Youth Formation

Download Life at GSL–Fall 2021 Guide of Worship, Christian Formation, Connecting & More

October 16-17 Campout at St. Columba. This weekend we will be joined by Calvary and Holy Communion to spend an evening under the stars at St. Columba! We are looking forward to spooky trail walks, stories around the campfire, and a few festive surprises! We hope to provide everyone with a tent, so we are calling upon the parish! If your household has an extra tent they would let us borrow for the weekend, please let us know by emailing Amzie Williams (awilliams [at] gracestluke [dot] org), and we thank you in advance for helping keeping our heads dry and feet warm!

Please note. No Sunday morning formation or EYC will take place on October 17. The campout takes the place of our formational plans for the weekend.

Youth Formation Promotional Video. We have lots of new things happening at GSL this year, and we want to make sure your household does not miss a thing! Be sure to catch our brief snapshot into our plans for the coming year online this week.

October 24, 6-7 p.m. Diocesan EYC. This summer we enjoyed making friends from Episcopal churches all over Memphis during our Serve 901 Day Camp, and we want to keep that going! This fall, we will be gathering once a month with youth from across our Diocese, organized by GSL, Holy Communion, and hosted by St. Mary’s Cathedral. Our second gathering will include get to know you games, a shared meal, and compline with music to close the evening. This event is open to all youth in grades 6th-12th. Gather at St. Mary's Cathedral and park in the parking lot and follow the marked signs.

For more information and to be added to the Youth Formation email list, please contact Director of Youth Formation Amzie Williams (awilliams [at] gracestlukes [dot] org).

6-12th grade youth at Calvary, Grace-St. Luke's and Holy Communion are invited to a campout at St. Columba! Our campout will start at 4pm on October 16th and end at 10am on October 17th. Families are welcome to join us for Eucharist at 9am. The cost for this event is $25, but full scholarships are available. Follow the link below to register! 

https://forms.gle/kK44M49VG3hgin4N8

Registration is due by October 8, 2021.

Sign up to donate or bring a meal for the EYC on Sunday evenings . Meals can be given either as a donation to the EYC program for that Sunday OR meals can also be prepared and dropped off Sunday evenings at 4:45 PM, and offers a great chance for you to get to see our EYC in action. To sign up, follow the link below!

https://forms.gle/kzxtDLEnWvJZF1kW6

Fall 2021 EYC Hours – Starting September 12 Rally Day at GSL

New Orleans Summer 2022 Trip. COVID pending, our hope is to venture to New Orleans in Summer 2022 for a Community Engagement Experience in the Big Easy! Joined by Calvary and The Church of the Holy Communion, we plan to explore the rich history of New Orleans, partner with local Non-Profits, explore Audubon Park, the World War II Museum, and sample some amazing food. 

We are planning to have five days of fun and seeking to be a well-working team prior to the trip departure. We want anyone who wishes to go to be able to do so, but we ask that you be a part of the journey throughout the year as we work towards the trip. To find out more on how you can be part of 901 In the Big Easy, be sure to be a part of our parent’s social on August 29 or contact Amzie. 

Confirmation.  Details are still in the works for our Confirmation class coming this winter, but we are starting our list early! If you are in the 9th grade and baptized, go ahead and email awilliams [at] gracestlukes [dot] org to get signed up! 

New Seasonal Devotions. This year we are offering two seasonal devotion studies. Our Lenten devotion is back again, and we are adding one for the Advent season! Our Advent and Lent groups will be meeting on Wednesday evenings from 5:00-6:00 for youth in grades 6-12, with more details for both events coming to you in October. 

Sunday Youth Formation. Our Sunday Formation will draw upon multiple sources this year to create a living curriculum that adapts to the liturgical season, current events, and needs of our youth community. Our lead youth volunteer for the year is Maxie Sanson, a junior at Rhodes and longtime Episcopal summer camp enthusiast. High School will meet in the Red Room, and Middle School will meet in the Yellow Room from 9:30-10:15 a.m. 

Our middle school year’s theme is Modern Memphians. This year we will be continually looking for connections between scripture and Episcopal tradition and our modern day lives in Memphis. More so than that, we seek to prepare our youth to understand the history and beliefs of The Episcopal Church and learn why understanding history can be so necessary to shaping the future. By matching scripture with events in our lives and communities, we seek to highlight the importance and changing role scripture has in our lives. 

This year our high school youth formation will be centered around Sustainability! Both spiritually and environmentally, we will be exploring how we share our human home and preparing our young adults with spiritual tools to sustain themselves and those in their community. Our year will focus on spiritual texts that connect to our relationship with other parts of creation and spiritual practices. We will explore many types of prayer, mediation, and practices that can be taken out into the world, no matter where our saints are called!

Diocesan-Wide Compline and Conversation. This fall we hope to continue to connect with all youth in grades 6-12 from all around Memphis. We have two Diocesan-Wide Compline and Conversations planned for September 26 and October 24 from 6-7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral. Come for games, conversation, and a peaceful end to your day. 

Fall Campout at St. Columba. Mark your calendars for October 16-17 for our fall campout with Calvary and Holy Communion! Together we will camp under the stars, have spooky hayrides, and share stories around the campfire! To register, email Amzie. 

For more information about programs for youth, please contact Amzie Williams, Director of Youth Formation Amzie Williams.

Director of Youth Formation
901-252-6326 | awilliams [at] gracestlukes [dot] org

Details are still in the works for our Confirmation class coming this winter, but we are starting our list early! If you are in the 9th grade and baptized, go ahead and email awilliams [at] gracestlukes [dot] org to get signed up! 

An opportunity for fellowship, relaxing, and fun! EYC offers a more laidback atmosphere for youth to build meaningful and lasting friendships. This time is less focused on structured learning and more devoted to community building, self-expression, impactful service, and seeking to understand the ever-changing and messy world around us. Please note that locations and times may change depending on the nature of our activities, look out for monthly emails from awilliams [at] gracestlukes [dot] org to keep updated on all things EYC. In addition, the what and where of EYC is subject to change concerning conditions of COVID 19, but know we always plan to have something offered at this time for you and your family!