Junior High Ministry is a place where students can come have fun and get to know Jesus. Our vision is to train students to live for Christ. Whether it is the first time they have heard His name or they have followed Jesus their whole lives; we will meet them where they are spiritually.
LeaderBill Wills // 661.589.9733 ext. 207 or billwills@riverlakeschurch.org
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February 23 | 9:00am | JH Room
We desire family involvement within the JH Ministry. This worship morning, during first service, is one of the many we will be having so that family can join their JH students in worship time as a church family. You do not want to miss out!
February 13 | 6:30 - 8:30pm
Dudes are at the Porter home and Gals are at the Barrett home: We are continuing this event for JH Bros and Gals this year. A night where they can hang out and fellowship with one another outside the church, typically these meet-ups will be at host homes. Bring a snack and a friend!
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January 26 | 9:00am | JH Room
The joy, preparation, quality, and engagement for these strategic Sundays is to reach our family community within RiverLakes Community Church bringing the love of God into our student ministries. Creativity, vibrancy, purpose, meaning, and intentionality are present for these specific Sundays. We hope to focus on the glory of God and who He is in our lives.
January 22 | 6:00 - 8:00pm
We will be continuing a devotional series together for our Discipleship Group this year. We are using Lifeway Curriculum focusing on, “How To Know God’s Will-Finding Contentment In A Busy Life”. Our small groups break up into guys/girls in 7th/8th grade groups. These small groups are meant to help students grow spiritually and form friendships amongst each other and other JHers.
December 22 | 9:00am | JH Room
You will not want to miss this community fellowship where JH families get together to worship and celebrate Christmas. Wear an ugly sweater and please bring a sweet or savory breakfast dish to share.
December 21 | 3:00pm | Studio Movie Grill
Cost: $20
Space is limited. Cost includes your movie ticket, a meal, popcorn and a drink. Meet at the theater at 2:30pm for tickets.
December 6 | 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Aleman Residence
We will be having a bonfire and white elephant gift exchange ($5 value; giftwrapped). Please wear warm clothing, shoes that can get dirty, a snack to share, a friend and a chair to sit on.
WINTER CAMP 2020: Welcome to the Fam
Date: January 17-20, 2020
Location: Thousand Pines Christian Camp
If you've registered for camp, final payments and Participation Forms (2019-20) are due 1/5/20.
After you register with us, complete the CampDoc Release Forms for Thousand Pines here no later than 1/3/20.
If you have any questions about camp, registration, deadlines, or financial assistance, contact Sarah Dickinson or Denise Aleman!
Sarah Dickinson (HS Ministry): sarahd@riverlakeschurch.org
Denise Aleman (JH Ministry): denisea@riverlakeschurch.org
Fall Olympics
Where? RCC Campus (meeting first in HS Room, or Rm. 213 upstairs in the Education Building)
When? 11/2, 4-7pm
Who? Any and all JH + HS students that want to come!
Food? YES
Fall Olympics is happening! We’ll be playing laser tag, kajabe can can, lawn games, ultimate frisbee, and more. This is a great event to invite friends to and is come one, come all! No sign-up required. If you've been coming to RiverLakes awhile or are brand new, this will be a great time of hanging out and having fun!
Sunday, August 25 | Noon - 12:35pm | Junior High Room
This will be an informative, interactive meeting where the mission, vision, event schedule, purpose, and importance of your student’s life while in the Junior High Ministry will be shown this year. We hope to collaborate with parents but need your help. Save the date and let’s discuss together! Lunch provided.
Sunday, August 25 | 10:20am - 11:00am | Junior High Room
Parents are invited to stop by before the parent meeting to meet Junior High Pastor, Bill Wills and his wife, Danielle Wills, for some casual conversation. Donuts and coffee for adults provided.
Wed., May 1 | $20 (sign up online; cost covers dinner, fountain drink, & ticket)
Drop-Off & Pick Up: Studio Movie Grill (2733 Calloway Dr.)
We will see a movie during our time that we normally meet for D-Group. (If your student will not be watching the movie and has not registered by April 10, they will have to stay home as there will not be a leader at the church to supervise them.) Since the movie doesn’t release until April 26, you can read reviews on past Avengers movies to get an idea of what the newest movie will be like.
Friday, April 12 - Sunday, April 14
Mission at Kern County
$12.95 includes shirt and book
Info Meeting: March 24 @ 12:30pm
Junior High Room
We’ll be serving our community through local outreach at the Mission at Kern County. There will be time for worship, prayer, games, reflection, and community-building fun in host homes from our church! We desire to be the hands and feet of Jesus at RiverLakes Community Church, even as Junior Highers.
