Youth Ministries
 
Belong, Believe, Serve: Youth Ministry
We are excited to welcome all our students back for an amazing restart of our youth ministry! After some time apart, we can’t wait to reconnect, make new friends, and build a supportive community where everyone feels they truly belong.
 
Sundays from 4:00-5:30 pm at St. Paul’s UMC. 
Who: 6th-12th grade welcome.
 
 
Upcoming Events
 
February 9th
We visited Fellowship Square to celebrate Valentine’s Day and an upcoming birthday with our “adopted grandparent”. To bring comfort and companionship, our youth helped set up a hummingbird feeder outside the door, and the gesture was deeply appreciated, as “loneliness” was mentioned often. As we spent time talking and sharing nearby, a hummingbird arrived, a beautiful reminder that no one is ever truly alone. 
 
 
March 2 (This Sunday): Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium 
We will gather at St. Paul’s and depart together for the planetarium. The outing, including transportation, will run from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The planetarium closes at 5:00 PM, so we plan to arrive around 4:00 PM for at least one full hour to enjoy and learn.
Please RSVP by Thursday to help with logistics and transportation.
 
March 9: Movie Night
Movie night at Christ Church UM. The movie room (14) is reserved. 
I have three recommendations to help us choose: Blue Miracle (2021), 
 
March 16 or 23
Echo the Story, large group discussion. (Faith Formation)
or we will move it to the 23rd, depending on the spring break.
 
March 23 or 30
A potential walk/hike to Sabino Canyon.  
 
 
April 20: Easter Sunday Service Praise Band
We invite youth from all three churches to join the Desert Skies praise band for the April 20th Easter Sunday service at 9:00 a.m. (with rehearsals on April 12th and 19th at 2:30 p.m.). If your teenager may be interested, please reach out for more information!
 
Other upcoming events to keep on your radar: 
Camping 101 (24 hours) in May and a local Mission trip in June.
 
 
Sunday School Curriculum
We are in the process of implementing updated Sunday School content across all churches. The curriculum, Echo 36: The Story, will start with sessions 1-6, and future lessons will be evaluated based on feedback. 
 
 
 
 
Other Youth Events
 
We’re excited to offer a Confirmation Class for youth in grades 8-12, starting in January 2025! This will include 3-4 retreats on select Saturdays from January through May,

where we’ll cover essential topics such as: 

  • The Bible and our roots
  • What it means to be a Christian
  • United Methodist history and values
  • Committing to faith
  • Understanding prayer and worship
  • Jesus’ teachings
  • The role of the church in the community
  • Living out faith in everyday life

 

Confirmation Classes (roster closed, update only):

 
Session 3 (March 30, 2025): What is a Christian? Faith and Identity.
Session 4 (April 27, 2025): Live Your Commitment – The Vows of Membership.
Confirmation Sunday: May 18, 2025 – Youth will be confirmed at their home church.
 
 
 Contact Information/Questions

If you’d like to receive short text notifications and reminders about youth events in addition to emails, please register for our class on Remind by clicking this link:
 
We always encourage parents and grandparents to
invite their teenagers to attend these events
and be part of the Shared Youth Ministry—
a space where students can belong, believe, and serve.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me, Luis Ortiz,
at youthdirector@tucsonumcyouth.com or (815) 202-2000
 

Are you ready to reconnect? 
For more information on any of these programs
please call the church office at (520) 327-1116
or email youth@ccumtucson.org