Youth | St. Columba's Episcopal Church

St. Columba’s supports our young people in 6th through 12th grades with engaging programs, worship opportunities and service activities. St. Columba’s is called to help form our young people as active and participating members of the Body of Christ, open to the world and confident of their vocation to make a difference in the name of Christ.

Youth Community

More than anything, we hope to build a community of youth at St. Columba’s where everyone is welcomed and valued. This community provides an alternative to school communities where youth are too often divided into popular and unpopular, cool and uncool.

Youth Formation

Our youth formation program takes place on Sunday mornings from 10:15 to 11:05 am. The program is called Journey to Adulthood (J2A) and encompasses three, two-year phases: Rite 13 for middle school, J2A for early high school (which culminates in a pilgrimage), and YAC (Young Adults in Church) for later high school.

Youth in Worship

Youth are an integral part of worship at St. Columba’s and take leadership roles every Sunday of the year. Youth begin serving as acolytes while still in elementary school; older youth take on the broader responsibilities of sacristans. Youth serve as regular members of our lay reader and usher teams. Youth musicians enrich our music ministries by singing with our choirs, ringing with our handbell choirs and playing with the St. Columba orchestra. Taking responsibility for worship keeps youth actively engaged throughout their middle and high school years.

Youth Service Projects

Youth are invited to reach out in service to others in a variety of ways. They participate in monthly parish-wide projects such as Second Tuesday Grate Patrol. There is also a special summer project for youth, St. Columba’s Appalachia Project (SCAP) which takes a group of high schoolers to West Virginia each June to rebuild and repair houses for those in need. Click here for the …

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Elliott May

Youth Director

Youth Youth Community Youth Formation Youth in Worship Youth Service Projects

Youth Task Force/Council

Important Links

It is my great joy to welcome you! Your presence here is a gift.

St. Columba’s is a lively community of faith engaged in many ministries. We’re glad you’ve found us and look forward to welcoming you and learning more about you!

Whether you are new to the area or just to St. Columba’s, whether you are familiar with the Episcopal Church or have never attended church before, we know it can be a challenge to make your way into a new faith community. Answers to all your questions are just a click away.

We’re glad you’re here. St. Columba’s is a church on a mission to Live God’s Love. While our building is closed, our parish community is alive and well connected online. Walk with us during these uncertain times as we encourage spiritual curiosity, celebrate children and youth, and embrace the world in the spirit of God’s justice and love. We'd love to connect with you via phone and/or email.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, but certainty. ~ Anne Lamott

Joining a church doesn’t mean you don’t have big questions or doubts. Deciding to be part of a loving community of faith means you’re open to exploring and wrestling with those big questions and doubts. Most people here did not grow up in The Episcopal Church. Some have never been a member of any church. Many have a background in a different church or faith tradition. At St. Columba’s, there will be many opportunities to learn, ask questions, and get to know other pilgrims along the way. Our deepest hope is that everyone who steps through our doors knows they belong here.

While our building is closed, our parish community is alive and well connected online. Walk with us during these uncertain times as we encourage spiritual curiosity, celebrate children and youth, and embrace the world in the spirit of God’s justice and love. How can we serve you today?

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"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other ... If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly."
Romans 12: 4-8

Together and apart we all belong to each other. In this season of stewardship, please give generously so that our body, our church, our love for one another and for God, may continue to grow and thrive.

A pledge is a promise - a promise to give a certain amount over the course of the following year. We don’t expect you to fulfill your pledge in one lump gift. Many find they can give more when pledging and then giving incrementally over the course of the year.

Pledging before the start of each calendar year is critical for clergy and staff to develop an annual budget and plan to serve you and our wider community.

Why Give? God asks us to share our time, talent and treasure. A life of generosity is at the root of Christianity. The Bible encourages the tithe – or 10% of your annual income – and we encourage you to think about what a meaningful gift would be for you.

When you give to St. Columba’s you help fund our ministry in the community, our worship, and the staff that supports our community as we strive to Live God’s Love.

Our mission is funded by you – St. Columbans and other supporters.

A pledge to St. Columba’s is your stated intention to fulfill a defined, annual monetary gift that supports the operational budget of the Church. Filling out the pledge form, whether in paper or electronically, is not actually a gift. Rather, the pledge is simply a statement of what you plan to give.

Gifts can be given at any time, in any amount. One does not have to pledge in order to give, but understanding your intentions to give in advance is critical as the vestry sets the budget for the following year. Want to learn more?

Frequently Asked Questions

St. Columba’s is grateful for your generosity. We accepts gifts in the form of cash, checks, appreciated stocks, Charitable IRA Rollovers, Donor Advised Gifts, and matching gifts. If you would like to include us in your end-of-life charitable gift plans, we accept bequests, life income gifts, and gifts of special assets (real estate, closely held stock, life insurance).

Want to learn more?

Giving Beyond Pledging