First Universalist Society of Hartland, VT

Welcome to the Hartland Churches Youth Groups!

Our congregation offers activities for youth in grades 7-12 (or the homeschool equivalent) through two youth groups—the Junior Youth Group, for those in grades 7 & 8, and the Senior Youth Group for high school students. Both groups are offered in conjunction with our friends and neighbors from the Hartland Congregational Church, and are led by the Rev. Amy Davin and the Rev. Paul Sawyer.

Our Youth Groups offer fun, fellowship, games, and a youth-centered exploration and development of faith. We gather to support one another, to have a good time, and to think about some of the big questions of life in a safe environment. We have regular meetings with activities, time to check in, reflection, and games. We also offer special events throughout the year including service opportunities, fundraising brunches at both churches, trips to Dartmouth sporting events, and game nights. For 8th grade graduates and older youth, we also offer our amazing annual week-long mission trip to Philadelphia, PA in July.

Events for our Youth Groups begin this month! The times and places of upcoming events are listed below.

If you’ve been involved with our youth groups or if you’ve got someone in your family just entering our youth group age, and you’ve been involved with our Religious Education Program for children, you should receive a full calendar and further information by US mail (old school!) soon. If you are a youth in our wider community who hasn’t been a part of our congregation’s programs before, or if you know someone who you think would like to be involved, let us know so we can keep you in the loop!

For further information about our youth groups and youth events, please contact Paul (uupaul@gmail.com) or Amy (revamydavin@gmail.com). To stay in touch with youth group happenings, make sure that Paul and Amy have your e-mail address, follow the youth group Facebook page, keep an eye on the newsletters and weekly e-mail updates of both churches, or better yet, come to church and read the bulletin!

The Rev. Amy Davin
First Congregational Church
revamydavin@gmail.com
Church: 802-436-2224

The Rev. Paul Sawyer
First Universalist Society
uupaul@vermontel.net
Church: 802-436-2592
Home: 802-436-33

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to belong to one of the Hartland Churches to participate?

Our youth groups are a combined program of our two churches, but we welcome youth of any faith background or church affiliation, so long as you are willing to explore and challenge and grow your own faith and sense of spirit.

When and where do our youth groups meet?

Our youth groups have regular meetings during the school year, two Sundays a month, usually (but not always) the first and third Sundays. Junior youth meet 5-6:15 pm. Senior youth meet 6:30-8 pm. The Senior youth meeting includes some food to share (we hope junior youth will have their suppers with their families after the meeting).

We alternate meetings at the two churches monthly (or thereabout) throughout the year.

Does it cost anything to come to youth group?

There is no specific charge for regular youth group participation. Many of our special events do have a cost associated with them for tickets and travel and such. We also ask senior youth to contribute $20 twice a year (once in the fall, once in the winter/spring) to support our meals together. If the cost of events prevents you from participating, you can speak with either minister for possible support. Overall, youth group is funded by those who pledge to either of our churches, so we do encourage every family involved in youth group to support our churches financially as best you can.

What are the expectations of youth group members?

Early on in the year we will develop a covenant for the group, outlining our specific hopes and expectations for each other as a group. We do have a few general guidelines for expectations to help you determine if participation in our youth groups is right for you.

We ask that all our youth group members:

Work to build a positive sense of community in the group, including listening to one another, avoiding put-downs and personal discounts of any kind, seeking always to build each other up.
Be willing to explore and develop your own beliefs and sense of faith.
Be willing to participate in serious reflection as well as in games and fun activities.
Create a safe environment for sharing and relationships among the group by keeping any stories, problems, or personal information shared in group meetings confidential, not repeating issues to friends and others in school or in the wider community.
Overall, work with the group leaders to create a mentally, physically, and emotionally safe environment in the group.

What is the “Mission Trip” and who can go on it?

The mission trip is an annual, week-long service trip to New Haven, Connecticut, where we partner with social service agencies to help out with work they need to do. We work hard and live for the week on the floor of a church in the area. We also take some time to have fun, to reflect and worship, and just to hang out together. 8th grade graduates and above are invited to join us on the trip and we require that anyone intending to come on the trip participate in the fundraising brunches throughout the year.

How do I stay in touch for news and information about the youth groups?

For both parents and youth—-the best way to know what’s going on is to make sure Lucia has your e-mail address, or to “like” the “Hartland Churches Youth Groups” page on Facebook. You can also read either church’s newsletter, or the bulletin announcements at either church.