Children and Youth – May 2026

UPDATE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION MINISTRIES – AMY GRELLA

Combined Middle school & high school youth groups UPCOMING EVENTS

Be sure to check out our monthly service and fellowship opportunities for youth in grades 6-12.

• May 3 – 6:30 p.m. – Youth Group grades 6 and up in room 110.

• May 10 – 9:30 a.m. YOUTH SUNDAY

• May 17 – 9:30 a.m. Special 75th Anniversary worship service and Strawberry Festival.

• May 19 – Plant Delivery Day. Volunteers welcome - article below for details.

Youth Sunday

Be sure to join us in worship on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10. Bower Hill youth will lead the service and share their thoughts on how they experience God in nature. Stay for cake in coffee hour afterward.

Bower Hill Spring Plant Sale Pickup – May 19

Volunteers from our two partner organizations - Mt. Lebanon Montessori and MLAC - will be on hand on May 19, starting at 10:00 a.m., to unload and sort plants into orders. The good news – all three organizations had successful sales and are very appreciate of the opportunity to arrange volunteers to make this sale possible for all of us, which

means we don’t need as many youth volunteers as we have in previous years. If your youth is off school that day and would like to help, they are welcome – please let Amy know. If you ordered plants, be sure to stop by to pick them up that day from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Summer Sunday School – Volunteers Needed

The Summer Sunday School format begins on Sunday, May 24. All kids, preschool through 5th grade will be combined in room 110 to hear a short Bible-based lesson and then have time to socialize and enjoy our playground. Older youth are invited to help lead activities like chalk, crafting, or bubbles. Adult volunteers are needed each week to oversee the kids. Here is the link to sign-up.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for these Awesome Summer Events!

3rd – 8th Grade Crestfield Classic Overnight Camp June 28 - July 2

Join Bower Hill Youth Group for a week away at Crestfield. Please use this link to indicate your interest and to see who else is going. Click here to watch last year’s highlight video to see what the week will look like!

6th – 11th Grade Crestfield Service Adventure Camp July 20-25

This camp is for kids in grades 6th - 11th. Youth go off site during the day to do service projects in the local community, then return to Crestfield to have free time at the pool followed by dinner. In the evenings campers do camp activities and participate in a lively club time. Please use this link to indicate your interest and to see who

else is going from our church.

Register now for our ALL NEW KIDS CAMP - July 27 - 31

Our annual VBS is getting an exciting makeover! In the half-day Jr. Camp

for Pre-K (potty-trained) through 2nd grade will experience Weird Animals,

where kids will discover that Jesus’ love is one of a kind. Our habitat will be

filled with incredible learning experiences for kids to see, hear, touch and

even taste! Click here to register. (Special thanks to Craig Grella for

developing a brand-new registration website!)

Jr. Day Camp $25 for completed Grades: Preschool - 2nd 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. A half-day of music, crafts, games, stories and snacks for our youngest campers. First time attending? Little ones can come for free!

Day Camp $75 for Completed Grades: 3rd - 5th. 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Big kids love to help! Full-day campers will participate in a service-learning track. During the morning, kids will learn about and complete a tactile mission project for local non-profit organizations. Kids bring their own lunch, and then spend the afternoon doing

structured games, crafts and activities just for them. Cost includes snacks and supplies for the daily mission projects. If your child only plans to stay for the morning, you can opt out of the afternoon session.

Youth Volunteer $25 for completed grades 6 and up 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Older youth registers as volunteers. Youth will be assigned to help in the morning with one of the camp tracks and spend the afternoon doing structured games, crafts and activities.

ALL NEW DAY CAMP PLANNING MEETING

We will meet after church on Sunday, May 10, to continue planning of our all-new day camp. Even if you can’t attend the camp during the week in July, your help is needed! There are MANY tasks, decisions, and planning activities that can be done on your own time, and flexibility before the summer begins. If you can’t attend May 10, but would like to help, please let Amy know.