Youth Director
Joe Stapleton
Contact Joe
Joe's office hours:
M-F 2-5pm
West Side United Methodist Church
900 S. Seventh Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734.663.4164
Get Involved
Student Ministries is a welcoming place for a variety of leadership styles and capabilities. The best way to start is to sit down with the director of youth ministries or the director of christian education to explore your interests and embark on the exciting path of leadership development in your own life as we serve God together by ministering to our youth. There are no prerequisites to serving in Student Ministries, simply come as you are. We provide regular training opportunities which include exciting policy training, one day seminars, weekend conventions and of course personal one on one time to coach our volunteers through the simple things of youth ministry like basic biblical exegesis and hermeneutical apologetics. Um, yeah.
While advanced theological endeavors would be sweet, the truth is actually that we want to love our youth, show them Jesus' compassion in a real way by pursuing authentic relationships, discarding false pretenses and at all times being who we are in Christ - saved from ourselves by a free gift of grace.
We encourage you to take an active role at West Side by giving generously of your time and emotional energy to passionately engage young people.
Kroger Card fundraiser:
Since beginning this program in May 2008, Student Ministries has received over $800! If you shop at Kroger, please take advantage of this easy way to support funding student ministry programs. The plan is simple: Get a Kroger Gift Card from West Side. You give us $5 because it comes with $5 already on it. Go to Kroger and add money to the gift card by paying with cash, check, credit card. Pay for your groceries with the gift card. 5% of the total will be donated to West Side! Continue adding money to the card over the next thousand years.
Sign up now!
The Youth Ministry Team supports the student ministries' trips and events and is greatly appreciated by the director of youth ministries.
Originally set in motion by the senior pastor and the director of christian education, the YMT is an independent and mostly autonomous team receiving vision and direction by the director of youth ministries. During monthly meetings, normally held in the youth lounge immediately following the 2nd worship service on the 2nd Sunday of each month, plans are discussed and duties are assigned to committee members to make things happen. The YMT is a key part in organizing paperwork, procuring food (snacks, drinks, prizes, etc) and preparing room decorations for all kinds of activities. The YMT performs many behind the scenes tasks so the director of youth ministries can focus more on ministering to the students. Student ministry at West Side would not be possible without the aid of the dedicated members of the YMT.
Get Connected is an interactive way for you to receive emails regarding
our Youth Ministries or any other West Side UMC ministry you're interested in.
If you are new to our church, or visiting us as you look for a new church home,
please take advantage of this new way for you to find out more about us. No one
will call or visit you (unless you request it, of course) but you will be instantly
linked into the information and correspondence that takes place between our ministers
and congregation members. Find out about rehearsal schedules, youth outings,
special events, etc. from home, work or school.