Year One Distinctives

True to Upper Room style, we are exited to dream new dreams for our junior high students and families. We are going to try an outside-the-box approach in regard to both leadership and weekly experiences.

Distinctive One: Mentors

We will be pairing 3-4 students with one adult mentor. This person will serve as a guide leading our students through different experiences throughout the year.

Distinctive Two: Four Environments

This is our attempt to follow the example of Jesus - the example he set as he led and mentored his disciples. Jesus was incredibly intentional about the places he took them. We are left with this image of Jesus and his disciples traveling together - encountering life and learning about God along the way. For our junior high students this next school year will resemble a journey through four different environments. We are going to intentionally venture into different spaces and places with students as they learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus. (With their mentors guiding them along the way.) Our school year (from October - May) is divided into four 5/6 week environments that stem from the four goals established by the Upper Room Community.

The Four Environments:

• Foster: In this six week environment, we will foster a sense of community as we build relationships with one another
• Build: In this five week environment will we work to build missional bridges, serving as the hands and feet of Christ
• Catalyze: In this five week environment we will help students discover their next steps in their spiritual journeys
• Intensify: In this five week environment we will create intentional experiences (much like field trips) to help them discover who God is and who God made them to be