The Garden

Sundays @ 10am (Virtual – contact directors for details)

The Garden is the name for our Sunday school and Children’s ministry. Healthy families are the goal of The Garden. This ministry is full of fun-loving shepherds who care very much for the health and well-being of the children and families that come through our classrooms at Faith UMC. Our ministry provides Biblical lessons, crafts, games and fun activities throughout the year for children who are of the pre-school age (children who are 3 years old before December of the present year) to 5th grade @ 10am (virtual).

For more info please contact our Garden directors, Kelley Mizukami, Traci Saruwatari or Amanda Taketa via email, faithumc.garden@gmail.com or church office, (310) 217-7000

Meet the Gardeners!

Nursery: Kimberly Ageno & Kelley Mizukami

Our Pre-School – 1st Grade teachers: Miss Kelley & Mrs. Shari

Our 2nd/3rd Grade teachers: Miss Jolie, Miss Hope & Miss Courtney

Our 4th/5th Grade teachers: Miss Leslie & Mrs. Traci (interim)

We are currently using the Spark Lectionary curriculum from SparkHouse. Please go to https://www.wearesparkhouse.org/kids/spark/lectionary/ for more information regarding this curriculum.

If you have further questions, please contact: Rev. Allison Mark, Senior Pastor, at revallisonmark@faithsouthbay.org  or The Garden Directors, @ faithumc.garden@gmail.com, or call the church office at (310) 217-7000.


TGIF (Together Growing in Faith) – Middle School 

Sundays @ 7pm (Virtual – contact Darrell Mark for details)

We are excited for another year of fellowship and Together Growing in our Faith. 

TGIF stands for “Together Growing IFaith.”  The TGIF serves as the Junior High School ministry at Faith UMC, and we welcome all youth in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade.

As always our mission as the TGIF leadership team is to create an environment where the youth can experience…

  • FAITH and life-related issues in the form of structured Sunday Lessons
  • FELLOWSHIP – an opportunity for youth to be welcomed into a loving, trusting, forgiving environment where they can be challenged to look at themselves and their world.
  • ENCOURAGEMENT for growth personally and spiritually as they learn to develop a relationship with Christ and God
  • LEARNING their valuable and influential role in the life of the church community

TGIF’s mission seeks to provide a balanced program for the jr. high group which includes exploring their faith through the Bible as it relates to their life. This would also include expressing their faith through service to our church ministries as well as service to the needs of the community outside the church walls. In order for this to be an accomplished well-rounded mission, we will need the irreplaceable support of parents and guardians.

Our group meets each Sunday at 7pm virtually. In addition to the Sunday gatherings for lessons and worship, TGIF participates in field trips, service projects, fundraisers, retreats, and other church events.  For some of these activities, it is necessary to have parental involvement.  We may request your help in the following ways: 1) to live out their faith as loving and nurturing parents 2) to be volunteers for such things as chaperoning and driving our youth to field trips and events 3) help with fundraisers 4) be open to using their God-given talents to help grow the members of TGIF.  Please contact the Youth Director, Darrell Mark for more details @ darrell.faithumc@gmail.com.


MYF (United Methodist Youth Fellowship) – High School

Sundays @ 7pm (Virtual – contact Darrell Mark for details)

The United Methodist Youth Fellowship (also known as MYF) is a ministry geared towards High School youth.  Our mission is to create a safe environment for youth to express their faith in God and to experience God’s love and grace through worship, lessons, and service projects.  We encourage youth to support one another’s faith journey to actively participate in current events throughout the community.  We strive to have youth explore their leadership abilities founded in Christ to continue the work that the Lord has called us to do. The MYF meet at 7pm every Sunday virtually, as well as have Friday night fellowship times (virtual) every second and fourth Friday of the month.  Please contact our Youth Director, Darrell Mark for more details @ darrell.faithumc@gmail.com


AO

Our college group is called AO (short for Alpha Omega). This group includes people who are freshmen in college until they are finished with college. We meet every Wednesday for Bible study (virtual) and every 2nd Friday of the month for our praise nights.

Some events to take notice of is the annual AO winter retreat at a site outside of Fresno, CA where other AO and Agape (young adult) members gather with our other churches. We get together to foster relationships with others throughout our sister churches, deepen our faith through praise, and dig deeper into understanding how faith, young adult life, and service are all apart of God’s work within our lives.


Agape

Our Agape fellowship is anyone who is no longer an undergraduate and considers themselves a young adult. There isn’t a defining age limitation to this group but is roughly defined by as someone who believes they aren’t quite an adult yet. This fellowship often interacts with our AO fellowship and participates in the same weekly Bible studies and monthly praise nights that occur on the 2ndFriday of each month. This group seeks to better understand how a life of faith is better lived out through vocation, service, and community building.

For both AO and Agape related information, you can contact the church office at Communications@faithsouthbay.org


Camping Ministries (Virtual or In-Person TBD)

Keiki Camp – July

Day Camp – Monday – July

Junior High Camp – July 

Asian American Camp (High School) – July

Please contact the church office at Communications@faithsouthbay.org for more info about these camp ministries.


Scouting Ministries (Meets virtually)

Scout Pack 862

To provide a positive influence for boys grades one through five by teaching and experiencing ways to strengthen their character, relationships with others and their community.  The boys are given opportunities to interact with their peers, family members and community members, helping them grow mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually and giving them an introduction to the outdoors and what is beyond the everyday city life and to experience wildlife, nature and all its surroundings.

Cub Scout Motto & Promise: Pack 862 follows the Cub Scout motto, “Do Your Best” which is instilled to all of the boys and is stated within the Cub Scout Promise

Pack 862 meets on the 2nd and 4th Friday in each month between September and June, from 7pm to 9pm (virtually during the Safer at Home protocol).  Activities include visiting the Fire Department, Police Station, local hikes, sleep over at Faith know as the” Lock In”,  Pack camping trip, and our annual  Pinewood Derby.  Thank you for your interests in Scouting.

Boy Scout Troop 719 

Boy Scouts is available to boys who have completed the fifth grade and are at least 11 but not yet 18 years old. The program achieves the objectives of developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness.

Mission Statement: To prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.

Vision: To prepare every eligible youth to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law.

Troop 719 has been in existence for over fifty years and is known for turning out more Eagle Scouts than the national average of 4%.  719 is primarily a hiking troop.  Our hiking season starts in February with hikes in our local mountains and ends in August with a week-long hike called a “Long Term”  at places like the High Sierras, Yosemite, Mt. Whitney, and Hawaii.

We meet every Tuesday of the month (virtually during the Safer at Home protocol).  Our major fundraisers are our Annual Pancake Breakfast at the JCI in April and Annual Golf Tournament at California Country Club in June.  We also help out at the Keiro Nursing Home Bazaar, Faith UMC’s Matsuri, and the JCI Carnival.

Troop 719 prepares the Scouts not only for college but for real-life situations by teaching good work ethics, building self-esteem, communication, leadership and responsibility and having them live by the Scout Oath and Law.

Boy Scout Troop 310G

Girl Scout Troop 14845

Girl Scout Troop 16005

Please contact the church office at Communications@faithsouthbay.org for more info about scouting ministries.