A KO Youth Overnight Lock-In

On Friday, April 5th, fifteen youth gathered at First Congregational UCC in Manhattan, Kansas for an overnight lock-in. The idea from the event arose at the 2023 annual meeting when Revs. Jacob Poindexter (Wichita UCC) and Caela Simmons Wood (Manhattan) were talking about youth ministries in their congregations. Poindexter and Wood met several times over Zoom during the winter and early spring to plan the event, which was funded by a grant from the Conference. 

Youth at the event spent time crafting, baking, watching movies, making music, playing board games and video games. There was (of course) a game of hide and seek that lasted over an hour. The youth worked together to plan a vespers service which included scripture, poetry and music all led by the youth. A large group walked the half-mile to Manhattan's City Park at 10:00 p.m. to play in the park. After, they came back to the church hungry for a midnight "snack": a build-your-own breakfast burrito buffet. 

Ogden from Manhattan didn’t have to think twice about the best part of the lock-in: “It was the energy drinks.”

“We had fun playing (family-friendly) Cards Against Humanity,” said Clarice from Wichita, who may have been the last person to fall asleep after 4:30 a.m., though this subject is hotly debated. 

Delaney from Manhattan said the best part for her was meeting new people. “If we do a lock-in again, we should try to bring more new children!”

Drew from Lindsborg (who claims never to have fallen asleep) said the best part was going to the City Park at night “because I almost landed a back flip” while playing a tag-adjacent game called “Cat and Mouse.”

The youth from all three congregations want to thank the Conference for supporting this gathering. As they left the building on Saturday morning, they were already asking, "Can we do this again soon?"