Confirmation 2017

l. to r.:  Anna Ivanov, Abby Warner, Sofia Geminetti, Samuel DiPalma,
Langston McArthur, Nathan Anderson

Confirmation started in September and met on Wednesday nights until the end of March. We had the awesome opportunity to partner with Faith Community Church to do a joint confirmation class.

Six students from Hebron (pictured above) and two students from Faith (Joe Mitlo and Benjamin Davidson) made the decision (after weeks of classes, memory work, a test on the Gospel of Mark, volunteering at PitCare, and writing a statement of faith) to confirm their faith in Jesus by joining the church. On March 27 the students stood in front of the elders of both Faith Community and Hebron to read their statements. They talked about what they believe about who the Father is, who Jesus is, who the Holy Spirit is, what the Bible is, who/what the Church is and how they started to believe. The elders of Faith Community and Hebron welcomed the students as members into the body of believers. It was an amazing night watching God’s Church work together as one, encouraging students in their faith.

Jay Mitlo, Pastor of Faith Community Church, gives a word of encouragement
 to the 2017 Confirmation Class

On April 2 at the 10:45 service our six new family members were introduced to the congregation. We know that God uses people to show Jesus to others, so we were very thankful for the work of Bill and Sherill Martin as they taught this year’s confirmation class, proclaiming the Word of truth into students’ lives. We also wish to thank the leaders for patiently walking alongside of students and pointing them to Jesus (Erika Geminetti, John Sciullo, Hunter Mitlo, Ian Slippy, and Gia Zazzera). God used these teachers and leaders to change students’ lives and He uses you, as a congregation, as you continue to pray that God would use Hebron students to show Himself to the world.

We believe that God will use these students in amazing ways; and we want to AFFIRM who they are in Christ to help them MOBILIZE their faith into action and confirmation is a big part of that. Thank you for your support and care as God continues to show up in mighty ways in the lives of students.

Student Ministry

What have we been studying...

In January we were studying “Reflections”, a look at who we are in Christ. We studied these truths from Scripture; I am redeemed, I am loved, I am a child of the King, I am a masterpiece and I am saved. In a culture that is telling students who they should be and what they should believe, we want to teach truth about who God says they are. Our identity is found in Christ, not what activities we do, our good or bad deeds, what clothes we wear, or who we hang out with. Identity is found in Christ alone. Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

What have we been doing...

We meet every week for games, lessons, food and tons of fun. Vine is Sundays for high schoolers (9th-12th grades) and Thicket is Wednesdays for middle schoolers (6th-8th grades). We also have a grove that meets on Sunday mornings in the youth rooms called The Hedge. In January we had a social event and went tubing at Boyce Park. We had a ton of fun and loved meeting and seeing new faces.  

Teams...

In the fall, Student Ministries started to implement teams. One of the teams is the CREATIVE TEAM. I am so excited and proud of the work and time that these students give to the youth rooms. The second Saturday of every month they meet for two hours to update and make sure everything is current. From drawing on the black boards to creating art for the walls, they work hard to make our space inviting and a place students would want to come. Please feel free to stop down and see the beautiful work in the café and on the boards in the game room!

 What is coming up...

Student Ministries is gearing up for summer! We will be headed to South Dakota (June 18th26th), Atlanta GA for a mission trip (July 9th-15th), and Surf City, Michigan (August 6th-11th).  Sign ups are open and up on the website!  We ask that you be praying for these trips and that God will use Hebron Students to show Himself to the world!

Children & Student Ministries:

4 Distinct Areas, 1 Common Vision

A phase is a timeframe in a child’s life when you can leverage distinctive opportunities to influence their future. A parent has 936 weeks from the time a child is born until he/she turns 18 years old. We don’t want you to miss each critical phase of growing up.

There are four words that we want every parent, small group, and Grove leader to know that characterize each phase of a child’s life.

§ Embrace—Preschool

§ Engage – Elementary

§ Affirm – Middle School

§ Mobilize – High School

We believe that these four words – Embrace, Engage, Affirm, and Mobilize – will help keep parents and small group/Grove leaders focused during every phase of a child’s life. 

Hebron Kidz

Infant—5^th Grade

The vision of Hebron Kidz is that children can see and hear the Gospel so that they come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

936 weeks & counting…

§ Preschool (Infant—Pre-Kindergarten)

These little ones are asking “Am I?” questions:

§ “Am I safe?”