Wednesday, March 13
6:15 - 8:00pm
$8 - $10 (measured by weight in oz)
It is that time to hang out off-campus and eat some awesome yogurt. Bring a friend!
First Friday of Every Month (during school year)
6:30 - 8:30pm
JH Room
The Junior High Ministry has the opportunity to get together once a month in a relaxed environment to have fun, play some games, and have a time of fellowship that is meant to help incorporate newcomers & help them feel welcomed, as well as build greater, Christ-centered friendships within the group.
Dates: January 18-21, 2019
Location: Thousand Pines (our camp will be independent from their camp program)
Cost: $350 ($75 deposit to secure spot)
HS: Education Bldg, Rm. 213 @ 9:00am // JH: CC, Rm. 122 @ 9:00am
Graduating classes are moving on up! Incoming 7th grade students and incoming freshmen students will be joining JH ministry & HS ministry (respectively) for the first time!
WHEN: August 9 - 11
WHERE: The Feils’ Cabin
COST: TBA
DEADLINE: Sign up by 7/29
WHAT: JH Ministry will be having a summer retreat this August! It will be a few days up at a cabin to give students an opportunity to get to know each other and our new Director of JH Ministry better, as well as be refreshed and encouraged heading into the new school year. Sign-ups will begin 6/17. We hope that many of our awesome JH students are able to come!
WHEN: 8/1, 6:00 - 8:00pm
WHERE: 9805 Copa Cabana Ct., 93312
WHAT: Our end-of-summer party will mark the end of Wacky Wednesdays as we quickly move into the school year once again! It’ll be a time for all JH students to hang out with each other and with leaders as we close out the summer. Bring a snack or dessert to share.
Wednesdays @ 6:00pm | Junior High Room (except 7/24)
June 19: BBQ Night
June 26: Scavenger Hunt
July 3: No Wacky Wednesday
July 10: Sports Night
July 17: No Wacky Wednesday
July 24: Last Meeting (Henslee Home)
Wednesdays during the summer, grab a friend or two and join us for a wacky time! Check out the schedule to see what we’re up to each week and get ready!
May 2 // 6:30 - 8:00pm // JH Room
To wrap up this school year’s JH D-Groups, we are celebrating by having a dinner on our last night of meeting together. This is for the leaders and students who have been attending D-Groups, and will be a time for them to share what God has been doing in their lives and in their groups this year. If you’ve been in a JH D-Group this year, we hope to see you there on this special wrap-up night!
March 24 // 5:30 - 8:30pm // JH Room (in the Community Center)
Have you ever wanted to experience an event where poop humor is welcome and games you didn’t know could be toilet-fied, are? Well, want no more, because that is exactly what our annual Toilet Bowl is! You and your friends, come join us for this slightly gross, but definitely FUN night where we will compete with each other in games, as well as eat food together, and hear a Gospel message!
What to Bring: We will be providing dinner, but bring a snack or dessert to share. Feel free to make it “toilet”-themed!
January 26 - 28, 2018
Hume Lake Christian Camp
Cost: $285 ($50 nonrefundable deposit due upon registration)
THEME:
ETERNAL LIFE NOW
We want you to know the hope that Christ gives us for eternal life and the way that hope impacts our purpose and meaning as we richly experience it in the here and now.
1 Peter 1
Saturday, October 28
5:30 - 8:30pm
Our annual Mad Dash Pumpkin Smash will be happening in October! The time when we get together, bring some pumpkins, and at the end of the night… smash them! This event is a great opportunity to invite friends. We can’t wait to see you all there!
Come hang out with us! We'll be having fun, studying God's Word and getting wacky! Bring clothes you can get we and messy!
6:30 - 8:30pm in the Junior High Room
JH Summer camp
July 9 - 14
Camp Santa Cruz
Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This amazing psalm promises that when we have a desire for God, he will give himself to us. This summer we are going to take a look at our hearts and ask, “What do I desire?” You won’t want to miss out on the experience this summer! We’ll be headed back to Santa Cruz, where there will be fun and games on the beach, awesome meals made by awesome people every day, and most importantly—time spent worshipping, hearing God’s Word, and being with our cabin mates talking about God, His Word, and our lives.
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED
It’s time to potty! Come hang out and have a toilety awesome time playing potty themed games, eating stinking good snacks and having throne room sized fun!
