Youth

PLEASE NOTE: all church activities, outside group events, and in-house worship services are CANCELLED through April

SUNDAY WORSHIP!
We are pre-recording Sunday worship so we can all experience the message, the music, and the scripture without putting our staff in the same space.  The services will PREMIERE at 11am on both Facebook and YouTube. We can chat on either format, and be in community. watching together. Make a date with your family, and watch together, in person or virtually. The services will be able to be replayed after the "premiere" at the same link. You can click early, and watch a countdown. It's like a New Year's Celebration every Sunday!

YOUTUBE for Sunday, 11am services: https://www.youtube.com/user/Covenantpcusa
   Look for the most current video, labeled "PREMIERE: Current Date”
FACEBOOK for Sunday, 11am services: https://www.facebook.com/covenantpcusa/
   Look for the most current video, labeled "PREMIERE: Current Date”

Acceptance, encouragement, fun, and lots of love.
Erin Wise, Director of Children's & Youth Ministries. Contact Erin.

 

Stay tuned for future start up dates for:

Youth Worship 
Please join us for youth worship Sundays at 10am in the chapel. We have time to hang out and share about our week before moving into a message, music and prayer together. We have snacks! All youth in grades 6-12 are welcome to join!

Also:
- Youth Vocal Ensemble and Youth Instrumental Ensembles perform 3-4 times throughout the year.  See Erin for information on rehearsals.

- Youth special events and activities are scheduled throughout the year.  See Erin to get added to the email list so you don't miss the fun!

 


This summer our youth are heading to Beckley, West Virginia!

 Our middle and high school youth will learn about Appalachian culture, serve through home repair and partner with local organizations to meet ongoing needs in the community.  Youth will serve through painting, cleaning, yard work, minor home repairs, provide summer programming for children and work with other local organizations including Energy Express and School of Harmony.  In addition, they will visit an exhibition coal mine including an old-time town (complete with a company store and coal museum) and an underground coal mine tour.  The goal of this trip is for service and education – and a little bit of fun too!
    It is important that our youth are meaningfully involved in the life of our church and we have been working to increase this involvement.  Our youth are sharing their gifts through the Youth Vocal Ensemble, Youth Instrumental Ensemble, greeting and they are being trained as liturgists and ushers.  Our youth care deeply about their church family and are committed to being an important part of church life on a regular and continual basis.
     We are asking the congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church to help sponsor this trip to Beckley and these experiences for our youth.  We are hosting a sponsorship drive, Pave the Way, where 100% of monies contributed will go to youth missions.  Contributions can be made via check or Zelle through your bank using Covenant’s special and secure email address:  giving@covenantpcusa.org with the memo Youth Mission. 
      Please help us Pave the Way to send our youth to West Virginia so they may serve, learn and deepen their faith to be a strong presence in this church and this world.  Please contact Erin with any questions.

Meet the youth of Covenant:

Adrienne Wise
My name is Adrienne Wise and I am an 8th grader at Karrer Middle School in Dublin. I play club soccer in the fall, winter and spring. I am in Karrer Drama Club and I am looking forward to this year’s production of Mary Poppins in February. I am on student council, Junior Teen Institute, and I am a public relations officer on the student council cabinet. I am also in my schools vocal ensemble and sing in the 8th grade choir. I like to volunteer at Parents Night Out most months and VBS in the summer. I also like to sing in the youth vocal ensemble at Covenant and I am a greeter. I am looking forward to my first mission trip this summer in WV.

Charlie Van Aman
Hi! My name is Charlie Van Aman. I am a sophomore at Upper Arlington High School. I play lacrosse and football. I enjoy snowboarding, traveling and being outside. My favorite subject in school is science. I am looking forward to getting my driver’s license in two months.

 

 

Jack Dougherty
Hi my name is Jack Dougherty. I am 14 years old and attend 9th grade at Worthington Kilbourne High School. I was baptized at Covenant and have been going here my entire life. My parents are Bryan and Susie Dougherty, and my grandparents are John and Donna Harder. I like going to events with Verge youth group. I love playing baseball and golf, as well as mountain biking and skiing. I want to thank the congregation for supporting our trip to West Virginia this summer and our future mission trips.

