ABOUT us

Illuminate Youth Ministry is a Student Ministry for any child in grades 6-12. We are located at First United Methodist Church in Chambersburg, PA. Our name reflects our values and our church vision -- to connect, ignite, and shine. Our aim is to connect teenagers with Christ, each other, and the church in a way that ignites their love for Jesus and encourages them to shine His light in the world around us. We hope to illuminate Christ for our students, so their path can be illuminated, and they will illuminate Jesus as they follow that path.

What we do

​We meet every Wednesday from 6:00-8:00pm to laugh, build relationships, and study God's word through lessons and discussions. We also meet on Sunday mornings from 10-10:45am for Sunday School. Illuminate participates in various events throughout the year, ranging from camping trips, to retreats, to mission trips, and so much more. We hope all we provide can effectively help us grow in our faith and teach us different ways to love and serve others, while also having a bit of fun! Make sure you visit our Events page to see everything we do!

What We Study

​Each week, we provide a space where we can study together and grow in God's Word. We tackle a bunch of different topics and Biblical stories, understanding that all of us are at various places in our faith, but none of us are ever finished learning about God and His character..

The Orange Strategy

Our children and youth ministries are part of an Orange church. Orange is a strategy designed for churches to emphasize the importance of reaching the next generation, and giving them the people and tools to succeed in building relationships with Christ and each other. Orange recognizes the importance of the role of parents in influencing children, and looks to empower parents to minister to their kids. Instead of working as separate forces, the church and the home combine to have a combined influence, understanding that we can do so much more together. Our team of small group leaders focus on building relationships with the students here, recognizing that all students need several adult influences and voices in their lives. Orange provides much of our curriculum, resources for our team and for parents, and also tools to help small groups succeed. If you would like to learn more about Orange, you can visit their website: thinkorange.com
If you are interested in learning more about how our group is affected by using this strategy, or if you are interested in being a part of our team, visit our Contact page!
Our youth minister and awesome team of volunteers would love to see you join us!
We also want you to know that we are a Safe Sanctuaries Congregation, which means the policies we have in place encourage a safe space for both students and adult volunteers.
If you would like to learn more about us or have any questions, please contact us!

Illuminate Youth Ministry