Our objective is to help expose Middle School, Junior High and Sr. High students in our church and community to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to provide discipleship opportunities for those who seek a deeper relationship with Him.
Matt. 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2 Tim. 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
Col. 1:28-29 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
It is our belief that this objective can best be met through a relational ministry founded on sharing Christ’s love with our youth and diligently investing in their lives. We are convinced that there can be no strategy more effective than simply following the example of Jesus Himself. In our philosophy, “relational” ministry encompasses many things, but boils down to placing a high priority on getting to know students as people. This can be done by attending their activities, calling them, writing to them, getting together to talk about various issues, hanging out for fun and any other creative way that makes them feel cared for.
1Thes. 2:8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
- We proceed from the conviction that the church’s nurture of children and youth into discipleship is more important that all forms of secular education put together.
- Sociological factors are more influential than is theology. Given sufficient opportunity, children and youth will center their friendship in church based relationships.
- The Christian faith really is more caught than taught. Effective spiritual nurturing always requires a relational context to be effective.
- Pastoral support is crucial in the relationship of young people to the church, the company of God’s people – more crucial than it is, even to adults. Pastoral support, or the lack of it, reflects the measure of importance the congregation attaches to the nurture of children and youth and their nurture.
- Program DIRECTION, insight, and control by mature adults provides the relational security needed for the fullest development of youth into mature Christian discipleship.
- The positive, supportive involvement of parents is essential to the long term value of any church’s children and youth program.
- Apart form the influence of a Christian home, a camp/conference experience provides the best single CONTEXT for Christian Nurture available to the Church.
- Involvement in a church by children and youth operates by the law of accumulation.