Snow Camp 2020 was packed with fun winter activities and powerful experiences with God and our community of high school students and staff.
Filmed and edited by David Peterson, Technical Arts Director
Interviews conducted by Meredith Domanico, Director of Student Ministries
Music by Awoltalk (“We Rise” / Musicbed license)
High school and junior high students: Bring your friends and your apple-bobbing and pumpkin-carving skills to our first Students Fall Festival! Carnival-style games, food and a fun time connecting with old and new friends. It’s all FREE! 6:30–8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18 at First Free Rockford.
Clayton Ganziano has served First Free Rockford for two years as middle school coordinator. Now he’s also coordinating Rooted, our young-adults ministry. Clayton and Hannah just celebrated their first wedding anniversary.
We talked with Clayton about church youth groups, what kids are looking for … and how middle school and young adult ministries actually have a lot to do with one another.
I grew up in an EV Free church. My family was very involved there. But once I was in high school, my older brother and I just didn’t connect well in the youth group. So we tried a lot of different churches, places that our friends were going or that we had heard about.
The Chapel, a multi-site church in the Chicago area, had just opened a campus at my high school, McHenry High School. We checked it out as a family and it was a place we were OK with going. My mom wanted us to get plugged into the youth group, but I didn’t want to go. That was a whole lot of new people. It was a bigger church and that youth group was going to be big and overwhelming.
The group met in Grayslake, so for the McHenry campus, the students would gather at a Burger King. Then a church bus would pick everyone up and drive them to youth group. So at my mom’s insistence, I tried it one night. As I’m sitting in Burger King, this lady walks in. And she’s like, “Hey, are you getting on the bus?” And I’m like, “Yeah … who are you?”
Invite your friends and join us for Color Wars 2019 at First Free Rockford! Element HSM and Heartbeat MSM are pulling out all the stops with water balloons, challenge courses, lawnmower slip and slide, a huge color war, and our all-new Color Blast ride. Popcorn, snow cones, and other snacks will also be served. This event is for ALL students entering grades 6 through 12 in the fall and is FREE.
– Wear white clothing over bathing suits
– Bring towel and extra set of clothes
– Waiver required for lawn mower slip and slide and Color Blast
The evening will end with a time of high-energy worship and a brief lesson from Student Ministries team.
A waiver must be signed to ride the rides at Color Wars 2019.
Download 2019 Waiver
Footage of last year’s Color Wars event.
Registration is now live for First Free Rockford’s Big Day of Serving, a special time dedicated to volunteering and community connection.
First Free has partnered this year with the Rockford Park District, the Rockford Rescue Mission and Rockford Public Schools to help with cleanup and maintenance work at several locations. Volunteers will gather from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 18, at Sinnissippi Park, the Rescue Mission and the STEAM Academy at Haskell for the work.
This annual event is open to the public and typically draws more than 150 people to help. It’s a great opportunity to invite family, friends and neighbors to participate, and it also emphasizes the importance of serving, which is central to First Free’s mission and vision.
“We see the value in partnering with our community to go, tell and show the love of God in the city of Rockford and around the world,” said Meredith Domanico, First Free’s director of student ministries and organizer of Big Day of Serving.
“It’s important to give back, and Big Day of Serving creates an opportunity to do that, to defeat the apathy of just being here and letting things happen around us. This is a chance to be part of something, to take ownership of the place where we live and do our part to help make it beautiful.”
Site leaders will oversee the work at each location. Domanico said there are jobs for anyone who’s interested in signing up no matter your skillset or physical abilities.
Click here to register for Big Day of Serving times, locations and T-shirt sizes. Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes and casual/work clothes, and bring work gloves. All other equipment will be provided at the individual sites.
Call First Free Rockford at 815-877-7046 for more information.
ELEMENT (HIGH SCHOOL)
6:30pm-8:00pm High School Room
Bring your friends and be challenged by the Word of God and exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. High-energy, visual, and experiential as we worship and meet together.
New faces at First Free: Meredith Domanico
First Free Rockford is pleased to welcome Meredith Domanico as its new Director of Student Ministries.
Meredith has worked in student ministries for nearly 13 years. She grew up in Libertyville and is looking to relocate to the Rock River Valley as she settles in at First Free. Meredith is married to her husband, Matt, and they have a 13-year-old son, Antonio.
She earned her marketing degree at DePaul University and worked in radio for several years. Additionally, she helped manage a hair salon owned by her sister.
In transitioning to church work, Meredith said, “The Lord just opened a door to ministry.” She started volunteering with students in junior high and high school through her former home church, The Chapel campus in McHenry. That work led to her becoming the student ministries pastor, and her love of working with church members in that younger age range has continued to develop.
“What I love about student ministries is it’s such a real environment. There’s such a desire to be known and in the community together, and to be vulnerable and authentic with each other,” she said. “They ask the hard questions. Once they’re comfortable, they take risks, worship without abandon and invite their friends. I love how we have the opportunity to be the place that looks different than the hallways at school.”
Her involvement with church intensified after college. She recalled attending a Saturday night service many years ago and hearing the voice of God say, “You’ve been coming (to church) – now it’s time to give.”
She was attracted to First Free through interactions with senior leadership, and she was looking for a new challenge.
“I was comfortable where I was at. But God doesn’t call us to be comfortable,” she said. “I met with the senior leadership team here, and we clicked really well. I’ve been letting God really direct me, and things kept getting more and more clear.”
She looks forward to helping build and create new directions for the youth program. “I love to mentor and disciple people, just do life together.”
In addition to regular Sunday and Wednesday student programming, you can find Meredith during her Around Town Tuesdays sessions at local coffee shops and restaurants. She’s doing them twice a month, and they’re a time for students to gather, do homework, and talk about life, school, Jesus – the format is wide open.
