Some memories from church youth group stay with people for the rest of their lives.
At Trinity, youth ministry has taken many forms through the years: Bible studies, retreats, mission trips, choir, worship leadership, student leadership, lock-ins, service projects, and the ordinary friendships that grow when students spend time together in the life of the church.
The formal record of youth ministry includes many important staff moments. Rev. Charles Curtis Finch began serving as Associate Minister, with primary responsibilities in youth ministry, on April 1, 1970. On January 1, 1972, Rev. Curt Finch became a full-time employee and assumed the duties of Youth Minister and Education Minister.
The anniversary book records that under Curt’s leadership, the youth group flourished with activities and a spirit of camaraderie. Weekly gatherings became important to many young members, including Bible studies, games, and opportunities for service.
One of the first things Curt Finch did was take the older youth on a retreat to Clarence Pritchard’s beach cottage. Ron and Brenda Fulp and their three children served as the first retreat chaperons.
That small detail gives the story life. Youth ministry was not only something that happened in classrooms. It happened on retreats, in vans and buses, in homes, at camps, on mission trips, and in the shared moments that became part of people’s memories.
Katie Hill Hatcher remembered coming to Trinity in the summer of 1976 through Youth Corps, a program sponsored by the Youth Ministry Department of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. Trinity had recently lost its Minister of Youth and needed someone to fill the gap for the summer.
One special event that summer was attending Youth Week at the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell.
Through later years, youth ministry continued to grow through staff leadership, retreats, missions, and music. In 1983, the youth mission trip was to Shinnston, West Virginia. In 1988, Rev. Jeffery Roberts was elected to become Trinity’s Youth Minister. Rev. Brooks Warren later served as Youth Minister for twelve years, completing his service in 2003. Rev. Andy Jung began serving as Minister of Students and Activities that same year.
Under Rev. Jung’s leadership, DiscipleNow began in 2004 as an in-town retreat for middle and high school students focused on personal discipleship. Student leadership also became a part of the ministry. Mission trips took students to places including Charleston, Murphy, Miami, Boston, areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and Peru.
The memories shared in the anniversary book are especially meaningful. Former youth remembered singing in youth choir, leading worship, attending retreats, serving on mission trips, going to Caswell, participating in lock-ins, and building friendships that helped shape their lives.
Those memories remind us that youth ministry is not only measured by attendance or events. It is measured in formation.
It is found in the friendships students carry with them, the adults who show up for them, the songs they remember, the places they served, and the faith that took root along the way.
Today, Trinity’s youth ministry continues to emphasize worship, discipleship, missions, ministry, and relationships. Students are encouraged to explore identity in Christ, belonging within the church, and purpose in the world.
Through many seasons and many leaders, Trinity’s youth ministry has helped students grow in faith and find their place within the church family.
Read More in 70 Years at Trinity
This story was drawn from 70 Years at Trinity: February 5, 1956 – May 3, 2026, prepared in celebration of the seventieth anniversary of Trinity Baptist Church.
For more about youth ministry at Trinity, including retreats, Youth Corps, Fort Caswell, student leadership, mission trips, and youth memories, see pages 81–87 of the anniversary book.
