United Methodist Youth Fellowship at Vineyard in 2011-2012
My prayer for you is that you will overflow more and more with the love for others, and at the same time keep on growing in spiritual knowledge and insight ~Philippians 1:9

Our Sr. High is 9^th – 12^th grades and Jr. High is 6^th – 8^th grades. They are combined for our meeting times, which are most 2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of the month. We meet at 5:30 PM followed by a meal, time for a lesson, discussion, sharing of POWS (Discouraging things) & WOWS (Uplifting things) and candlelit prayer time with the Lord’s Prayer. If time allows we have a Game Room that has a Ping pong table, Foosball table, and place to play board games or they can just sit and talk.

Something new this year, Sr. High Discussion Time, starting in November, is an opportunity to get together on most 3^rd Wednesdays of the month and have some talking time (discussing issues that might not be covered in a regular meetings, things that the youth are facing or just things that they need to talk about). We meet at 5:30 PM in the Youth Room. We will have some snack food as we have our discussion.

What else do we do?
Church Involvement: The youth are encouraged to get involved in all areas of ministry and service at Vineyard. Included are worship Lay reader, readers theatre, usher, singing in the choir (beginning at Confirmation age), helping in Sunday school or the nursery, working at the church Turkey Dinner or making pasties, serving on a church committee, etc. Also, the youth plan and participate in an Easter Sunrise Service. And sometimes in the Fall a Youth Lead Service.

Activities, Mission Trips and Conventions: In the past we have done activities, such as, snow tubing, lock-ins, going to a water park, Sr. High retreat, etc. We go on a Sr. High Mission Trip every other Summer, our most current trips have been with other youth from Litchfield UMC (‘09/’11), Congregational UCC (’09) and Bethlehem UMC (’11). We have an opportunity to go to two weekend United Methodist conventions every year: JUMYs in the Fall for 5^th -8^th graders and UMYs in the Spring for 9^th -12^th graders which are filled with workshops, lots of music, speakers, prayer time, group time and free time.

HEY (Hutchinson Ecumenical Youth) Ministry Activities: I encourage the youth to participate in these activities because it helps them grow in their faith with others of faith in the community. Some examples of these events are See You at the Pole, Trick or Treat for Food Shelf and other Unity Gatherings.

Fundraisers: We do a few throughout the school year to support the UMYF and help the participating youth earn some money for future activities/ mission trips. We also donate a portion to a helping organization.

About the Youth Leader
My name is Becky Lothe. My husband Blair and I live in Dassel. Vineyard is my home church. I was baptized, raised, confirmed and married at Vineyard. I have been a youth leader for 9 years. I had been working with the youth in this church for many years before I took over from my Youth Leaders who I had growing up. The youth are a blessing to me. I greatly enjoy getting to know them and working with them. The pre-adult years are not always the easiest time in one’s life. I strive to be there for the youth to guide, talk, share, listen and walk with them through the issues that their lives present. My wish for all the young people is to be healthy & happy in their lives, both in general, and in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.