West. Pres. Youth
Building 21st Century Disciples
We welcome all students and families regardless of their gender identity, sexuality, race, or social class.
We desire for all students to be comfortable being who they are, both with us at church and in their own faith in God.
Junior High
(6th, 7th, & 8th)
The Junior High Program meets on Sundays after Worship and Wednesday nights at 5:30 PM for dinner followed by a lesson and fellowship in the Junior High Room until 7PM.
Wednesday Nights
At 5:30 on Wednesday Nights Jr High Students gather in Westminster Hall (below the sanctuary) for a family-style buffet dinner. Jr High Students sit together at a reserved table just for them. Following dinner, Jr High students help with clean-up briefly before heading up to the Jr High Room for snacks, drinks, games and Bible Lesson. Pastor Bill will walk alongside junior high students as they explore scripture through five engaging series across the year. Each series will help students grow in their faith by 1) grounding them in their identity as God’s beloved and part of a larger story, 2) showing them that faith is a lifelong journey rather than just belief, 3) shaping a Christian ethic rooted in Jesus’ teaching, 4) introducing spiritual practices in ways that are simple and accessible, and 5) inviting them into the grand story of Scripture—God’s reign breaking into the world and their role within it.
Sunday School
After worship on Sunday mornings, Jr. & Sr. High students gather in the Senior High Suite to discuss the sermon and scripture from that day, as well as check in each other and hang out. We have music, games, and snacks for all!
Junior High Nights
Once during the fall semester and once in the spring the Jr. High students are invited to hang out at church together on a Friday night from 6:00 PM-10:00 PM. Event programming varies with student and societal interests. Past events include Game Night, Art Night, Escape Rooms, and Movie Night. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to parents and students to learn about this year’s Jr. High Nights.
The Senior High Program meets on Sundays after Worship and Wednesday Nights at 5:30 PM for dinner followed by a lesson and fellowship in the Senior High Suite until 7:15 PM.
Wednesday Nights
At 5:30 on Wednesday Nights, Sr. High Students gather in Westminster Hall (below the sanctuary) for a family-style buffet dinner. Students sit together at a reserved table just for them. Following dinner, they help with clean-up briefly before heading up to the Senior High Suite for snacks, drinks, a Bible Lesson, and small group discussion centered around what matters to them the most each week. This year we will be working through the Orange Curriculum to explore topics relevant to students’ lives.
Sunday School
After worship on Sunday mornings, Junior and Senior High Students gather together in the Senior High Suite to discuss the sermon and scripture from the service that day. We also use that time to check in with each other, give updates, and spend time in fellowship.
Senior High Nights
At the end of each semester Senior High students get together for a night out in the community. Event programming varies with student, local, and societal interests. Past events include Bowling, Escape Rooms, Movies, Game Night, and Movie Night. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to parents and students to learn about this year’s Senior High Nights.
Senior High Summer Trip
After a year of fundraising, our Senior High Students embark on a mission trip together somewhere in the US. Recent trips have included Chicago, IL, Los Angeles, CA, and Denver, CO. These trips are a great way for our students to break out of their comfort zones and live out their faith in real-world situations, while still under the care and guidance of their church family.
Senior High
(9, 10, 11, & 12th)
Confirmation (8th Grade)
Our Confirmation class is open to all 8th grade students. The class starts in the fall and runs throughout the school year with the conclusion of the class being Confirmation Sunday in the Spring.
The Confirmation Process
The Confirmation Class meets on weekly on Sunday’s before Worship. Confirmands spend an hour with Pastor Bill going over various aspects of faith including, what it means to have faith, understanding the Bible, Christian History, Church History, and Church Polity. In the Spring students embark on the Tour of Faith where the group visits various religious organizations and faiths around the Des Moines Metro to learn how they practice their faith and what they believe. The Tour of Faith is designed to help Confirmands better define what they believe by understanding what others believe. At the end of the class all students are asked to independently write a Statement of Faith before deciding for themselves whether or not they want to be Confirm their Baptism on Confirmation Sunday.
If you have questions about the Confirmation Process or are interested in your student taking the class, please reach out to Amy via phone or email.
