youth
Our Vision for 5th-12th Grade Ministry:
Belong. Experience unconditional love, community, & mentorship for all youth, no matter what they do or believe.
Believe. Explore diverse beliefs & the person of Jesus, as well as how these beliefs can shape our lives.
Become. Encourage & Equip students to grow emotionally & spiritually toward their greatest capacity to love God & others.
youth group
High School 9-12th Grade
September-May
Youth Group on Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm at The Loft with monthly extra-fun events!
June-August
Backpacking, Bonfires, Knapps Castle, Dare or Dare, Lizards Mouth & Service!
Junior High 7-8th Grade
September-May
Youth Group on Tuesdays 6:30-8:30pm at The Loft with monthly extra-fun events!
June-August
Pool Parties, Camp Outs, Pismo Dunes, Fort Nights, & Service!
5th & 6th Grade
September-May
Youth Group on Thursdays 6:30-8pm at The Loft with monthly extra-fun events!
June-August
Lock-In's, Golf 'N Stuff, Tie Dye, Beach, & Service!
Student Life
Hume Lake Winter Camp
February 8-11 (Friday-Monday) EPIC Jr. High
February 22-24 (Friday-Sunday) 34N High School
To say we have a great time at Hume Lake is a huge understatement! Yes, we have a ton of fun taking advantage of Hume’s outstanding winter recreational program (ice skating, tube run, snowboard hill, broom hockey…), but our winter camp weekend is about so much more than the snow, it’s about life change! Through engaging teaching and worship experiences, intentional cabin conversations, and a healthy dose of natural wonder, we have seen the Holy Spirit move in profound ways in the lives of our students. Winter Camp at Hume Lake is not to be missed! Look for sign-ups in the fall for our January Junior High weekend, and February High School weekends.
Summer Experiences
June-August in Santa Barbara, CA
We love our week-long summer camps at Mount Hermon, Mission Springs, Hume Lake, and more that solidify friendships and deepen faith. In addition, summer is our season to get to know one another in more casual and organic settings that provide broad on-ramps for new students, and more space/time for developing friendships. We kick off summer with pool parties welcoming new students to jump into what God is doing. Then we adventure around places like Lizards Mouth, Golf 'N Stuff, Knapp’s Castle, Pismo Dunes, and--of course--we spend a lot of time at the beach!
CHIC Youth Conference
July 2021 (Save The Date!)
University of Tennessee
Every three years more than 5,000 high school students from across The Evangelical Covenant Church (our denomination) come together in one place to glimpse how they fit into the bigger picture of God’s kingdom. At CHIC, lives are changed as students are inspired to dive deeper in their faith together. During the week-long conference, students spend time building friendships within our own youth group and meet new friends through morning Base Camp sessions. Afternoons are full of fun with friends as students and leaders go on excursion adventures, dance with silent disco, swim, play sports on campus, and take part in a variety of other great options. CHIC is an opportunity for our high school students to worship, experience transformation, and make unforgettable memories!
Wild & Free Outdoor Adventures
June 2019
Dinkey Lakes Wilderness
We want our students know true FREEDOM in Christ. Freedom from old ways of viewing themselves; freedom from feelings of inadequacy, stress and the need to perform; freedom from sin, idols and addiction. Freedom to love well, live in hope, and pursue a God-sized life! Our annual June backpacking adventure provides an opportunity for our upperclassmen to hit the trail, and find rest and freedom for their souls, seeking Jesus in the wild and out-of-the-way places.
Shalom Experiences
September 29-30, 2019: LA Skid Row
Spring Break 2019: TBD
With Jesus as our model, Oceanhills Youth Ministry is committed to coming alongside students in service to others as we live out Christ's command to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Together, we partner with local organizations and seek out opportunities to learn about our city and other places we partner with--not the postcard, but the real place, with real brokenness--and seek Shalom, God's peace, in those places where the fabric of our community is running thin. Look for our Shalom experiences each Spring Break and throughout the year, past experiences have focused on homelessness, racism, and creation care. In 2017 we took a group of 10 students to Ecuador with our partner, Casa Victoria, and we plan on going international again soon!
Discipleship / Confirmation
Fall-Spring 2018
The Loft (821 State Street)
D/C is a small group opportunity for students in grades 7 and 8 to go deeper in their faith, increase their knowledge of the Bible, ask hard questions, and be intentionally mentored by loving adults in our church family. The Discipleship/Confirmation curriculum is published by our denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, and is specifically designed to connect with the lives of our junior high students. It’s not a verse by verse study, but rather, a survey of the Bible focusing on the main themes and important people/events that are part of God's incredible story. D/C gathers weekly from October through May.
Youth Sunday
10am at The Marjorie Luke Theatre
Spring 2019
Each Spring, the Youth Ministry Team “takes over” Sunday morning to celebrate Youth Sunday. It’s our opportunity to catch ourselves growing as a church family. And in particular, to pause, make a mark, and celebrate the growth we see in our kids. Not just their growth in inches (although that’s fun--especially with junior highers!) but growth in their knowledge and understanding of God’s love and the growth of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Youth Sunday is our turn to lead the shouts of praise to a good God, who has been faithful, and true, and reliable, and present, and generous and kind, and close, for another year. It’s one of our church family’s favorite mornings of the year, don’t miss it.
Contact
Dr. Laila DiGuilio
Director of Oceanhills Youth: laila@oceanhills.org
Rob Limkeman
Assistant Director of Oceanhills Youth: rob@oceanhills.org
Brandon Wong
Assistant Director of Oceanhills Youth & Young Adults: brandon@oceanhills.org