Smiling young man wearing a green headband and green T-shirt with text, dirt on his face, outdoors on a sports field.
A group of young people outdoors with one smiling boy covered in mud splatters on his white shirt and arms, smiling during what appears to be a fun outdoor activity.
People hugging outdoors on a wet, muddy slip and slide with mud smudges on their clothes and legs, some standing on a tarp, with a grassy field and trees in the background.
A group of young people, covered in mud, are participating in a mud fight outdoors, with some helping a person on the ground. In the background, spectators are watching, and there are trees and a church building.
A smiling young woman with mud on her face, arms, and shirt, wearing a tee shirt with a colorful design, giving two thumbs up outdoors on a grassy field with green trees in the background.
Three young girls smiling and covered in mud, standing outdoors on grass at a fun event with other children in the background.

ZYouth

Sunday Night Youth Group

Every Sunday Night (during the school year)

6th-12th grade, 5:00 pm-6:30 pm

Meets in the Chapel, enter through door 12

Vision: The goal of Sunday night youth group is to create a safe space for students to be their true authentic selves while growing in their faith and having fun.

Program Overview: Sunday night youth group will be an age level club based program that will meet each Sunday night from 5:00-6:30 for 6th-12th graders. Youth Group will have the same format as last year: snack & free time, game time, and lesson time. All of our students will be combined for some portion of free time and game time, but lesson time will always be taught in small groups. This year, our Middle Schoolers will be doing a survey of the Old Testament, while our High Schoolers will explore big questions of faith like "How do I use my Bible like an adult?" and "What's the deal with science?"

Sunday Mornings

We believe the best practice for youth on Sunday Mornings is to be in service. Studies show that youth who participate in worship, either as servers or congregants, are more likely to continue in their faith after high school. We encourage all youth to be present and in community with the whole church on Sunday morning.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a program we encourage each of our youth to participate in that allows them to learn the basics of their faith in preparation to become full members of the church. This program is open to students 8th grade and older who have not previously completed confirmation. We will meet weekly as a part of Sunday Night Youth Group from September through the end of February.

You can find out more about this program by reading our blueprint here!

And you can register here until 9/7/25!

Registration Form and Waiver

Can you help us update our records and stay in touch with you? Keeping up-to-date records helps us know who's in the group, who might be missing on a Sunday night, and it helps us follow reach out a hand of love and hospitality if we haven't seen you in a hot minute. Help us update the ZUMC records by completing this handy-dandy form: Registration Form

Youth Group Parent Help

At ZUMC, we believe Youth Ministry is a team effort involving everyone. We expect a parent from every family to volunteer at least once a year! Find some ways to help below and click the black button to sign up!

  • Two girls smiling and giving thumbs up at an indoor amusement park or arcade environment with colorful lighting and other people in the background.

    Invite Nights

    Invite Nights are events that happen periodically throughout our normal Youth Group calendar, with an emphasis on fun and a goal of being low-stakes nights for students to invite their friends. These events usually benefit from having additional adults on hand to assist with logistics and supervision.

    Challenge Accepted!
  • Group of children in Christmas sweaters and hats sitting on a carpeted floor and black chairs in a lounge area, some holding phones, with Christmas trees visible in the background.

    Christmas Party Lock-In

    The Christmas party lock-in is our biggest event of the year and requires a lot of adult help of all sorts, from setting up to supervising, staying overnight, to cleaning up when everyone is done. This event is a ton of fun, and we can use all the help we can get!

    Ho Ho Ho!
  • A religious ceremony in a church where a boy is being blessed or anointed, with a man touching his forehead, surrounded by women and men, in front of a piano and decorated with flowers.

    Confirmation Banquet

    Every year, we celebrate the confirmation class, their families, and their mentors with a banquet on the Friday evening before Confirmation Sunday. The event is catered but does require help serving the meal, setting up, and tearing down. Please, do not register for this event if you will have a student in confirmation this year.

    I'm ON IT!
  • Two women wearing dark gray T-shirts with a colorful logo that reads 'Youth' are engaged in conversation. One woman is smiling with sunglasses on her head, while the other is gesturing with her hand, wearing sunglasses on her head and a watch on her wrist. In the background, there are water bottles on a table.

    Sunday Night Small Group Leader

    Our Small Group Leaders are the heart of our Youth Ministry. It is our small group leaders who lead the students in lesson time each week. We pair leaders up to lead a group of 6-10 to build relationships and lead discussions around the lesson each week.

    This position is a one-year commitment to attend each youth group throughout the school year and the leader meeting. 4:30 pm-6:30 pm, Sundays, August-May.

    Signing up to do this on this form lets Zach know you're interested and would like more information.

    Learn More
  • Group of children and two adults standing in a warehouse in front of shelves filled with boxes. There are several large white buckets stacked in front. A sign above reads 'Disaster Relief At Work.'

    Summer Mission Trip

    Each summer, our Youth Ministry takes a domestic Mission Trip. This is a hugely transformative experience for our youth AND THE LEADERS who attend. We need a lot of adults to make this trip work. Signing up for now doesn't lock you into the mission trip, but it does show you would like to go if possible.

    Let's go!
  • A group of young people and adults posing together at an amusement park with a miniature Eiffel Tower replica in the background. They are standing on a paved path with flowers and a fence behind them, and some are holding plush toys shaped like a watermelon and a pineapple.

    King's Island Chaperone

    Each summer, we take a one-day trip to King's Island Theme Park in Cincinnati. Chaperones on this trip will walk the park with a group of middle school students. You are not required to ride rides if you register to help with this event.

    Let's do this!
  • A group of children dressed in white t-shirts and shorts participating in a messy outdoor game with mud and a plastic sheet, with a green forest background on a sunny day.

    Church Camp (Potentially)

    Our friends at St. Luke's are long-time attenders of the UMC High School Church Camp and have invited us to come along with them next summer. We will only do this, however, if we have adults who are willing to go and spend the week with the students. Signing up here shows you're interested and would like more information.

    Tell Me More

Questions?

Do you have questions about ZYouth? Please connect with Zach Cheeseman, Director of Youth Ministry (zcheeseman@zumc.org).

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