Youth Program Special Events
YOUTH VOLUNTEERING WEEK
To kick off each Summer the Youth Program hosts Youth Week for both Jr & Sr High Students at the start of Summer. Youth Week is a day-camp style week of volunteering that gets students out in the community to learn how our Christian faith calls us to care for the community around us through helping at different non-profits in the Des Moines Area. The week ends with a whole-family outing to a local event. Previous years have included swimming and hiking in Big Creek State Park, exploring The Des Moines Art Center, and volunteering at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Coffee Cats Cafe, DMARC, Meals from the Heartland, and more.
CHILI CONTEST & DESSERT AUCTION
Our second fundraiser of the school year! At the start of February, bring your best chili and bid for the best dessert. Details each year can be found in the church and youth newsletters in the weeks leading up to the event.
MONSTER COOKIES
Our first fundraiser of this year will be held in November, as students sell and bake Monster Cookies in-house using an old family recipe from one our members. Each year we make nearly 2000 cookies for the congregation in around 6 hours.
CAMPFIRE BACCALAUREATE
Our last Wednesday night of each school year we Worship around a campfire as we celebrate those moving up from Elementary to Jr. High & Jr. High to Sr. High, and we say goodbye to our Graduating Seniors with a special ceremony for them and their families.
PARENTS TIME OUT
Junior & Senior High Students help watch “the littles” twice this year while their parents get a break. Students help with crafts, preparing food, and running games for the event.
ENVELOPE FUNDRAISER
Our final fundraiser of the year is our Envelope Event. Each year we attempt to “clear the board” by selling all 100 envelopes labeled $1-$100. Which amount will you pick and why?
GRADUATION SUNDAY
At the end of each school year we celebrate our Seniors during Worship as we learn about their future plans and send them out into the world as 21st Century Disciples with a laying on of hands and prayer for their future.
Wednesday Nights
Fall & Spring
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
5:30 PM: Fellowship Dinner
6:15 PM: Group Time
7:30PM: Dismissal
Join us for a meal together in Westminster Hall followed by group time for Jr. & Sr. High..
Summer
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
In the summer we meet at Pastor Bill’s Pool for fun and fellowship. Summer pool parties are a great way to get to know the group in an easy to fit into environment. Dinner provided.
Sunday School
Fall & Spring
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Junior & Senior High meet together in the Senior High Room each Sunday after Worship.
We check-in with each other about what’s going on in our lives, look at the Scriptures for the day, and discuss the sermon from the service that day.. We also talk about real world topics that affect student life through discussion and conversation.
Summer
Due to students and families packed schedules we do not meet regularly over the summer. Students are invited to hang out in the commons each Sunday and connect there.
Program Mission Statement
Westminster Presbyterian Church has charged the youth program with the mission of "Building 21st Century Disciples." We take this charge as direction to prepare our youth to have a faith that, as the center of their lives, is a foundation for how they address, understand, and exist in the world they'll be thrust into in college and beyond. This foundation is built on biblical literacy, building and maintaining a personal relationship with God, and an understanding of our Christian responsibility to the world we live in.
Biblical Literacy
Our students are learning how to use the Bible as resource that will serve their faith today and throughout their lives. Through an understanding of the Bible’s origins and meanings of scripture we help our students find guidance for their lives as they grow and develop a faith that is at the center of their lives through college and beyond.
A Personal Relationship
with God
Prayer and reflection allow us to talk to God and listen for understanding. Our students are learning how the Holy Spirit works in and through us as we go through our lives and how to practically rely on their faith.
Christian Responsibility
Our students are learning that it’s important to not only have a strong personal faith, but that their faith is made true through works. We inspire them, with their faith as base, to find ways in our community and the world to love those who are “the least these”.
Youth Director
Amy Withers
I grew up in Michigan and earned a degree in Elementary Education before teaching kindergarten. After that, I spent 13 wonderful years as a stay-at-home mom to my four children. Once my youngest was in school, I returned to the classroom and taught preschool for four years before stepping into my role as Youth Director here at Westminster. Two of my children are already active in our youth ministry, and the younger two can’t wait to join!
Faith has always been woven into my story. My grandfather and great-grandfather both served as Episcopal ministers, and my own Presbyterian youth group played a big role in shaping my relationship with God as a teenager, even as I was raised and confirmed in the Episcopal church. When my family and I came to Westminster in 2021, I quickly felt at home and began volunteering with the youth. It has been such a joy to walk alongside students as they grow in faith, build friendships, and discover how God is at work in their lives. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue that journey with them as part of the WPC family.