Mission Statement
Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you are welcome here.
Central United Methodist Church in Asheville Youth Ministries exists to inspire, empower and include all youth by being transformed through relationships with God and our community. Youth Ministries open up opportunities each week to help 6th – 12th-grade youth connect with each other and grow in their faith. We are an inclusive, Christ-centered, service-oriented, fun, graceful, innovative, and relational community. We hope you will join us on a Sunday morning or evening. Our youth arena is located on the 4th floor of the church, up the main stairs, and to the right.
Contact: Rev. Caroline Camp, Minister of Youth Discipleship,
ccamp@centralumc.org | 828-253-3316 ext. 1304
Contact: Rev. Caroline Camp, Minister of Youth Discipleship,
ccamp@centralumc.org | 828-253-3316 ext. 1304
Youth Weekly Programming
Sunday morning we gather in the Youth Arena at 8:45 am to talk about our weeks and participate in creative, engaging, and relevant ways of learning about who God is and what that means for our lives. We wrap up at 9:45am in time for youth to join their families for worship at 10:00 am.
On Sunday afternoons we engage in a variety of ways of growing in our faith and engaging God’s presence in our lives. Each Sunday has a different focus: Love, Grow, and Serve. We always have food, wild and outlandish fun, and a time to gather and explore faith with each other.
On Sunday afternoons we engage in a variety of ways of growing in our faith and engaging God’s presence in our lives. Each Sunday has a different focus: Love, Grow, and Serve. We always have food, wild and outlandish fun, and a time to gather and explore faith with each other.
Sunday School | 8:45 am - 9:45 am | 4th Floor Youth Arena
We gather every Sunday morning for donuts, fellowship, and discussion about life and faith. It’s a great way to start your week and we hope you’ll join us!
Youth Group | 4:00pm – 6:00pm | Central Haw Creek
We gather every Sunday afternoon at our campus in the Haw Creek neighborhood. We open with games and activities before transitioning into a time of learning and discussion. We use this time to grow closer to God and to each other. We close each meeting around the table with a snack supper and prayer.
Youth Retreats
We have several annual retreats. We host fall, winter, and spring weekend retreats. Each retreat is grounded in scripture and fun. Our themes come from scripture and Christian theology. Past themes have included “Genesis and Creation”, “Friend of God”, and the Lord’s Prayer. Retreats are close enough for a weekend trip but far enough away to get away from the noise of everyday life and engage in God’s presence through times with friends, relaxing, playing, and worshiping!
Youth Mission Trips
Every summer we roll up our sleeves, get our hands dirty, and serve our community here in Asheville and beyond. These trips are for all of our youth. Summer mission opportunities are open to rising 7th graders and above. We invite all teenagers to join us as we seek to be Christ’s hands and feet in our world.
Local Service
We believe that a big part of being God’s people in the world is serving those in need and on the margins because that is where Christ can be found. Service is an incredibly important way for youth to express their faith, so we do tons of stuff in our church and community. Our Youth Service Team meets once a month for a service project outside of regular youth programming. We have served at Haywood Street Congregation, Habitat for Humanity, and our local neighborhood. Some opportunities are age restricted. We try to serve in different capacities all year round to give our teenagers the opportunity to be Christlike presence in the world in as many ways as possible.
Youth Events
One of our core beliefs is that an element to a vibrant faith life is one in which we have fun! We have a lot of events each year that are for that very purpose. From kick off events to the Fall Festival to Christmas parties to the winter lock-in, we do it all. Whether we stay in or go out, youth events are always a great time!
Wilderness Trail
Wilderness Trail takes people out of their comfort zone and from their day-to-day life and places them in the beauty of God’s creation. Wilderness Trail places people into groups of around eleven people and puts them on a journey for the week, exploring the backcountry of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia by backpacking. It’s an amazing personal and group experience.