 

Shelby Speas
Hi- I’m Shelby Speas and I am a sixth grader at Hastings Middle School. I run track and play field hockey, lacrosse and piano. I’m the youngest of three siblings and all of us love our Covenant family. I’m looking forward to my first mission trip this summer to West Virginia- thank you for your support to help us get there!



Taylor Speas
My name is Taylor Speas and I am a freshman at Upper Arlington High School.  I play viola with my school orchestra and am a member of both the Robotics and In the Know clubs at UAHS.  I also volunteer at COSI and love to travel.  I enjoy the youth service each Sunday with Mrs. Wise and the opportunity to spend time with my friends at Covenant. I’m looking forward to attending my first mission trip this summer!

 

Natalie Wise
I am Natalie Wise and I am a sophomore at Dublin Jerome High School.  I am an elite company dancer with Columbus DanceArts Academy and I dance over 16 hours a week.  I am a member of Spanish Club and Teen Institute at school.  At Covenant I am a greeter and I enjoy volunteering with VBS, TGIGF and PNO.  I loved going to Triennium last summer and am looking forward to going on the mission trip this summer.  Thank you so much for your support!

 

Jack Van Aman
Hi!  My name is Jack Van Aman.  I am a seventh grader at Hastings Middle School.  I play football, basketball and lacrosse.  I enjoy cooking, snowboarding and spending time with friends.  I have been going to Covenant my whole life.  I enjoy the people at Covenant.

 

 

Ethan Coakley
Hello, my name is Ethan Coakley. I go to Hastings Middle School and I like hockey. I also like singing and science. My favorite movies are Endgame and Rise of the Skywalker.

 

 

 

Kate Dougherty
Hi! Hy name is Kate Dougherty. I am 13 years old and attend 7th grade at McCord Middle School in Worthington. I was baptized at Covenant and have been going here my entire life. My parents are Bryan and Susie Dougherty, and my grandparents are John and Donna Harder. I enjoy spending time with my friends at Sunday School and Verge youth group. I love to dance, and I take ballet, modern, and jazz classes all year long. I also like to sing in my school's choir. I am looking forward to going on my first mission trip this summer to West Virginia and I want to thank the congregation for supporting us.

Joshua Faulkner
My name is Josh Faulkner and I am an 8th grade student at Hilliard Weaver Middle School. At Weaver, I am involved in the orchestra, Leadership Academy, and play for the 8th grade basketball team. I have been a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church my entire life. I have attended or volunteered at every VBS, while thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. I play the cello at various church services throughout the year, including Youth Sunday and Christmas Eve. Currently, I participate in the youth program and am looking forward to making a difference on our mission trip to West Virginia. I would like to thank everyone at Covenant for supporting the youth who are taking on this responsibility.

 

Emma Vazquez
Emma Maria Vazquez is a senior at Hilliard Darby High School. Currently she is a member of the Darby Blue competitive cheer team, National Honor Society, and is the principal cellist of the Hilliard Darby Chamber Orchestra. She also was named on Darby’s honor roll for her high school coursework and the Dean’s List of Columbus State Community College for her College Jump Start classes during the first semester of the 2019-2020 school year. Emma was born in 2002, to parents Rudy Vazquez and Tori Lorenz Vazquez. Her siblings include Eduardo, Eric, Rebecca and Charlie Vazquez. She has participated in every summer youth trip since the sixth grade,especially finding deeply spiritual her time in the desert at Ghost Ranch. In her free time Emma loves cuddling her cats, Felicity and Blue Ivy.

 

Katie Coakley
Hi! I’m Katie Coakley. I am a sophomore at Upper Arlington High School and I’m 16 years old. My favorite activities to do are play softball and tennis at my school and relax and be with friends. When I’m older I want to become a dentist. I had a great time going to Triennium last year and I am looking forward to the mission trip this summer.

 

 

Sylvie Lederer
My name is Sylvie Lederer. I am a 6th grader at Hastings Middle School. I like to read books and spend time with my dog. The instruments I play are cornet, cello, and piano. I play tennis. My other interests are Minecraft, watching YouTube and doing math. Covenant has been an important place to me since I was a baby.

