WCC Starts Middle School Youth Group
Growing is good
Middle school youth group starting at WCC
What more could a middle school student ask for? Heading out of class and straight into the company of their friends, playing crazy games, listening to music, eating snacks, and discussing topics that will help equip them to handle the joys and trials life will bring their way. Not to mention pizza parties, a fall event, perhaps a winter camp, and other fun get-togethers that fifth and sixth graders will not only enjoy, but learn from.
“We want to have a good time, we want to offer a safe place for the students to go after school, and ultimately, we want to impact the community for the better,” explained Youth Pastor Jay Bock of Winterset Community Church.
Pastor Jay grew up in Alta and Moville, Iowa. He recently graduated from NorthwesternCollege in Orange City with a degree in Youth Ministry. At WCC, Pastor Jay teaches a junior high youth group (7th and 8th graders; Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m.) and a senior high youth group (9th through 12th graders; Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m.) with the help of parents and other volunteers. Starting August 29th, the new middle school group will meet Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-5:00 at WCC.
Kids from throughout the community are welcome to come—there are no fees for the weekly meetings, so leave your milk money in your backpacks.
“Everybody’s welcome as long as you fit in the age category,” laughed Jay. “I hope for 15 or more initially, and I hope that number can grow quickly as word gets around and people realize it’s a good program.”
Speaking of growing, Winterset Community Church got its start in the summer of 1999, with a group of about 40 people. At first, WCC met in the junior high commons area, then, as more folks started attending Sunday morning services, they relocated to the elementary school gymnasium. When a warehouse on the corner of S. 2nd St. and E. Washington became available, WCC decided to refurbish the space as their current church home.
Over the past seven years, new families have caused numbers to swell to more than 265, which creates good “problems.” With so many tots playing in the nursery and kids attending Sunday school (which WCC calls Promiseland and Promiseland, Jr.)—the time has come to offer, not only an expanded youth program, but two Sunday morning services.
“For us, we’re going to two services because of growth. We don’t want to do anything fancy, we just want to accommodate people,” explained head Pastor Scott O’Conner.
Pastor Scott, a native Iowan, got his undergraduate degree at Simpson College and his Master of Theology at Dallas Theological Seminary. He pastored in Texas for eight years, before returning to Iowa with his wife and children.
“Coming back to Iowa was coming back home for me. Coming to Winterset was coming close to Susan’s home and family,” shared Scott of his wife. At that time, MartensdaleCommunityChurch (the church Susan grew up in) decided to start a church in Winterset, and Scott became WCC’s first official pastor.
Beginning September 10th, Pastor Scott will teach identical services on Sunday mornings at 8:45 and 10:45 a.m. In between, a coffee and donut time will keep everyone connected and offer a chance to chat as people come and go.
Growing is good and growth allows WCC staff to offer more programs to more people. If you’re a middleschooler or a middleschooler’s parent, call Pastor Jay at 468-3411 for more info, stop by the church, give Pastor Scott a call at 462-5781—or just show up (the address is 311 ½ S. 2nd St.). Everybody’s welcome.
(Published in the Winterset Madisonian 01-10-07)