Youth Ministries and Activities
Youth Events for March and April
Sunday, March 10: One Great Hour of Sharing Pancake Breakfast, Nelson Hall, all ages! Come flip pancakes and then eat a stack between 8 a.m.-9:45 a.m. to support One Great Hour of Sharing. All proceeds benefit this church-wide offering, which supports the wider ministries of the United Church of Christ. Bring your friends and family.
Sunday, March 24, Hosanna Fair, Nelson Hall, 11:15 a.m., all ages! Fellowship and fun as we prepare our hearts and homes for Easter.
Saturday, March 30, Easter Egg Hunt & Breakfast, Nelson Hall, all ages! Youth leaders wanted to enhance our Easter fun and to assist with the brunch! Join us at 9:30 a.m. to set up and hide eggs. Don’t forget to bring an egg casserole for the brunch.
April 20: Join The God Squad for Green Action Day in Hartford—As part of the UCC’s mission to reach 1 million hours of Earth Care during Mission 4/1 Earth, youth in grades 6-12 are invited to lend a hand to preserve open spaces in Hartford. From 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. we’ll join other UCC youth groups from across the state to rake, plant and prune throughout the city. The event is co-sponsored by Hands on Hartford and will include a time of fellowship and reflection on God’s creation. Participants are asked to bring their own bagged lunch, water bottle and work gloves. A signed permission slip is required and can be found on the FCW website or in Nelson Hall. The cost to participate is $15 per person, checks payable to First Church in Windsor, memo “Giv2 Green Action”. Adult chaperones are also needed. Please see Char for more details.
Permission Slip
Application
Cluster 13 Volunteers - 2012
Youth mission trips are open to youth entering 9th grade and older. The trips serve as a wonderful way for youth to immerse themselves in a very different culture and participate in meaningful mission work such as repairing homes, meeting other Christian youth and giving hope to families in need. Helping our teens to view the world without their local lenses on, even if only for a week, has helped develop lasting impressions, fond memories and bonds that last a lifetime.
This year's youths are learning all kinds of skills to prepare them for their work in Camden, New York. Here are pictures taken during their tool skill and safety training.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
Our youth are our richest resource! Our youth programs provide opportunities for fun, growth, self identity and challenge in a Christian community setting.
Youth Fellowship
Join God's FUN Squad! 
On Sunday, March 18, 2012, sixty-four youth and twenty-one adults from four different UCC churches in the Greater Hartford Area came together to learn more about a newly forming mission-oriented youth group, which the youth aptly named that evening, “God’s F.U.N. Squad (F.U.N. for Friends, Unity and Neighbors)! Our very own First Church D.J., Doug Semenuk, got everyone dancing and singing and then the youth played games, shared the Adam's Family grace before devouring the pizza dinner, and created five banners for our next event to support the Walk Against Hunger. Both groups are led by Rev. Char Corbett, our Associate Minister and directed by an amazing Youth Advisory Council team. Of course, parents’ involvement as chaperones and volunteer leaders is an important element of our youth program!
Confirmation/Discipleship Class
The Confirmation year is a special one for young people in the ninth grade and above. It is a year of growth in faith and discipleship, often a time of searching and a chance to make a personal commitment to First Church. Through field trips, retreats, the arts, interactive and interfaith activities, bible study, fellowship and fun, youth have the opportunity to explore historical, spiritual, biblical, ethical and relational faith questions with their peers. At the end of the year youth members craft their own faith statements.
Youth Deacons
Youth Deacons provide assistance with worship services, including handing out bulletins, greeting members and first time visitors, collecting the offering, and assisting the Deacons with other tasks as needed. Youth Deacons are assigned to a worship service on a rotating basis from September to June.
Silver Lake Conference Center
Silver Lake Conference Center is the home of the Outdoor Ministries of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ. Nestled in the picturesque foothills of the Berkshires of Litchfield County, Silver Lake has been welcoming church groups, youth groups, schools, non-profits and businesses, for almost fifty years during the Fall, Winter and Spring.
Each summer, Silver Lake continues the proud tradition of being the vibrant church camp for up to 1300 fourth graders through high school-age young people. These week-long "conferences" offer "once-in-a-lifetime experiences, over and over" to several generations of youth, helping to shape future leaders and spirited community-builders everywhere.
Silver Lake has become a sacred place to so many people, young and old. We invite you to come away from the busyness of everyday life and find out what is so special about this ministry of God's love.
Mission Statement
Silver Lake Conference Center, a year-round outdoor ministry of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, is called to covenant in partnership with God and with the churches of the Conference in the work of forming life-sustaining leaders for the Church and world, by offering:
Experiences of inclusive and nurturing Christian community
Opportunities to grow and participate as Christ's disciples
A model of sustainable environmental stewardship of God's world.
We worship, learn, play, serve and work together, respecting the right of private judgement. We seek to provide a safe environment of acceptance regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, reflecting our unity in Christ and respecting the faith journeys of all of God's children. "Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the Glory of God." Romans 15: