Access Youth Group

Access Youth Group is a place for 6th–12th graders to be fully known — to ask hard questions, build real friendships, and follow Jesus together in our neighborhood.

A shared youth ministry

Our youth ministry runs as a partnership across our Covenant family. Milwaukie Covenant Church and First Covenant Church of Portland began sharing youth ministry two years ago, and Access Covenant has partnered with them for retreats and special events from the start. Beginning this fall, Access students join the weekly Tuesday gatherings too — and a third small eastside church from our Covenant community is coming alongside as well. Pooling leaders, students, and resources means a bigger, richer community and more for students to be part of, while still keeping the close, familiar feel of the Access family.

When we meet

Our rhythm has two parts:

• Weekly gatherings (combined): Tuesday evenings, 6:30–8:30 pm, at Milwaukie Covenant Church, 12201 SE Linwood Ave, Milwaukie. This is the heart of the schedule.
• Access-only nights: Roughly once a month, Access students get their own gathering — a laid-back evening in a leader's home for dinner, games, and hanging out (and getting outside when the weather's nice).

The full calendar of gatherings, retreats, and trips lives on our church calendar, and leaders send schedules directly to parents.

This fall at a glance

• October 9–11 — Thunder Retreat: our combined middle-school fall retreat at Cascades Camp & Conference Center.
• November 13–15 — MUD Retreat: our combined high-school fall retreat, also at Cascades Camp.
• Trunk or Treat: students help host at Milwaukie Covenant and First Covenant's Halloween events at the end of October.
• December — Christmas party and winter break: we wrap the semester with a youth group Christmas party, then pause over the holidays.
• July 18–23, 2027 — UNITY: the Covenant denomination's triennial national youth conference for high schoolers, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Registration details to come.

Serving and leading

Students grow the most when their faith is put into practice, so we build service and leadership into the year:

• Backpack Buddies: on the second Tuesday of each month from October through May, students come a half hour early to pack sacks of simple food for neighborhood kids facing food insecurity. Parents and siblings are welcome to join.
• Serve at church: students serve in tech, worship, reading Scripture, and kids ministry on Sundays.
• Student worship team: student musicians help lead worship at youth group, practicing Sundays, 12:15–1:00 pm at Milwaukie Covenant.
• Student leadership: student leaders receive mentorship and take real responsibility — planning activities, arranging worship, and teaching lessons.

What a night looks like

Food, games, worship, and honest conversation around Scripture. Across the year we also serve together and head out for seasonal retreats and trips as a combined group with our partner churches.

Two guidelines: respect and safety

Everything we do together — every in-person gathering and every trip — is shaped by two simple commitments: respect and safety. Respect means we treat one another, our leaders, and every space we're in with honor and kindness. Safety means we look out for each other and follow clear practices that keep every student cared for. These twin guidelines guide how we're together, whether we're in someone's living room or on the road for a weekend away. We speak respectfully to and about ourselves and others, and we respect the group by participating with open minds, clear hearts, and minimized distractions. We keep each other safe by looking out for one another, being accountable for our words and actions, and maintaining open lines of communication.

For parents

All youth leaders are background-checked and trained in our child and youth safety policy. Because gatherings are combined with Milwaukie Covenant, First Covenant Church of Portland, and other churches in our Covenant family, we coordinate schedules, registration, and permission forms directly with parents and guardians ahead of time.

Our youth leaders

• 

  Julie McBee

  Interim Director of Youth and Family Ministries

• 

  Rolf Hammersborg

  Assistant Youth Leader

• 

  Jelani Greenidge

  Assistant Youth Leader

Stay connected

Follow @accesscovyg on Instagram for photos and updates, or contact us with questions.