upper room EVENTS
Bible Hour
During this time, the teens help in teaching the younger
children Bible lessons such as the Parables, Bible Characters and other stories
and lessons from the Bible. Through skits, puppets, crafts and other activities,
the teens help in not only teaching, but the importance of being good role
models. As they grow more accustomed to being teachers, this helps in building a
foundation for teaching in other situations. Lessons learned from this hour help
even our older kids to recall from memory some of these old Bible lessons.
Worshipping God and being able to do it in a fun way is an important emphasis in Bible Hour.
Camps
During the summer we take our youth to camp. We have a Jr. Camp which is for grades 3-6 and then our Sr. Camp which is for Jr High/Sr High School. These are weeks of staying in cabins and spending time focusing on God without TV, phones, etc. Many wonderful times happen at camp.
2008 Camp Schedule (apps will be available online before long)
Sr Camp (7th-12th) June 22-28
Jr. Camp (3rd-6th) June 29-July 3
Devotionals
Devo's are a special part of our group. This is a chance for
different members of the congregation to host the group at their homes or
selected place. This helps form a bond between each other and older members of
the Parkview family. This intimate gathering is a time of singing, brief Bible
points or lessons, and a meal.
There are two devotional age groups, which meet both separately and together. Our groups are divided between the 4th-8th grade and 9th-12th grade. This allows for lessons that can be geared toward that specific age. You will find that attending or hosting a devotional is not only fun and encouraging, but a boost for the upcoming week too.
Leadership Training for Christ
Once a year, many of the church's in north Texas meet to participate in LTC, an
organization designed to stimulate and encourage spiritual, mental, and social
growth among students, grades 3-12. Puppeteering, song leading, scripture
reading, and scrap booking are just a few of the many areas in which our
children learn skills. It also serves as a great opportunity for many to conquer
known or unknown fears they may have. LTC is wonderful for taking the first step
in becoming leaders for Christ, not only now, but in the future.
Lock-Ins
Occasionally, a time will come in which we stay up all night and have as much fun as possible, incorporating physical and spiritual activities. As the name implies, we meet at a designated place and lock the doors so no one can leave until morning. From time to time we will do activities outside the building, however most of the time is spent in one place.
Retreats
This is a 'mini-camp' that we attend during a weekend. It is a brief break from the normal weekend routine where we go to a camp site and have a spiritual weekend to help challenge and refocus the teens on being Christians. We usually have two different retreats, one for the Jr. High and then another for our High School. Parents are always invited to help, in all activities.
Each summer we host a VBS for our children, and the children
of our community. The teens are a big help in building, setting up and being
apart of all aspects of this week. Some of our teens help by acting as Bible
characters during this time. Also, by spending time with younger kids, it helps
to establish a great line of communication and comfort for a lot of our younger
visitors. Teens play a vital part in making sure that VBS runs smoothly.