Young(er) Adult Group Update and Happenings

The Young Adult Group continues to meet on Thursday evenings and Sundays after worship. Our regular attendees currently include college students and folks in their late 20s to mid-30s. Many of us are single, many of us are married, and a few of us are just starting families. We encourage anyone who identifies as a Young or Younger Adult to join our group gatherings. If you are interested in hearing about regular events including mission and service efforts, please send Julie Christianson an email at reamja@gmail.com

Most Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30: Fellowship, Bible study and discussion and prayer

On Thursday evenings we meet for Bible study and a once-a-month Pub Theology or Theology on Tap. We meet at Nathan and Emily Putman's house, 519 NW 14th St. Corvallis, OR 97330. Thursday nights include socializing, fellowship, Bible study and discussion and prayer and support.

Fourth Thursday of every month, 6:30-8:00 or 8:30: Fellowship and Theology on Tap/Pub Theology

Every fourth Thursday folks 21 and over meet at Les Caves Bier Cave and Kitchen to enjoy food and beverage and to raise random theological questions we want to discuss. Past topics raised have included the purpose of baptism, role of Godparents, whether or not humans should colonize other planets, and many other interesting discussions. If a Bible study intimidates you but you still want to be part of a fellowship group, Pub Theology is a great option to meet everyone.

Every Sunday after worship, 11:00-11:45: Sunday school class

We are a self-led group with Robin Proebsting being the primary leader. We meet in the Youth Room, upstairs in room 219A. We try to make it up there from coffee hour by 11 am. We discuss the sermon and service, things in the news, and many other issues facing Christians, especially younger Christians, today. Please come join us!

Community Service and Mission efforts

In line with the church's refocusing on the vision process, this fall our group decided to expand our mission and community service efforts. First UMC's mission is to bring people into a living relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, that we might love the world as God loves the world. Our group started as a way to enhance our own relationships with each other and to bring folks into a living relationship with God via Bible study and fellowship. Now we are trying to love the world as God loves the world by doing missions/service projects every month. So far group members have helped Habitat for Humanity with the moving of their ReStore, helped serve Stone Soup's Thanksgiving meal and have "adopted" foster kids whose parents are incarcerated for the Holiday season. Future goals include helping out at the Jackson St. Youth Shelter, doing some kind of food and cooking-based mission, perhaps leading or supporting a spiritual or prayer workshop on OSU's campus as well as more volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. A long-term goal is to do an out-of-town mission trip once every 2 or 3 years. If you are someone who loves mission work, regardless of your age, and want to join in or support our efforts, please send Julie an email at reamja@gmail.com.

Increasing our involvement within the church

As a group we have also decided we want to be more involved with church matters, members, and lay leaders. We want folks in the church who head up their own missions to see us as a resource they can draw from if they need 1 or 2 extra bodies to help get something done. Be they trustees, kitchen "staff", children's Sunday school teachers, or anyone else, we want to offer a helping hand. If you head up a mission or project within or outside the church and need some help with some or all of it, please talk to Jim Davidson, Shauna Holt, or Carl or Julie Christianson with specific information including date, time, project and number of helpers needed so we can try to support your efforts. We helped with the Hanging of the Greens in the church this year and some landscaping and painting projects at the church. Some of the college students are already involved with the Church Youth Group and some have expressed interest in helping out with Children's Sunday School occasionally. If you need help, please ask us and we'll do what we can.