Why we Exist: The Youth Ministry at Oak Hill United Methodist Church exists to disciple youth and grow them in their faith by teaching them to obey God’s word, going on missions, serving in our community, and helping them build relationships with their peers and church community.

Our Mission: Here at OHUMC we want to teach and inspire youth to LIVE, LAUGH, AND LOVE while being on mission for Jesus Christ. 

Vision: Our vision is to have a growing and healthy youth ministry that glorifies God and serves its community by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.

MYF: Our plan is to divide the youth groups into "Social Bubbles" of no more than 8; each bubble will consist of myself and a Safe Gatherings trained adult; we will meet outside around the church campus until we can move back inside; the youth will be required to wear masks and are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drink. We will do everything within our means to make sure your youth is safe and to limit the risk of spreading Covid-19.

•   Another part allows me to have some more face time with youth. I will be doing home visits or "Wellness Checks" with smaller groups of youth throughout the school year. During this time we can fellowship, pray, hang out, or eat as long as we can social distance and one parent is around and can see us.

•   The final part addresses more social time for the youth. The church will at some point open up its doors when the reopening team deems it safe on Wednesdays to allow the Fellowship Hall to become a sort of Internet Cafe. This will be a time for the youth to come and study and socialize with their peers. The time frame for this will be from 5:30PM - 8:00 PM.

•   I will also continue to host a Weekly ZOOM meeting for those youth that only want to participate virtually.

I will implement three (4) week long bible studies that parent/church volunteers and myself will lead on Sunday from 5:14 PM - 7:00 PM.

I decided to start at 5:14 PM because of Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We will have 3 posts during our youth time; A teaching post where I or another adult will lead that day's Bible study lesson, an Activity post where we will play a game or do an activity, and a social post where students can safely mingle and fellowship.

The studies will focus on How to Pray, Developing and Maintaining Christlike Relationships, and helping youth discover their “spiritual wiring” or in other words help your youth identify the unique ways they are wired to connect with God.

So if you love our youth, want to continue to see the youth ministry, and could see yourself partnering up with me in leading some bubble groups here at Oak Hill during this pandemic please call, text or email me and let's start a conversation that could potentially impact the life of a young man or woman. I will need at least 8-10 Safe Gatherings trained adult volunteers to make this part of the plan work.

We are always in the process of looking for volunteers to serve on our team in the youth ministry. We believe that solid ministry is built on relationships – between adult staff and with students. Relationships are key to students feeling loved and understanding God’s love in practical ways. This is when real spiritual growth takes place in a student’s life. The quality of our volunteers is very important. We are looking for men and women who have a commitment to Christ and a desire to care for students.

Please take the time to think and pray if God is calling to you to something special this year. We place great value on this ministry, so we place great value on our volunteers.

In the meantime, please feel free to observe our Sunday evening program when you have some time as we meet on Sundays at 5:14 PM to about 7:00 PM. If you have any need to reach me, please feel free to call me at the church at 512-705-4441, or email me at Matt@oakhillumc.org

If you are already a volunteer and have been Safe Gatherings trained feel free to click on the sign up genius button and sign up to volunteer!