January 27 - 29, 2017
Hume Lake Christian Camp
Cost: $300 ($50 nonrefundable deposit due upon registration)
In a couple sentences in Mark 12:29-30, Jesus took the entirety of the 613 Levitical laws and beautifully pared them down to these two: Love God and Love Others. That is the great commandment… plain and simple. In a world of increasing doubt and indecisiveness, what would it look like if we loved God with ALL of our hearts, souls, minds and strength? What if we loved our neighbors as much as we love ourselves? In the second half of verse 31 Jesus says “There is no other commandment greater than these” and from that sentence comes our theme title: “That’s it!” It’s as if Jesus was saying to the Scribe who approached him “focus on these, that’s it!” Our desire this winter is to learn how to love God and love others with ALL that we are… That’s it!
Sign up today! Registration deadline is January 4.
It’s official…our former 6th graders are now JH students and 8th graders are now High School students! On Sunday, June 5 make sure that all the students make their way to their new ministry rooms! JH meets downstairs in the Community Center, room 122 and HS meets upstairs in the Ed Building. Both ministries CANNOT WAIT to welcome all of the new students!
As much as we don’t like it, summer must come to an end…and why not let it end with a splash? Mark your calendars for Wednesday, August 3 for our End of Summer Splash. We’ll be getting together at 9127 Kristina Lynn Ct., 93312 eating food and having fun! You won’t want to miss it!
Friday Night Hangouts continue through April but take a break for the summer starting in May. These nights are a great time to hang out, play games and have fun with other JH students and leaders!
Friday Night Hangouts
February 26
Time: 6:30 - 9:00pm // Location: JH Room
Looking for something to do on Friday nights? Come to Friday Night Hangouts! This is a time where we get together and spend time playing games, hanging out and simply having fun. It’s a great time to bring a friend or just get connected yourself.
Coordinator(s)
Nik Crown
Location
JH Room
Sunday, December 20
Time: 9:00 - 10:30am // Location: JH Room
Got Christmas spirit? Come party with us! We’ll be having our annual Christmas party on Sunday, December 20 during the normal JH service time. Come for friends, food and fun! We’re sure you’ll have a holly jolly ol’ time!
Coordinator(s)
Nik Crown
September 11 & 25
October 9
November 13 & 27
Time: 6:30 - 9:00pm // Location: JH Room
Looking for a place to hang out with friends on Friday nights? Look no further than JH Friday Night Hangouts! Every second and fourth Friday of the month from 6:30 - 9:00pm we will be opening up the JH room for friends and fun! Some of these nights will have special themes and some will simply be super chill hangout time! We’ll let you know before each event what exactly will be happening but make sure you mark your calendars because we want to see you there!
Coordinator(s)
Nik Crown
Location
JH Room
Wednesday, August 5 // 6:00 - 8:00pm // Location TBD
Let’s end summer with a splash! We’ll be swimming, hanging out and having a blast celebrating the end of summer. (Ladies: modest one-piece please)
Coordinator(s)
Nik Crown
Saturday, May 23 // 1:30 - 3:30pm
JH Room
We will be opening up the JH doors to all incoming 7th graders! This is going to be a time of hanging out and getting to know you, and playing games…including all of our video games! We will also have a time for you to get to know us as a JH team and get any questions you may have answered in a “question and answer” time! We can’t wait to meet you!
Pull on your ugly sweaters and join us for a Sunday morning Christmas Party! Food, games and prizes galore, so make sure you bring yourself and maybe a friend or two more!
Coordinator(s)
Rob Ryerson
We invite Junior High students to grow in their relationship with Christ through biblical community. Students will gather on Wednesday nights throughout the school year to study God’s word and share what’s going on in their life. The first night is for registration and getting to know this year’s Grow Group leaders.
Coordinator(s)
Rob Ryerson
August 3 - 7 | Quaker Meadeow Christian Camp
This will be an exciting time of having an escape into learning more about “Everyday Life” following Jesus and what it means to follow Him. JH and HS will be going together ensuring a fun, respectful, safe, summer blast of worship together.
We will have a great night of games and fun together...it’s going to be late, but a night to remember. Summer rocks, late nights at church? Why not! Details to come but plan to bring a friend and a snack. *** This is not a sleepover, just a late-night hangout time.
JH will be meeting on Sundays starting September 6. We will be meeting outside on the North Lawn (near the old Pier 56). Students will be dismissed from the Main service at 9:00am (after worship and announcements) and are encouraged to join the JH group as they will have some quality engagement, biblical insight, and intentional engagement. Connecting matters! Whether a regular or new, you are welcome here!
Please have your students bring their Bible and notebook, a water bottle, and a blanket or towel to sit on. JH service will end around 10:05am (depending on the end of sermon). Plan on picking up your JH students after service and say hi.
