A Quadrilateral Journey through Faith for Teens

Spiritual adventures for High School students Hands-on experiences to deepen your faith

Monthly gatherings with dinner, discussion, and fun

Overview Q-Quest is the backbone of LUMC’s Senior High Youth Group (SHYG), providing a framework of structure, goals, and rewards, which encourages spiritual development in teens. Through our Q-Quest program, we offer fun spiritual adventures, thought-provoking lessons, and Christian fellowship for High School age youth.

Four Components of Faith In order to thoroughly explore the United Methodist faith, the Q-Quest program highlights each of the four main components of our Christian philosophy: Scripture, Tradition, Spirituality, and Reason. Each SHYG event focuses on a different one of these components. LUMC Senior High Youth Group meets once a month (September – May) so through the course of the year, students are exposed to each of these components twice.

Event Structure Each SHYG event includes the following: dinner, lesson, and activity.

• Dinner: Food is an excellent way to attract youth, kick-off each evening, and provide a time of fellowship. Let’s face it; food often makes events more enjoyable for High School students! Most events work best if the food is served at the beginning of the evening so that youth can better focus on the remaining activities.

• Lesson: The lessons are brief but thought-provoking; they are age-appropriate, interactive, and relevant to youth in today’s world. Our keys to a successful lesson: have a main point, connect the lessons to the activity, get the youth talking and thinking, and finish within half an hour.

• Activity: Because experiential learning is more effective, our activities are usually hands-on follow-ups to the lessons. Throughout the year, we alternate between fun adventures, outreach activities, educational events, and guest speakers ... both at the church and off-site. We try to expose the youth to unique, enjoyable, impactful experiences.

Graduation Requirements In order to officially graduate from the Q-Quest program and earn the Quadrilateral Achievement Award, students must have participated in at least twelve SHYG activities (three from each quadrant) and completed at least 15 additional hours of personal growth. These requirements take into consideration the active lives of our youth and are feasible for most youth to accomplish within four years. In fact, our regular participants far exceed these requirements by the time they graduate! At the end of each year, a graduation ceremony is held for seniors that have met the Q-Quest requirements. Of course, all High School youth are invited to participate in LUMC SHYG events even if they are not working towards Q-Quest graduation, and youth are often encouraged to bring a guest.

Personal Growth Recognizing that spiritual development is an individual process, the Q-Quest program encourages teens to undertake personal challenges to deepen their faith. This can be accomplished through participating in religious exploratory discussions (like at our Sunday morning HS Breakfast Club), completing volunteer service (like at Daybreak Shelter or Red Bird Mission), attending church sponsored activities (like the annual Last Supper Drama), and more.

Cost In order to make the activities affordable to youth, we try to charge no more than $10pp and LUMC picks up the remaining cost. Of course, events held at the church are free; and some more expensive activities require a higher charge.

Contact Us One does not need to be a member of the Lemont United Methodist Church to participate with our Sr. High Youth Group. To receive more information about this program, contact us at lemontumc@gmail.com or 630-257-5210.

Our Sr. High Youth Group’s Journey thru Faith

The Q-Quest program with the LUMC Senior High Youth Group (SHYG) provides spiritual

adventures for High School age youth. The SHYG meets once a month (Sept-May) for a dinner,

lesson, and fun adventure. The lessons explore the four main components of the United Methodist

Church (listed below) and the hands-on experiences will deepen your faith. You do not need to be a

member of the Lemont United Methodist Church to participate with our Sr. High Youth Group. To

receive more information about this program, contact us: lemontumc@gmail.com or 630-257-5210.

Scripture Tradition

Reason Spirituality

Obtaining a more comprehensive understanding of the bible

Discovering the three kinds of God’s Grace: Prevenient, Justifying, Sanctifying

Thinking, questioning, and contemplating about God

Understanding and participating in church traditions, including mission work

Components of Faith

John Wesley, founder of the United Methodist Church, identified four core parts to our faith: Scripture, Tradition, Experience (Spirituality) and Reason. These four elements have come to be known as the Wesley Quadrilateral and “…taken together bring the individual Christian to a mature and fulfilling understanding of the Christian faith and the required response of worship and service.”* By isolating these core parts, we are able to consider each one individually and focus on it’s role in building our faith. Each Sr. High Youth Group event is designed around one of these four components (quadrants). Q-Quest events provide a hands-on exploration of each quadrant. The events include unique, fun activities and short applicable lessons, which appeal to high school youth and encourage personal reflections of our faith. Possible tie-in activities are suggested under each section below. While some activities lend themselves to a particular component, most activities can fit into any quadrant by simply adjusting the lesson; popular activities can be repeated on different years with a varied focus.

Scripture Tradition

Spirituality Reason

Scripture

According to the theological guidelines of the United Methodist Church, we believe that “Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine. Through Scripture the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace … As we open our minds and hearts to the Word of God through the words of human beings inspired by the Holy Spirit, faith is born and nourished, our understanding is deepened, and the possibilities for transforming the world become apparent to us.”* The bible is our source for spiritual guidance. Therefore, the focus of this quadrant is to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the bible and how it applies to youth in today’s world. While all Q-Quest lessons contain a reference to scripture, it is a focus for the events in this category. The goal of these lessons is to understand that God is speaking to us through the bible. When we are looking for answers, for direction, for solace, or for love, we only need to seek out God’s word. The bible is where we learn God’s word and find the lessons that Jesus taught us. It contains a wealth of knowledge and good advice. When we ponder the question, “What would Jesus do?” the bible is our source for the answer. Jesus is our ultimate role model and the bible is our best guidebook. While it is important to know scripture, there are many ways to find it in today’s interconnected world. Therefore our lessons do not focus on rote memorization of scripture; instead they stress the meaning of God’s message in order to apply it to our lives. God’s words are important in understanding His will; a better understanding of scripture can deepen our faith and sustain us on our life journey. Possible Scripture Activities: Archery, Holocaust Museum visit, Feed My Starving Children, Country Bash, Whirlyball, Guest Speaker (topic: Marriage), See a Play (“It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Godspell”), Visit or host another church youth group (or Mooseheart), Trampoline outing, Hearing Impaired Experience

God’s Word can help us Hit the Mark!

