YOUTH PROGRAMS
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Church school
Three different youth-aged classes meet at Calvary during the church school hour from 9:30–10:30 am during the traditional school year. Tim and Leigh Besse, long time Calvary members, teach the 6th and 7th grade class. David and Jeanine Crane, who have worked extensively with youth during their time at Calvary, teach the 8th and 9th grade segment. Pastoral staff members Joe Greemore, Brian Henderson and Anne Jernberg teach the senior high at points throughout the year. Class curriculum is an extension of the Wednesday evening program for youth, grades 6 –12 where monthly themes are discussed in a progressive curriculum that incorporates Bible study, contemporary application and various team-building games and activities, both group-based and individual.

Youth group
Calvary’s Wednesday evening youth program is known by the acronym ABY, which stands for American Baptist Youth, a modern application and adaptation of the historic Baptist Student Union. While comprised predominantly of American Baptist Youth, Calvary’s program is open to youth of all backgrounds, nationality and creed. Our goal is to create an environment of mutual respect, lively exchange and joyful celebration of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and to instill a sense of awe and wonder through a series of lessons, devotional thoughts, games, trips and community-based events.

Join us for Tattered Travels on summer Friday afternoons: July 31, Aug. 7 and Aug. 14. Via light rail, we’ll go to Tattered Cover downtown for a book club discussion. God questions, current events, who cares about history—these and more hot topics around the cool book In His Steps: WWJD. Questions for Pastor Joe?

Youth music
Calvary’s youth choir, Spiritual Element, gathers during the traditional school year on Sunday mornings under the direction of Emily Crile. Emily has a bachelor’s degree in music education and has extensive experience with the premier, statewide group, the Colorado Children’s Choir. Rehearsal for Spiritual Elements begins at 8:30 Sunday morning and is finished before church school. While musical selections vary, Calvary has come to expect consistently polished music from its youth-based small ensemble. For more information about dates, times and requirements, contact Emily Crile at 720.670.6291 or thecriles@comcast.net, or for other musical opportunities, contact Kevin Padworski, Calvary’s Director of Music at kpadworski@calvarydenver.org. We’d love to hear from you!

The Prayer Path
In the past, one of the favorite ABY activities was to engage in a fun, interactive, reflective labyrinth. It combined ancient tradition with guided meditations and learning stations. Currently, Calvary youth connect in these ways by candlelight vigil, times of prayer and in the natural world (places like Silverthorne, Colo.). In the words of Paulos Mar Gregorios, “Prayer is like breathing,” and at Calvary, we want to stress that a healthy prayer life is as essential as a healthy set of working lungs. Prayer is essential to every aspect of the Christian life, and we want to encourage conversations with God in special events, weekly meetings and in everyday living.

And more
Trips, retreats, lock-ins and service projects are offered often throughout the year. Details are available in the monthly calendars. If you’d like to receive monthly calendars, contact the church office.

Each summer, Calvary youth take a trip. This summer, we are going to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. We’ll be doing a combination of work projects and community service-based activities. During the late winter and spring, Calvary youth are challenged to take part in a number of fund-raising events to help pay their way and ensure participation what become some of the most memorable aspects of the Calvary ABY program.  

*Framework of Safety: Calvary values the lives of our children and other vulnerable people. We have a written plan to protect these people while they are in our care. Calvary staff, teachers, and volunteers adhere to screening and training. Reporting and response procedures are also in place.