Osler Mennonite Church meets for youth group weekly, typically on Friday evenings. Every event has an element of fun, community, and food. Some things we have done that seem to be a favourite of our youth are:

Discussion Times– We will often spend some time learning and discussing various topics together. A recent favourite was our series on “Different Theologies”. Our sessions about Feminist Theology were very exciting and thought provoking.

Projects– We try to give back to the community when we can. Whether we are volunteering at the thrift store, raising money for green projects, or helping plan services, come together with a project or a task is always enjoyable.

Activities– We love to play games, and go do activities as a group. Moving around in the gym, solving escape rooms, doing art together, visiting the trampoline park, the list goes on.

We are an intentional group, and our interactions and values are guided by our collaboratively made youth covenant.

Youth Covenant

Inclusive
Everyone is welcome at youth group, and are accepted fully for who they are.
We try to break down barriers that exist too often in our world. We hope gender identity, race, sexual orientation, economic status etc. have no affect on how someone is treated here.
We all have close friends, but at youth, we take time to invite new people into our friendships. We want everyone to interact with everyone.
Respectful
We want to respect one another’s boundaries and feelings. Jokes and teasing that don’t brighten everyone’s life, are not jokes at all. We want to respect the experiences of those inside our youth group, and those outside of it. We respect the struggles of marginalized groups, and do not make light of their experiences. We use appropriate language that makes everyone feel safe and respected.
Non-Destructive
We are blessed to have a beautiful building that we get to use. We want to take care of it, and the materials in it by not damaging things. We want to take care of this space and contribute to its upkeep by cleaning up after ourselves, and fixing problems we run into it. We want to keep ourselves and other people from getting hurt. We do not want to cause injuries to ourselves or others.

Listen to Others
When someone else is speaking we want to listen, whether they are a friend, parent, or youth leader. We do not need to use our phones at youth unless it is to inform our parents, or it is a matter of safety. We listen by being present in the moment, with the people around us. We listen when someone says “No” or “Stop”. Whether verbally or with body language, we listen to the requests of others. “No means no, and no is a complete sentence.”
Kindness
Being kind to one another means taking an interest in other people’s lives and well being. We ask each other about hobbies, interests, and life. We want youth to be a place where everyone feels safe to express themselves without fear of hostility.
Having Fun
Youth is supposed to be fun for everyone. Fun games, good snacks, and kind conversations are the goal of every youth event. This covenant has some rules, but hopefully these rules ensure fun for all and not just for some!

If you would like more details about joining an inclusive, thoughtful, active and fun group of youth in Gr.6-12 email oslermcpastor2@gmail.com