§ “Am I able?”

§ “Am I ok?”

The best way to resolve a Preschooler’s relational questions is to consistently EMBRACE their physical needs.

Hebron’s mission with babies through Pre-Kindergarten, is to EMBRACE their physical needs of one-on-one attention, comfort, and care, so they know they are loved and safe. 

As we EMBRACE their physical needs, they experience God’s love, meet God’s family, and get their first impression of their heavenly Father.  

676 weeks & counting…

§ Elementary School (Kindergarten—5^th grade)

Kindergarten—5^th Graders are asking “Do I have?” questions:

§ “Do I have your attention?” 

§ “Do I have what it takes?” 

§ “Do I have friends?” 

The best way to answer K-5th Graders relational questions is to ENGAGE in their interests. Hebron’s mission in Elementary School is to ENGAGE the interests of Elementary Children so they will discover how God’s story intersects with their story. As we ENGAGE in their interests it opens the door to help them know they can trust God, allows them the opportunity to experience God’s family, and to know Him personally through Jesus.  

Hebron Students

6^th—12^th Grade

The Hebron Student Ministry vision is “we believe that God will use Hebron Students to show Himself to the world.” All students are created in the image of God and are in need of seeing how the Gospel relates to them. We seek to leverage opportunities to teach, love, and come alongside our 11-18 year olds.  

364 weeks & counting...

§ Middle School (6^th—8^th grade)

6^th—8^th graders are asking relational questions:

§ “Who do I like?’

§ “Who likes me?”

§ “Who am I?” 

The best way to answer a middles schooler’s relational questions is to AFFIRM their identity in Christ. Hebron’s mission in Middle School is to AFFIRM every Middle School student that they are created in God’s image. When we AFFIRM student’s identity in Christ, they gain stability and discover uniqueness. When we respond to Middle Schoolers in a loving manner, listening, encourage more specifically, and guide more patiently, we will influence them to stop and think rationally before they respond in the moment.  As we AFFIRM students they will start to own their own faith and value a faith community. 

208 weeks & counting…

§ High School (9^th—12^th grade)

9^th-12^th graders are asking Where, Why, How, and What questions: 

§ “Where do I belong?”

§ “Why should I believe?”

§ “How can I matter?”

§  “What will I do?”

The best way to answer a High Schooler’s relational questions is to MOBILIZE their potential. Hebron’s mission in High School is to MOBILIZE student’s potential in their personal walk with Christ. As we teach students how to MOBILIZE their faith, it will help them find answers to their questions. We point them to the value of Christian community, help clarify their values, help refine skills for serving, and help them see the vision God has for their lives. As we MOBILIZE students they will pursue authentic faith and learn to discover what God’s direction is for them as they enter adulthood.  

936 Weeks… is the amount of time we (parents and leaders) have to leverage the biggest influence in a child’s life. We are working together to insure that every week matters, pointing children and students to Jesus. We are being intentional in sending 18 year-olds off to adulthood as mature, servant leaders—in their homes, in the Church, and in the world. 

Students Support HACSF

On Sunday, October 9^th, ten of Hebron’s high school students attended the Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Celebration. All dressed up and ready for a fun night, each student received over seventy dollars in tickets for the Chinese auction that was packed full of great gift baskets. 

After a fantastic dinner, two of Hebron’s Seniors were the keynote speakers for the evening. Hunter Milto and Marissa Kotanichek each spoke about how Jesus changed their lives through Christian camp experiences: through camp speakers, leaders and the whole experience of camping. God has changed their lives and they now have a relationship with Jesus that propels them to see the lives of others changed through the Gospel.   

The Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Fund has had a huge impact on student’s lives as they encounter Jesus, some for the first time, at camp.

This was the first year that Hebron Students had a table at the fundraiser and you helped make that possible. The money collected from every jar of cookies, brownies, and soup that you bought went straight to sending the ten students to the dinner. Our goal was $1,000 for dinner and tickets for the Chinese Auction, and we EXCEEDED our GOAL! THANK YOU! It is an amazing thing to see God working in and through students’ lives and you are a huge part of their journey. Your support, love and prayers are appreciated and the student ministry leadership team cannot thank you enough.  

Hunter Mitlo & Marissa Kotanichek:

Students

Fall student ministry is in full swing and it started with a bang! 

