
Fall 2022
A special invitation for all of our young adults (and friends) who will be attending high school this fall. Have you ever pondered the deeper questions of life? Is there a God? Why do bad things happen to good people? What is the purpose of existence? If you have, then Faith Exploration is opportunity to dig in deeper! All are welcome to attend, regardless of beliefs or non-beliefs. In fact, we want to emphasize that at FCC, we place more value on the search for understanding than we do on absolute certainties. Spirituality is an integral part of who we are as people; unfortunately, in our culture there are not many venues for our young people to explore their relationship to the Divine, their understanding of Sacred Mystery.
FCC’s Faith Exploration Program is a concentrated time of fellowship building, faith exploration, and open conversations on what it means to be a Christian and a person of faith. All youth entering grades 9-12 are welcome. We do this in a safe and supportive environment through discussion, experiencing and reflecting on worship, and exploring the tenets of progressive Christian faith in comparison with other faith traditions – including Judaism, Islam, Buddhism and indigenous spirituality. This allows youth to build positive and grace-filled relationships with other students and members of the congregation, gain a deeper understanding of God’s love for all people, and awaken a desire to begin their personal faith journey within the embrace of church community.
This year, our program will be led by Mark Lindberg and Gretchen Jewett. We will begin on Wednesday, September 14 from 7 – 8 p.m. in the Youth Room, and meet for four Wednesday night sessions (Sept. 14 – Oct. 5, 7 – 8 p.m.), with an overnight retreat at the church on Saturday, Oct. 15 and culminating with Faith Exploration Celebration Sunday the following morning. Please RSVP to let us know you will be attending by calling the church office at 541-345-8741, or contacting Mark at markl@fcceugene.org, by Friday, September 9. We are looking forward to sharing this important time with our youth!