You think you are the only one who doesn’t fit church? Teens, probably more than ever, may feel a disconnect from traditional church. With issues like social media, sexuality, ethics, and everything in between, teens are growing up in a tough world.
The good news is, we can help them navigate their world, connect with their unique spirituality, and start making their world a little better
Switch is a program designed specifically for teens in grades 6-12. It happens every second week on Sunday at the same time as the adult meeting time. Switch is designed to be a safe space where teens can ask questions, express doubts, and just be themselves. It is simply put, a place to belong. The Switch service is followed by a lunch and event (typically from 11:30 am -2:30 pm), things such as hosting a BBQ for those experiencing homelessness in Calgary, the Amazing Race, or even a week in Mexico helping locals build houses for families who have never experienced the safety of their own home.
All teens in grades 6-12 are welcome.
SWITCH is run by that guy ->
World class cook
Gamer
Dog Owner
Bread/Cider/Everything maker
Goes by the name Ryan Doggert
officially he's the SWITCH Student Ministry Pastor
He will be your guide to your unique spirituality
Service Time
See SWITCH Event Calendar
Location
900 -47th Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T2S 3C8
Email Address
Phone Number
(587) 581 3255
- We don’t go by age but rather by grade. Switch is designed for grade 6-12 and we are firm on this as we already have a large age span and the larger it gets the more challenging it is to cover some of the topics that we like to tackle.
How often does Switch run?
- Switch runs every second Sunday from 10:30 – 11:30. Our service is always followed up with lunch and an event that typically runs for about 3 hours.
- Over the summer we don’t hold services, but we do hold a variety of connection events on various days of the week.
- This is for a couple of reasons. A Switch weekend takes a lot of planning and manpower. It also gives our teens an opportunity to experience different aspects of Friends Church like going to the main service or volunteering with our kid’s program, both valuable opportunities to connect to the larger community.
- There is no charge for our Sunday service but our lunch and events typically have a cost associated with them. We attempt to just cover our costs and so events would range from $5 – $20. We make an effort to space out the more expensive events.
- If cost is ever an issue we are happy to help out. We never want teens missing out.
- We are asked this occasionally and although we have given it some thought, we actually just liked the name.
- Our volunteers are regular people who have a desire to help teens discover their strengths and make their world a better place. They are not perfect, they have varied beliefs, backgrounds, and range in age. It is their uniqueness that makes our team awesome. So if you are graduated and want to work with teens and have a great time you should check us out.
- For more info contact Ryan Doggart at ryan@friendschurch.ca or on his cell at 587-581-3255
- Switch is about empowering and equipping teens. We strive to provide a place that is safe for teens to question, explore, wrestle with life’s questions and the beliefs they will choose to hold. We don’t shy away from tough topics and encourage each teen to discover the strengths and talents that they possess. It is a place where teens have the opportunity to make a difference and build confidence in their ability to make a difference in their world. We exist to help teens thrive and make a difference.
- We meet in the social hall of a Jewish Temple (Bhai Tikvah) 900 47 Ave SW, Calgary at 10:30 am every second Sunday. Our events typically start at the church but often end up offsite.
- 10:30-10:45 hang out and catch up. Free snacks, slurpee, and ice cream. Games and music
- 10:45 – 11:20 interactive topic & experiential learning, engaging teens in topics focused on life skills, relationships, and how we can make our world a better place. We explore what it means to have a unique spiritual journey.. We focus on making a difference in our world and believe that this is indeed spiritual. We Don’t shy away from topics that matter.
- We tackle all sorts of topics. Things like: relationships, consent, life skills, addiction, spirituality, stress, making a difference, purpose and so much more.
- We have a love your neighbor series which consists of an interview with people from different faiths, sexual orientations, races. People with mental health issues, eating disorders, and more because the things we don’t understand or hold inaccurate beliefs about, impact our ability to love those around us.
- Switch events are broken into 2 categories. We run one of each over the course of a month. The first has a focus on giving back and making a difference in our world. The second is fun, relational events which also help teens learn a skill that will help them be more effective at making a difference.
- Project Mexico in which we take a team of grade 9 and up to Tijuana to build homes (March – spring break) this is currently on hold until March 2023
- Fall Retreat – this is a weekend in September when we take the teens to Camp Evergreen. It helps our group connect and set our intentions for the coming season of impact and making a difference.
- Ski & Snowboard trip (late January or Early February)
- e-mail – weekly parent update, click this link to add your email
- phone tree – phone messaging system that sends out a call with event info.
- Facebook – Switch FB page
- Instagram – Switch_youth_crew
- Website – friendschurch.ca/switch
- Ryan Doggart – 587-581-3255, ryan@friendschurch.ca