship on the 5th Sunday of the month. Each youth member is asked to donate a tasty treat to share with others during fellowship time. These tasty treats can be fruit, veggies, cookies, brownies, cheese, and crackers, or whatever else you can think of. We begin setting-up for fellowship at 9:00AM, putting out the tasty treats, making coffee, and getting the coffee and hot water all out on the table. During fellowship we refresh the supply of goodies and beverages; and again, for fellowship after the 10:00AM service.
Fellowship
You’re invited and all are welcome to refreshments and fellowship at 9:30AM and 11:00AM (after each worship service) in the Circle Room. Help yourself to coffee, hot water for tea or hot cocoa, juice boxes, and tasty treats to nibble on while you gather in fellowship and get to know others. There is no cost for the refreshments; however, there is a freewill offering box on the table and if you so choose to donate, Thank you!
Youth Group Sessions
Grades 6th – 12th
Typically, on Sundays during the academic year, 6:00 – 7:30 PM (Schedule date/time subject to change depending on activity/event)
Youth Group is a time to gather and connect with God, to learn and grow in one’s faith journey, hear and respond to God’s call in the community through mission, and to be active participants in the church life. It’s also a time for old and new friends to gather for fellowship, fun, and snacks.
All youth attending any Youth Group activity must have a completed Medical and Permission Form to participate – this is updated yearly. A paper copy of the form is located in the Circle Room or complete this online. Click here to dowload. The form will also include space for any allergies or medical conditions for the youth. Please keep ill youth at home for the safety and health of all other youth.
Events
I am always open to suggestions and ideas for fun activities, events, and missions that the youth wish to participate in. I also make it my goal to attend at least one extra-curricular activity for each youth member who participates in such activities in and out of school: concerts, games, dance recitals, plays, etc. So, please keep me informed of dates, times, and locations.
There are some traditional events that the youth have been participating in for years; and for many of these we team-up with other youth from the Western Reserve District or East Ohio Conference of United Methodist Churches. For instance, to name just a few…
In October the youth enjoy participating in the Lake Farm Park Halloween drive-thru as characters along the path. November is Project Feed mission day where we work together in an assembly line preparing meal bags for families in need around the world. December has a few traditional activities such as, Wreaths Across America, visiting a Live Nativity, Christmas party, and planning our March Youth Retreat at Camp Asbury. Summer brings about our Mission Trip, a canoe/kayak event, Youth Annual Conference – plus we do other various mission work though out the year. (This is not all the activities we do – trust me there are many more!)
I send emails to all youth and parents/guardians the calendar of events each month, along with updates and any changes. I do request that each youth respond to my emails; so that I can keep track of who will and will not be at each activity. Some activities do have a cost (example costs from 2022: March Youth Retreat can cost +/- $100 and Project Feed $10)
Local Mission and Mission Trips
The Youth at PUMC enjoy doing God’s Work through mission.
Missions close to home include cleaning, painting, and repair around our church and the parsonage (the home where our Pastor lives), with the Salvation Army School Supply Drive, we have built bunk beds for Sleep in Heavenly Peace, with the congregation we collected “Flood Buckets” and delivered them to the Mission Barn in New Castle, Pa.; and while we were at the Mission Barn delivering the Flood Buckets, we built wheelchair ramps. Our congregation also collected supplies for “Dignity Kits” and the youth prepared each kit to be sent out.
We have also traveled to various locations in Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, Delaware, and Vermont for week-long mission trips. On those trips we rehabbed homes that needed drywall repair, flooring, siding, roofs, painting inside and outside, wheelchair ramps, decks, gardening, landscaping, putting up fences, and so much more. The wonderful thing about the week-long mission trips isn’t just to get away from home for a week, but also meeting the people and families who live in the homes and neighborhoods where we’ve done the work. We have an opportunity to share God’s Word and Love with each of them as we make their living spaces safer and more comfortable. I know I enjoyed working at one of the mission schools on our trip to Delaware – I got to meet some of the children who attend that school. They each wanted us to play games with them during our breaks and thanked us for fixing their school and playground. I have more stories about our trips, and so do each of the youth and adults who have traveled together to be God’s Hands in the lives of others.
Parking and Building Layout
Parking is available around Painesville Square, behind the church building, and next door behind the Lake County Administration Building. Entrances to either parking lot is off the square and they share a driveway. The driveway to the left is the church and to the right is the county building. There are stairs from the county building parking lot to the church.
Handicapped parking is along the driveway side of the church; and near these spaces, you will find the glass Atrium entrance and inside the Atrium is the elevator.
Take the elevator to the 1st floor to enter the church offices, Circle Room (fellowship), and Sanctuary. The 2nd floor will lead you to the balcony of the Circle Room; and where you will locate the Western Reserve District Offices and Christian Education & Youth Office. This level also leads to the balcony of the Sanctuary and Choir Loft. Parson’s Fellowship Hall is on the lower level – LL – for potlucks and events.
On the entry level “E” of the Atrium is our Chapel and to the left is our Education Wing. On the main floor of the Education Wing, you will find our Adult Sunday School Classrooms, Resource Room, Choir and Bell Music Rooms, Stitchers Room, and Nursery. Upstairs in the Education Wing are our Children’s Church/Sunday School Classrooms, Youth Room, and History Room.
Confirmation
Confirmation class is for those in the 6th through 8th grades and provides an opportunity for Confirmands (a.k.a. students) who are ready to join the church, to explore the Christian faith: our history, our beliefs, and our theology; and grow in their faith journey with God. It is anticipated that the Confirmands will join the church after the classes have been completed.
Information on the upcoming Confirmation Class will be announced in the Fall. The Confirmation of the Confirmands and Celebration will be held during the 10:00 AM worship service on a Sunday in April or May of the following year.
All youth attending Confirmation Class must have a completed Registration Form to participate. A paper copy of the form is located in the Circle Room or complete this online. Click here to regsiter. The form will also include space for any allergies or medical conditions for the youth. Please keep ill youth at home for the safety and health of all other youth.
Safe Sanctuary Policy
Our goal is to maintain a safe environment for all to experience God’s abiding love and fellowship within the community of faith. All PUMC Staff, Volunteer Teachers, and I have completed the Safe Sanctuary Training (Protection Policy of Vulnerable Persons). PUMC is required and has completed a background check on each volunteer teacher and staff member.
Looking For Children Ministries?
Click the button below for information about our children ministries program.