“Equip the saints for the work of the ministry.” - Ephesians 4:11
Our aim concerning our youth is none other than the church’s purpose statement: “Equipping God’s people to delight in God’s glory and declare that glory to the nations.” Like all the rest of us, our youth will delight themselves in something - all the time. It is our prayer that God would use sound teaching and genuine love to stir up our youth to treasure Christ above all else.
Ministry to our youth fits into the context of family ministry. Throughout the Bible, God places the primary discipleship of children into the hands of parents. Therefore, it is our aim to equip, assist, and encourage parents in what will perhaps be the greatest investment they will make in this lifetime… their children!
To this end, we seek to strengthen families and reach the youth of our community through the following:
- Sunday School at 9:00 a.m. (mid-August through mid-May)
- Sunday Worship at 10:30 a.m.
- Discipleship relationships (Titus 2)
- Biblical counseling
- Marriage and Parenting classes
- Father/Son & Mother/Daughter gatherings
- Care Groups
- Family retreats
- Mission trips
- Service opportunities (Voice of the Martyrs, V.B.S., elderly, etc…)
- After school outreach (Fall & Spring at the elementary school)
- DiscipleNow
- Community outreach events
In referring to 1 Timothy, Alex & Brett Harris in their book Do Hard Things write, “What we find here is clear evidence that God does not hold two standards: one for young adults and one for adults. He has high expectations for both. Where some might look down on or excuse young adults, God calls us to be examples. Where our culture might expect little, God expects great things.” In Age of Opportunity, Paul Tripp summarizes well the role the church has in assisting parents and in ministering to youth as he writes, “In the context of daily insecurities we have an opportunity to help the teen make conceptual theology become functional, life-shaping theology. Each of these questions (Who am I? What am I going to do with my life? Do people really like me? etc…) provides an opportunity to discuss, test, experience, apply, and internalize important biblical truths.”