 

 

Matthew Lederer
My name is Matthew Lederer. I love playing the cello and playing video games. I also really like playing tennis and I love my dog. I am currently in 8th grade at Hastings Middle School. I've been involved at Covenant since the Children's Day Out program when I was two years old.

 

 

Madison Hanosek
Madison is a sixth grader at Hastings and loves to bake, to paint, and to volunteer. She is a Girl Scout and is currently rehearsing for the Hastings production of Frozen, Jr. Madison has been attending Covenant for 12 years.

 

 

 

Ethan Chung
Hello, I am Ethan Chung. I am a sixth-grader at Hastings Middle School. I like to build with Legos and I play lacrosse. I look forward to attending my first mission trip and thank you for your support.

 

 

 

Sarah Kinnison
I am Sarah Kinnison, and I am a senior at Dublin Scioto High School, where they elected me Homecoming Queen. I do lots of theatre there. I played William Morris from the Continental Congress in 1776, and our production of Calling Amelia was just accepted for the State Theatre Conference. I love to write about life and to write music. I like hot baths and reading and relaxing. My mom is a pastor here. I am a youth deacon for the second year, and I am really excited about that. I love cracking the eggs for breakfast at the Ronald McDonald house. I go to CATCH Court to support women who have survived sex trafficking and have done a Habitat for Humanity woman’s build. I love to help people, and I am really grateful for the way all of you help each other and the youth. I will be doing the Preacher from the Pew on April 1st. See you then!

Meredith Hanosek
Meredith is a freshman at Upper Arlington High School and she has performed in the Short North Stage productions of West Side Story and Saturday Night Fever. She is currently in Cinderella at UAHS which will be performed in February.

 

“Our youth had a great time at our ax throwing event this fall.
Stay tuned for more fun activities this winter!”

Service Opportunities
Children learn to love one another by doing it.  
- Our children bring in food for our church's food pantry and sometimes help stock it.  
- We take field trips to places like the Westerville Food Pantry and work there. 
- We make cards for people who cannot make it to church anymore and for others who could use a good dose of love.

Feed the Funnel
In October 2019, youth participated in the all-church Feed the Funnel party to pack meals to help our neighbors in need.
A huge thank you to all of our church friends and family who showed up to help us Feed the Funnel!  With your help, we were able to pack 12,409 meals which we donated to the Mid-Ohio foodbank!  Helping those who are food insecure in our community is such a gift. Being able to have a party while we do so was an incredible bonus!
Special thanks to a generous grant from The Jay Fund for helping make this event happen.

The Jay Fund (shorthand for “The Jay Armstrong Endowment for Youth in Ministry”)

The Jay Fund (shorthand for “The Jay Armstrong Endowment for Youth in Ministry”) provides money to support youth ministry. This fund was established in 2014 thanks to generous gifts from Jay himself through his estate as well as from family and friends in his memory. Every year, the Jay Fund Committee determines how proceeds from the endowment will be distributed. The grants can be for mission or service (local, national, or worldwide), and can be for either expenses or capital, and can benefit Covenant’s youth or friends of our youth. The criteria are this broad so that the endowment might “enliven Jay’s giving spirit and dedication to youth ministry forevermore!” Since it was established, the endowment has raised $65,000 (and counting!) and has granted $12,000.  In early 2019, the Committee decided to adjust the funding year to coordinate with the Youth Commission’s budgeting process and discussions, so decisions on funding are now made in the April timeframe. Through the endowment, we wish to carry on Jay’s tradition of helping the Covenant youth to engage in the community through mission and service while growing their faith. 

     Most recently, the Jay Fund provided $3,000 to help finance the FEED THE FUNNEL event on October 12, 2019 where 12,409 meals were packed by children, youth, and adults of Covenant for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. 

Thank you!
The Jay Fund Committee: Cathy Levy, Peggy Siegel, Anne Remias, Tim Augsback, Carol Craven, Betsy Patterson, and Erin Wise

 Youth Trip to Triennium
Took place July 16-20
The youth would like to thank the congregation for their generous support of the Pave the Way fundraiser. Thank you so much for believing in our youth, for supporting them financially and through prayer. We are so grateful to each and every one of you for your love, support, and encouragement. Our stories and experiences of faith will last a lifetime: