Kids and adults get a special treat on the first Sunday of their birthday month. Pick up a "It's my birthday month" badge and get a birthday cake flavored Hershey's Kiss.

We're asking folks to wear the badges out to restaurants, when shopping and as you go around town. It's an easy way to let people know about San Pedro, and a fun reminder to celebrate God's blessing through your life. You deserve a special treat, come worship and enjoy the San Pedro way to recognize your birthday.

P.s. Keep the badge and wear it for the month of your birthday, then bring it back to the name tag center so other folks can share it, too.

It has been an amazing year for our San Pedro youth group with so many cherished memories, new friends, and so much laughter that it causes soreness! Looking back over the past year it seems to have just flown by so quickly. So now, as another year fast approaches, it seems fitting to look back over all the special moments from our time throughout the year.

We started off the year with a Lock-In (which seems to be the fan favorite event) in March where the youth group had some fun with messy outdoor games, late-night games of hide and seek, a movie in Reynolds Hall, and fellowship as they learned what it means to be a friendly neighborhood youth group.

Our youth helped support outreach events and mission projects like the Great School Supply Grab.

Serving our community during the Mission Project week was also something that our youth group showed a genuine heart for serving and a strong desire for building up those that are underprivileged.

Now, most of our faith family has seemed to notice our youth growing closer together and building each other up. Even our younger kids in the children’s ministry have been looking up to the youth, especially during VBS.

Looking back over the past year, it is easy to see how our youth have grown in many ways. One example of this is from when the youth attended the Intercultural Youth Conference this past year at Mo-Ranch where they learned about other cultures and how different upbringings shape the way we worship and how we view the world and what they can do to tell their story to the world.

The summer ended with a pool party and a back-to-school lock-in where the youth continued to learn about what it means to be Loving, Inclusive, Faithful, and True to one another and to those around them.

The fall began with Sunday morning Bible study and Sunday afternoon youth group where foundational knowledge was prioritized and on Wednesday nights our youth were encouraged to help with our Wednesday Night Kids Program.

This year, our youth group really took their centering verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to heart. They have been building each other up and encouraging one another throughout the year and it has shown in the way they fellowship with one another.

Take a look at all the fun memories here.

Nico Carrillo has worked with local teenagers in the San Antonio area by way of a local church, and he has his own ministry he created with other folks passionate about leading folks to Christ.

From Nico:

"I was born in San Antonio and grew up in the Floresville area. I pursued degrees in various fields (including culinary arts, and physical therapy) before I followed God's call into the ministry. Following this calling led me to obtain an associate's degree in music from San Antonio College and a bachelor's degree in worship studies from Liberty University.

It was in my pursuit of God that I felt there was more that I could do to glorify Him in the way that I live my life. My siblings and I partnered in a small business, Overflow, where we strive to live intentionally for God's glory through creative worship. This mission includes screen printing Scripture-inspired apparel with eco-friendly practices while sourcing our garments from fair trade and sustainable sources, and then giving back to impoverished communities and environmental efforts.

Some fun facts: I am a tennis player, I enjoy musical theater, and I am a songwriter. I feel blessed and honored to be a part of the San Pedro PC family."

Nico serves San Pedro in a full-time staff position with our main programming team, focusing primarily on ministries to junior high and senior high students.

ESPN reports San Pedro Presbyterian's Director of Youth Ministries, Nico Carrillo, has qualified for the 2022 US Open Tennis Tournament. Barely missing out in last year's qualifying events (pictured facing off against Novak Djokovic in 2021), Nico has won enough matches and he now anticipates a strong showing.

Around the church office, the buzz has reached a fever pitch. When asked for his comment about this unprecedented development, Choir Director Mark Twehues said, "Wait, Nico plays tennis? And what's the US Open?"

Pastor Paul gave his support, too. "There's no way we're giving him time off for this. He can play in the tournament, but we expect him back on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings with our youth."

You can confirm more information about The US Open Tennis Tournament HERE. We have no idea when Nico's playing in the first round, but prayers are welcome.

UPDATE: The US Open is a real tournament, this article is not. However, we do have a passionate group of Pickleball enthusiasts who play at several locations every week. Nico made an appearance and dominated; Pastor Bryan has been showing up to play, too. Want to join them or get on the Pickleball Fellowship list? Get connected with the group HERE. For information about our youth programming, go HERE.

Our youth had an amazing time at the Intercultural Youth Conference hosted by Mo-Ranch this past weekend! While the youth group has been to Mo-Ranch before, this was our first time attending this conference, and what an eye-opening and unique experience it was. We were able to see glimpses into the diversity of culture and upbringing within our faith community and celebrate what makes us all different.

           The theme of the conference was to “leave our mark” on the world and how we want to make an impact. Our kids learned that the way we leave our mark on the world is by sharing our story with others. While we all come from different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures, we are all One Body in Christ. We witnessed some inspiring testimony, demonstrations, games, food, and stories from various represented cultures that inspired some deep discussion and curiosity to learn about the stories of those around us.

           After having some time to decompress and talk about the things we all enjoyed most about the conference, everyone expressed how cool it was to see the culture that other people were raised with. All things said, our youth group had a really good time at ICYC and look forward to the possibility of attending next year with more of their friends.