Genesis is our youth group for middle school age students in grades six through eight at First Presbyterian Church of Wheaton.  In addition to the education hour on Sundays, the youth participate in the midweek LOGOS program on Wednesday evenings (October thru March), mission opportunities, Fall and Winter Retreats, and BLAST (Build Lasting and Strong Ties) outings.  For more information contact Mary Kinsey at 630-668-5147 ext. 20 or by

Sunday School:   During the education hour (9:55 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.) each of our middle school classes meets separately. We use "We Believe," our denominational curriculum created specifically for Presbyterians by Presbyterians.  Sixth grade studies the Old Testament.  Seventh grade studies the New Testament, and eighth grade studies "I know my Bible," an overview of both Testaments, along with beginning confirmation starting in February.  We have several all-middle-school breakfasts throughout the year, along with a field trip or two and mission opportunities.  Photos of our sixth and seventh grade Sunday School classes taken February 8, 2009, are on the website.  Our seventh graders reenacted the Last Supper during Sunday School on February 15, 2009.  For more information contact Mary Kinsey.

LOGOS:   This is our mid-week ministry for young people in Kindergarten through 8th grade.  Meetings are on Wednesday evenings from 4:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. from October through March each year.  The goal of the ministry is to nurture a relationship with Jesus Christ and form Christian relationships with peers and adult leaders.  This is accomplished through a four-part program that includes:  Bible study, worship planning, mission projects, recreation, and a family-style dinner.  The program requires a commitment from each participating family to support the ministry both financially and with their time and talents.  For more information contact Mary Kinsey.

Retreats:  Genesis has two retreats each year.  The Fall Retreat focuses primarily on getting acquainted with the incoming 6th graders and renewing friendships with the 7th and 8th graders.  Games, Bible study, worship, and team-building activities are just some of the things in which the middle schoolers participate during the retreats. 
The Winter Retreat has a biblically based theme, a professional speaker, a praise band, and outdoor winter activities.  For more information contact Mary Kinsey.  Many of our middle schoolers attended the Genesis Winter Xtreme retreat in January 2009, at Timber-lee.  Josh Petersen was the speaker, and the music was provided by 38 Acres.  Retreats are often held at Timber-lee Christian Retreat Center in East Troy, Wisconsin.  Check out their website for more information - http://www.timber-lee.com.

BLAST:  “Build Lasting And Strong Ties” - Our BLAST program coordinates events on a year-round basis that encourage fellowship and outreach to all First Pres middle school youth and their friends in an effort to further draw our youth into the full life of our church.  The events are designed to supplement the Sunday and Wednesday programming of Genesis and are planned on different days/nights of the week to accommodate the diverse schedules of middle school students.  A variety of activities are offered to address the varied interests and skills of our youth.  Past events have included excursions to Sonny Acres, Kane County Cougars, Wheaton Sport Center, and our own First Pres for March Madness Night.  For more information contact Karla Coolidge by phone at 630-690-8201 or by email at d.coolidge@comcast.net.  Genesis families and friends also had a great time at Splash Country Water Park on on July 22, 2009.

Mission: The importance of middle school youth learning about needs in our Wheaton and world communities goes with out saying. It is the intention of the mission committee to provide opportunities for hands-on mission projects both at LOGOS and Sunday school, as well as summer projects and special events to gain a better understanding of the world around us.  For example, Several Genesis volunteers worked at His Wheels International on July 11, 2008; In December 2008, many worked on our Christmas Sharing mission project.  We visit our seniors twice a year and have an annual All-Church Clean-up to help get our facility ready for starting fall programs.

During Vacation Bible School, June 22-26, 2009, youth entering grades 5-7 became members of Service Squad.  Each day our Service squad met at church to have a short devotion before leaving on a mission outing. Our missions included volunteer work at the DuPage Animal Shelter, DuPage Convalescent Center, Adams Park in downtown Wheaton, gardening around our own church grounds, and finally working at Feed My Starving Children.

Announcements about youth activities also appear in our weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters, and on the upcoming events for youth page of the First Presbyterian Wheaton website.