1st United Methodist Church

1st YOUTH

We are a community devoted to God, excited to serve, open to new and different people, ad eager to make anything fun.

Youth Fellowship

We meet on Sunday nights from 6-7:30. All youth meet together for dinner and games, then break into Echo groups for spiritual formation and accountability.

For more information on 1st Youth and how to get involved contact:

Nathan Irwin (Director of 1st Youth Ministries)

at 982-1273 or email him at nirwin@1stchurch.org.

If you would like to receive text updates about youth events, you can either download the Remind App and join the group @1stumyouth, or text @1stumyouth to the number 81010.

Scroll down for a look at upcoming opportunities for youth fellowship

and information about the leaders of the Echo Groups .

Resurrection 2019
January 25th - 29th

Thousands of youth from across the region will gather this January in Pigeon Forge, TN to celebrate the God of the Resurrection. This year's theme is Voices United and is based on Romans 15:6. Jorge Acevedo, the lead pastor at Grace Church in Florida is this year's speaker. I Am They returns as the worship band.

Please click here to sign up.
Sunday School
9:15 am each Sunday
Room 153
Youth Meetings and Echo Groups
Sunday Nights at 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Room 153

*No Youth meetings on December 16th, 23rd and 30th.
*No Youth on January 27th.

Come enjoy dinner, a little fun and time for conversation each Sunday night. Youth will meet for dinner, then split up into Echo Groups which will now all meet at the same time. Please scroll down for a look at the different leaders for the Echo Groups

ECHO GROUP LEADERS

Rev. Nathan Irwin
- Director of Youth Ministries at 1st UMC.
- BA in Religious Studies, University of South Florida
- MA in Christian Ministry, Asbury Seminary
Nathan has been a Youth Minister for nearly a decade, and hopes to stay in the game for a lot longer. He has been married to Crystal for 11 years and they have two kids. Isaac is 8 and Alara is 5. They live in Springbrook, and have an old cat named Norris. Nathan likes to read, watch football and Netflix, alpine ski, fish, and take naps. He could eat pizza for every meal and his spirit animal is a donkey.
cathy finney

Cathy is a mother of three grown children. She began regularly volunteering with the Youth when her youngest was 16, about 12 years ago. Cathy taught Special Education at Maryville High School for 18 years, including 10 years in the alternative schools.
She retired from there and now teaches English Language Learners (ESL) at Whittle Springs Middle School in Knoxville half days.

This is Cathy's fourth year doing that.

An interesting fact about Cathy, is that she lived in Belgium and the Congo for a while as a child because her parents were missionaries for one term. She still keeps up with some of the “missionary kids” she knew back then.
John Kerr

John lives on a farm in Rockford where he raises cattle. He was a teacher for over forty years, most recently teaching English and coaching boys and girls soccer at Maryville High School. He enjoys playing the guitar and singing. Over the years, he has worked with the youth at 1st on Sunday nights and has been a chaperone at both Resurrection and Assembly.
Charles Brinkley
- Electrical Engineer in the Quality Assurance department at DENSO
Charles has been married to his childhood sweetheart, Tonya, for 25 years and they have 3 kids. His older kids, (boy/girl twins) Katie and Preston, are Seniors at William Blount High School. His youngest, Jackson, is in 8th grade at Carpenters Middle School.

Charles is an avid Science Fiction fan and self described "geek". He loves Star Wars and attended a convention years ago in his own Jedi uniform.
beth kyburz

Beth Kyburz is excited to be working with our youth. She is a School Counselor at Carter Middle School, and she has worked with children, youth and families for over 20 years. Her son Adam recently graduated from high school and loved his time with the 1st UMC youth group.

During this time, she helped with youth group meetings, chaperoned the Resurrection trip, and even learned how to drive the church bus. She enjoys traveling, reading, going to the theater, and kayaking. She is looking forward to getting to know our youth even better, and is very excited to be part of Echo groups.
Phil Wilks
Retired teacher and coach:
Chesapeake High School in Ohio
Marshall University in WV
Oxford College at Emory University
Georgetown University
Wofford College
Maryville College
Powell High School
Phil is married and has 5 adult children. He served as the head football coach at Maryville College from 1988-2002. Over his career Phil has taught grades 1 through college mostly teaching physical education and driver’s ed. Phil is active at 1st UMC in many adult bible studies and Celebrate Recovery and is excited to work with our youth.