The youth program at Christ Episcopal Church is open and welcome to all 6-12 grades. We have students from several different high schools in the Tuscaloosa area and pride ourselves on a loving and inclusive environment. Youth at CEC participate in “EYC” which is how we define youth group at our church. We meet regularly on Sunday and Wednesday nights, have special events, fundraise for projects around the church and in our community, and engage in deep conversations about who God is in our lives and how we can continue to grow closer with God. We would love to have you join us at any event or worship on Sunday morning!
Our youth staff is composed of 5 student interns from the University of Alabama, which is right down the street! We believe that consistency in leadership is what brings the youth ministry together and helps build relationships between youth and staff. Our youth staff brings joy, dedication, and a knowledge of the Episcopal Church, youth ministry, and leadership to our EYC programs. They are from a variety of backgrounds and offer a diverse level of experience but have the same goal of wanting the youth to thrive at Christ Episcopal!
We offer a Bible Study for all youth in grades 6-12 on Sunday mornings between the 9 AM and 11 AM services in the Youth Room, found on the 3rd floor. Each semester (or year depending on our discussions) we pick a new book of the bible for us to dive deeper into and discuss as a large group.
We start Sunday nights with dinner all together, provided by parishioners, in the Gym. We then break up by age group and begin our evening programs. Middle school aged youth (6-8 grades) meet on the second floor and high school aged youth (9-12 grades) meet on the third floor for discussion-based programs. We talk about the love of Christ we encounter in our daily lives and how God is in action in the world. Each year is broken into different themes and our lessons fit into those. Our Youth Staff plans activities and lessons that fit our topics and engage the youth in spiritual and personal growth. Pickup and Dropoff are at the 7th Street Entrance. You will be greeted by a member of the Youth Staff.
On Wednesdays, we offer an opportunity to grow together as a large group of all 6-12 grade youth. We begin our time with dinner, play games, and worship together. We meet in the Gym on the third floor. Pickup and Dropoff are at the 7th Street Entrance. You will be greeted by a member of the Youth Staff.
Youth events provide an opportunity to grow together in Christ. We are called to be disciples of Jesus and our off-site events are a place where we grow the closest. We host 2 large off-site events throughout the year – one being the Youth Rafting Trip and the other an All-EYC Retreat where we welcome our new 6th graders into the group and begin our year on the right note!
We also host one large fundraiser during the year, our Annual Basketball Tournament! This is a parish-wide 4-on-4 tournament to raise funds for a specific cause, either a project to improve the building, an outreach or community organization, or to fund the youth program and build our budget for the next year. We had a major success this past year and raised $10,000 to help replace the gym floor! We are so grateful for the love and support the youth receives from our parish!
Diocesan Events are another way we grow closer to God. It is important to the leadership of Christ Church to see our youth actively participating in the larger Episcopal Community of Youth. We will host one of our diocesan programs called Happening at CEC this Spring for youth in 10-12 grades to experience God’s call. There are a variety of ways to be active on the diocesan level, keep scrolling to learn more!
Christ Episcopal Church is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, where we value and care for the youth of the Diocese. If you are interested in learning more about ways to connect with the larger community of youth, take a look at the Diocesan website to find out about the Youth Department, new events, and more.
Do you have a middle school or high school youth and want to be more involved at CEC? Signup for our e-news letter below.
Christ Episcopal Church is the oldest Episcopal church in northern Alabama, founded in 1828.
