At United Church of Chapel Hill, we do not believe our youth are the future of the church; we affirm their prophetic leadership here and now. For us, faith formation looks less like “passing the torch” than kindling the fire already burning within students’ hearts. We affirm their passion and vision as the renewing power of the Holy Spirit, ready to transform the church and its moral witness to the world. We are a congregation committed to nurturing young people who are connected, convicted, and called.

Our programs provide rich fellowship and worship opportunities that deepen students’ connection with one another and with God. Our ministries create spaces in which youth are free to ask big questions of our faith. We lift up faithful dialogue over fixed dogma and provide opportunities for our middle and high school students to articulate their own theological convictions.

The youth of United Church are leading our congregation in its social justice commitments, ensuring that we are, in both word and deed, a place of belonging for all God’s children. Whether in the classroom, from the pulpit, or on the street, our students proclaim and embody their deepest values and commitments to social and ecological justice. United Church and its youth ministries affirm that each person is loved by God and uniquely gifted for the work of repairing the world. We believe God’s call can be heard in silent meditation and shouts of protest, in moments of reverence and playful abandon, and in prayerful solitude and communal connection.

Our youth ministries hold space for all these divine encounters, trusting that if we show up faithfully, God will too. Recognizing God’s continued faithfulness throughout the ages, our rich program offerings reflect our commitment to equipping the church’s youngest leaders with our tradition’s deepest wisdom.