Youth Groups

 Painting an elementary school near San Jose, Costa Rica / Workcamp 2008                                           

Upcoming Events: Winter/Spring 2010

Winter Retreat at Geneva Point, Lake Winnepesaukee / Friday, January 29 - Sunday, Januay 31

2010 Workcamp to Tucson, Arizona / Saturday, April 17 - Saturday, April 24

Who we are: 

We recognize the great gifts, as well as needs, that the youth of Dover (and surrounding towns) bring into our midst and we welcome them—regardless of whether their families are active in our church. Our youth groups provide safe space, trust, community, challenge, and guidance for young people as they share, play, reflect, serve and grow. We strive to be wide in our welcome, generous in our support and love, serious in our inclusion, and open-minded in our service toward others!

The Dover Church has three youth groups:The 4th and 5th Grade Youth Group meets every other Tuesday (3:15 – 4:45PM). The Middle School Youth Group meets every other Thursday (6:00 – 8:00PM). The High School School Youth meets every Monday (6:15 – 8:15PM).

Highlights of the High School Youth Group:

• Advisors: Working alongside the Youth Group Director, a dedicated group of nine Advisors - young adults who are alumni of the High School Youth Group - are an essential ingredient in the positive impact of our group and testament to its long lasting influence.
• Workcamp: Our annual weeklong service trip happens every April. In recent years we've worked in soup kitchens in New York City (YSOP); built bunkbeds for and learned about the Oglala Lakota Nation of Pine Ride Reservation, South Dakota (Re-Member); painted schools in a hilltop village outside San Jose, Costa Rica (Funda Vida); and painted houses and worked on a horse barn along the coast of Downeast, Maine (Maine Sea Coast Mission). This April we're traveling to Tucson, Arizona to do service work and learn about border issues (BorderLinks).
• Retreats: Held in fall, winter and spring, we've spent the weekend at Craigville on Cape Cod, Bluewater Farm, Geneva Point, and Grotonwood. Other trips include: white water-rafting in western Massachusetts; canoeing/camping on the Charles River; exploring sites off-the-beaten trail in Boston; and our tri-annual "sex retreat" which focuses on issues of human sexuality.

What we do: 

A typical youth group meeting usually looks like this:

• Eat dinner (pizza).
• Play games. Sometimes silly. Often team-building. Always fun!
• Share in small groups. Recent activities: meditating, creating mandalas, talking about gender differences, and coming up with a "word for the year".
• Have a closing circle. The group sits in a circle as the lights are dimmed and a candle lit. It's a chance to share whatever's on your mind: joys, concerns, experiences from the week. Closing circle ends with a blessing, said in unison: 

 May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another.