Tradition

Tradition plays an important role in Christianity. Traditions connect us to the early church, bring us together, and give structure to our worship. They help us maintain and evolve from our past. For the United Methodist Church, outreach is a particularly important tradition, a big part of our history and our future. According to the theological guidelines, “traditions help us rediscover the biblical witness to God’s special commitment to the poor, the disabled, the imprisoned, the oppressed, the outcast. In these persons we encounter the living presence of Jesus Christ … A critical appreciation of these traditions can compel us to think about God in new ways, enlarge our vision of shalom, and enhance our confidence in God’s provident love.”* While traditions are a significant part of our church, we realize that they can lose their meaning if they are merely rote repetition. Therefore, Sr. High Youth Group events for this quadrant focus on understanding and participating in church traditions, with a special emphasis on reaching out to others and doing mission work. We offer experiences that make us think and feel because these provide the strongest and most lasting learning. Through participation in outreach activities, youth learn that helping others can be not only worthwhile, but fun and rewarding as well. Q-Quest goals for this quadrant are to recognize the value of traditions, evaluate their spirituality, identify needs, and gain a lifelong appreciation for helping others. Whether we are exploring traditions in a new way or undertaking new experiences, we aim to do more than just go through the motions in order to make our faith meaningful. Possible Tradition Activities: Visit Orphanage, Visit or host another church youth group (Mooseheart, FVUMC), Blanket-Making event, Mystery Dinner and Last Supper Drama, Christmas Party, Trapeze class, Food Pantry, Chicago Temple & Segway, Charity Fundraiser (“Imagine no Malaria”), Host a Children’s Valentine’s Party, Kindness Scavenger Hunt, Backpack Drive (Redbird Mission)

With friends we are not alone. Reach out!

Spirituality (Experience)

Spiritual experiences help to make Christianity real to us. Personal experiences and observations drive-home what we have learned through scripture and help us to understand it in light of our own lives. Sr. High Youth Group events for this quadrant are often the most bold, providing those deep growth experiences. We challenge the youth to step out of their comfort zones, to try something new, to be proud and open about their faith, to lead a group prayer, to help others, and to deepen their relationship with God.

As explained in the United Methodist Theological Guidelines, “On the personal level, experience is to the individual as tradition is to the church: It is the personal appropriation of God’s forgiving and empowering grace. Experience authenticates in our own lives the truths revealed in Scripture and illumined in tradition, enabling us to claim the Christian witness as our own.”* Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” The Q-Quest goal for the Spirituality quadrant is to help us discover the depth of God’s love and mercy. We learn that we have been born into God’s Prevenient Grace; we experience God’s Justifying Grace by consciously making Him a part of our lives; and we see God’s Sanctifying Grace again and again in our lives. God has given us so much. He is like a good friend who wants more than for us to just know about Him; He wants us to know Him and to keep growing closer to Him. Spiritual experiences can transform our relationship with God. Possible Spirituality Activities: Ski Trip, Retreat, Minor League Baseball Game, High Ropes Course, Overnight (Chicago or at church), Horseback Riding, Rock Climbing, Archery, Guest Speaker (topic: Physical Love), Ziplining, Valentine’s Party, Movie Night (“Dinner with Schmucks”)

God is our harness!

Reason As United Methodists, we acknowledge that much of God’s purpose, grace, and love will far surpass our understanding so we accept that faith must be at the core of our belief system. However, we also realize that thinking, questioning, and contemplating about God can result in a much deeper faith. Human beings are naturally curious and have a thirst for knowledge; we want to understand and be able to explain life’s mysteries. High School students in particular, no longer take Christian teaching at face value. Possessing adult logic and thinking skills, they need to come to their own understanding of God and the world in which they live. Therefore, Sr. High Youth Group events for this quadrant tackle some of life’s more challenging subjects like creation, love, war, suicide, and addiction. Although we don’t have definitive answers, we know that God will aid our understanding. James 1:5 tells us, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” It is through reason that we can uncover God’s truths, interpret scripture, and effectively witness. “By our quest for reasoned understandings of Christian faith we seek to grasp, express, and live out the gospel in a way that will commend itself to thoughtful persons who are seeking to know and follow God’s ways.”* Each time we can understand a Christian concept within the context of our own life, we deepen our faith. Our own “Aha!” moments make the most powerful witness to God. Possible Activities: Guest Speaker (topic: Physical Love), Movie Night (“To Save a Life”), Guest Speaker (topic: Alcoholism), serve at Ronald MacDonald House or homeless shelter, Visit with Veterans (follow-up: Honor Flight), Guest Speaker (topic: Suicide Prevention), Laser Tag, Volleyball, Science Museum or Tour (Argonne Tour), Happy Night, Indoor Skydiving

*source: http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/reflecting-on-our-faith

The Holy Spirit can help us accomplish amazing things!