On September 4^th Hebron Students met and had a fun night full of eating, hanging out and playing games. New faces, and faces that have been around Hebron for a long time, chatted and played on the huge wrecking ball that was in the parking lot outside the Fellowship Hall. The wrecking ball is a game where players stand on the inflatable pedestals and swing the wrecking ball, or "demolition ball" to their friends on the three other inflatable pedestals and try to knock them off. The last one standing -- wins!! What a great time we all had! 

Students have started Thicket (middle school  weekly program) on Wednesday nights and are learning about the Prophets and Kings throughout the Old Testament. 

Vine (high school weekly program) is on Sunday nights. We have been studying a series called “Road Signs” learning that your direction, not your intention, determines your destination.

Hebron Student Ministry has decided to partner with Wyldlife (a para-church organization for middle schoolers) to do outreach in the Penn Hills School District. We had our first “Club” on September 9^th and had tons of fun playing games in the Barclay Building and enjoying a snack at the end. Wyldlife is for students who don’t know Jesus or for church students who invite their friends to “Club” as an outreach.

Hebron Student Ministry is excited about all the great ways God is moving. Throughout the summer and into the fall we have received many stories of God working through leaders showing students Jesus. Breaking down walls through fun events is a part of that process. Continue to pray for student and families as we speak truth and love into the lives of students.  

Thanks Ryan!

In May, Hebron hired Ryan Pietryga as a Student  Ministry Intern for the summer. Ryan started at Hebron and hit the ground running. 

With a mountainous pile of  office and contact work to be done, Ryan had to adjust quickly. He did an amazing job learning new programs, student’s names, and all the other responsibilities that came with the job. Ryan helped lead all the summer camps, starting with South Dakota, then High School Camp (Tennessee), and lastly Surf City. God has used Ryan as he walked alongside students in this journey called life, showing and teaching them about Jesus with his words and lifestyle.

We are excited for Ryan as he starts his new position as Middle School Youth Director at Memorial Park Church in the North Hills. We will miss Ryan, as he is one of those people who doesn’t waste any time to make an imprint on peoples lives for the sake of the Gospel.

Ryan's last Sunday at Hebron is August 21. Please pray for him as he transitions to a new church and youth program. Pray that God will give him clear vision and direction as he leads Middle School students to the feet of  Jesus. We thank Ryan for the love and joy that he has for Jesus.  It is evident that he has a deep desire to share that love with students. 

We will miss you Ryan, and we will be praying for you! 

How You Can Help Kids - The Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Fund

The Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Fund (HACSF) was started in 2011, in memory of 12-year-old Holly Alm who was called home by the Lord in a traffic accident. The Fund was established to keep Holly’s legacy of having fun camping with friends and loving the Lord alive by sharing it with area youth. The Fund provides financial assistance to families to enable them to send their children to Christian camps, gatherings, retreats, and mission trips where the exciting, life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ can be seen and heard.

To date, the HACSF has provided over $103,000 so that more than 700 youth could attend camps and other events that would otherwise not have been possible. The majority of the funds raised have come from the Annual Golf Outing and Dinner. Last year over 240 people attended the Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Celebration and $26,893 was raised.

Hebron Student Ministries would like to raise money to support ten students to be a part of this year’s Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Celebration. Many of Hebron’s students have benefited from the Holly Alm Camp Scholarship Fund and have experienced the love of Christ at camps, and this celebration is the primary contribution to the Fund.

We would like to have a student presence at the dinner, as a means of thanking the HACSF, as well as showing these students that there are people who care about their spiritual progress.

What we would like to do is send ten students. Each ticket costs $40, but we would also 

like to give the kids another $60 in raffle tickets, all to add to the scholarship fund. So, the plan is to send ten students at a cost of $100 per student— $1000 total. Students will go and be a presence at the dinner and give the extra money that night at the auction in support of the scholarship fund.

In order to raise this $1000, Hebron Students will be selling Mason Jar Mixes for $5 a piece. We will need to sell 200 cookie, brownie, and soup mixes to reach our goal.  The jars will be on sale in the Fellowship Hall and in the Barclay Building.  Please help support Hebron Students as we support the scholarship fund that has changed so many lives for Christ. 

Ed. Note: This year’s event is being held on Sunday, October 9 at Edgewood Country Club. Make your plans now to attend the golf outing and/or dinner to follow. Registration forms can be found online at www.hacsf.org or in the literature racks at the church entrances.