Youth Ministry

White Plains UMC Youth Ministry

We are hands and feet – drawing together in fellowship and growing in a closer relationship with Jesus Christ as expressed through worship, service, study, prayer, and outreach.

WPUMC Youth Ministry serves students in grades 6-12. For Children grades K-5 we invite you to check out our Children’s Ministry.

Our youth ministry is truly a family-based ministry. Regardless of what your teenager says, you are the greatest influencer of your child’s faith. Parents, we know that we cannot do this without you! On average the church gets about 40 hours per year with each youth, but parents get 3,000 hours a year! We at White Plains desire to partner with you to help your preteens and teenagers become disciples of Christ. Our Parent Link helps you understand what we are discussing in Sunday School and UMYF. Use each post to start a conversation with your youth about our current topic.

White Plains UMC is a Safe Sanctuaries Church committed to best practices to protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults. Learn more about Safe Sanctuaries HERE. In order to take care of our youth in the best way possible, we require a yearly registration including family and health information. Click here to download this year’s Medical Permission/Release Form

Regularly Scheduled Youth Programs

Sunday School | 10:00 am

On Sunday mornings, our youth gather for small group time at 10:00 am in the youth room. Time together includes reading the stories of the Bible, having conversations about who God is, what God is doing in their lives, and where we can all join God at work in the world. It’s all there in scripture! Bring your Bible or borrow one of ours, just show up!

United Methodist Youth Fellowship (UMYF)
Sundays @ 5:00-7:00 pm*

On Sunday afternoons during the school year, our youth gather together for UMYF either on the WPUMC campus or often off-campus for activities focused on fellowship and having fun. Each week will always look different, from service projects for the community, a worship service planned by our youth, or even a road trip to an awesome corn maze, to an ice skating rink, or to an indoor miniature golf course. Other weeks could be spent in conversation with an inspiring speaker, or sometimes two solid hours of indoor or outdoor games. We almost always begin with a meal together at 5:00 pm in the Chapel. No matter what activity is planned – each and every Sunday evening we get together, we make Jesus our main focus!

* Our brand new youth room is open, but while our campus is undergoing construction during 2023, activities, locations, and times for UMYF could temporarily vary. Be sure to subscribe to our Youth Email List to receive the most up-to-date information about all the ways our youth can experience Jesus in work, in play, in worship, and in our world – then come and join us!

Meet Rev. Jason Darden, Pastor of Youth Ministries. As an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church, Jason lives into the call of bridging the church to the world through youth ministry. Previous to serving at White Plains, Jason was at First United Methodist Church in Cary, where he served as the high school youth coordinator for four years, and then served as the Youth Pastor at North Raleigh United Methodist Church for three years. Jason is a graduate of Duke Divinity School. Jason is involved in connectional ministry serving as the lay director of the Heart of Carolina Chrysalis Community in 2012 and currently sharing the position of Capital District Youth Coordinator.

Jason is a North Carolina native who was born in Fayetteville, went to college at UNC-Greensboro, taught school in Clayton, and then managed an automotive repair shop in Apex for 17 years. Jason met his wife April in Greensboro and they have been married for over 20 years. April serves as the Director of Creative Services for the YMCA of the Triangle. They have two children: Ava and Bennett. If you want to distract Jason from what he’s supposed to be doing, just mention indie rock, bass guitars, fly-fishing, skateboarding, cycling, or Southern literature. And if he tries to figure out where you are from by your accent, just indulge him…he thinks he’s really good at it. Drop him an email anytime at jason@wpumc.com.

Follow WPUMC Youth Ministries on Instagram at wpumc_youth, and join the Facebook Group.