College Age & Young Adult Ministry

Spark helps connect all to the love and grace of Jesus Christ. We focus on developing college age people to serve the church and the world by offering opportunities of learning, praying, giving, worshiping, serving, and just having fun.  As a part of Missouri UMC, Spark welcomes all enthusiastically, encourages all to grow deeply, and offers opportunities to serve courageously.

We invite you to join us as we learn, serve, worship, pray and wrestle with spiritual questions together. Would you like to know more about our opportunities? Contact Rev. Trista Soendker Nicholson at trista@moumc.org.

Weekly Activities
 

Small Groups
Small groups of 8-10 people meet throughout the week. There are three types of groups: college age, graduate age and young professionals. It’s a time to explore topics, gain friendships, and interact with post-college leaders who will get to know you, find other places in the church that match your interests and passions, but most importantly, they will care for you, pray for you and let you be yourself as you grow in faith.

Wednesday Night Live: Dinner & Small Groups
Come join the entire church as we have dinner in the Cornerstone Coffee Shop at 5:30 p.m. The meal is free for college age people. After the meal there are a variety of options for faith formation, including a small group at 6:30 p.m. led by Rev. Trista.

Sunday Morning: Worship Services & Spark Bible Study
MUMC worship services are at 8, 8:50 and 11 a.m. We also offer a Bible study on Sunday mornings from 10-10:50 a.m. Meet us in the Cornerstone Coffee Shop.

Sunday Night: Spirit on Tap
6:30 p.m. Sunday evenings at The Heidelberg
Join us for a time of theological and spiritual discussion. It is a time for questions to be asked, faith to be challenged, and a place where all can feel comfortable asking those things that we can’t ask in church. Doubts, beliefs, questions? Bring them with you!  
 

Book Club at The Berg
On Thursdays at 3:30pm, meet us at The Heidelberg for ½ price appetizers and conversation.  We will read A.J. Jacob’s A Year of Biblical Living and Rachel Held Evans’ A Year of Biblical Womanhood.  Both books are funny and informative reads. 

 

Ongoing Activities
 

Mentoring Program
Pairs college-age people with someone in their area of interest, hobby, passion, or profession. This program can be a once-a-semester lunch or develop into regular check-ins depending upon the schedules and desires of the mentor and mentee.

Service Projects
We will engage monthly service projects together. These projects will range from Loaves and Fishes to serving at the Food Bank. We are also planning a mission trip to Haiti. Stay tuned for more ways that you can offer your hands in ministry for early summer.
 
Fellowship Time
Fellowship and fun are also an important part of faith development. We will have a monthly activity especially for building relationships with one another. Some activities are game nights, flag football and ultimate frisbee.