If you’re an adult, think back with me to your middle school and high school experiences. For myself, I don’t remember a ton (and I’m 25). But where most of my memories flow, is the time I spent with my home church’s youth group. I remember sitting in children's ministry out behind the church, at the time, in these little trailer pods. I remember being in our 5th and 6th grade Sunday morning youth group time (this is where some of the greatest bonds were born). I remember 7th and 8th grade youth group (at the time of life where most students struggle). I remember my high school youth group, where I took ownership of my own faith. And now, I’m blessed to be in the position I am in, leading what I fell in love with at a church I am in love with.

Why was youth group so important to me at the time? Well… it wasn’t. I didn’t always want to go. But I’m grateful to have parents who expected me to go and made sure nothing got in the way of my time with the church. No sport, no job, or no distractions were allowed during youth group time. That's not to say I had perfect attendance, but I rarely missed.

Whether you’re a parent or a student reading this, allow me to encourage you. We have youth groups currently available for 5th - 8th grade students on Sunday mornings during our 10:30am gathering in the Student Center, and High School youth group available on Sunday nights from 5-7pm at the church. Both of these ministries have one mission in mind, “Helping students become lifelong disciples of Jesus.” Let me give you 5 reasons why you/your student should come to youth group.

1. 1. Communal Value (Hebrews 10:24-25)

      Let's state the obvious one, but the most underappreciated one. Communal value is a NEED in our discipleship journey. Each student is put in age specific small groups with a trusted adult leader who guides conversations, but the students take ownership of it. We’ve noticed a common trend of togetherness with small groups, even if they aren’t their core group of friends. The smiles on students' faces when walking out of small group time never get old. And in middle school, watching them all interact at their tables is a lot of fun. (Since when do pre-teens and middle school students interact? Well… in our youth group they do).

      • An added value here is the communal conflict value. If you expect our youth groups to not have conflict, then prepare to be disappointed. The truth is, I am very grateful when the conflict does happen in our youth group. My wife and I, as well as adult leaders, get to walk alongside students dealing with the frustrations people bring. We also just observe them in their conflict and let them experience it. They all grow wiser in their conflict and always see the other side.
   2. The extra “slice”(John 15:5)
      • Our high school students are expected to attend a service on Sunday mornings and hear the main sermon for the day, taking ownership of their own faith journey within the church morning gathering. But then Sunday night (High School) is like the dessert. But what makes it so sweet? The content high school students receive on a Sunday night is very personal for them. We do a mixture of exegetical and topical messages. Exegetical meaning, diving into the scriptures and unpacking what it wants us to learn. Topical, meaning looking at what scriptures can specifically help us unpack a certain topic that students may be curious about.
      • Our Middle School Students most commonly just attend youth groups during the service their parents go to. Which is great! The Middle School Youth group is giving them age-appropriate content, but also raising them up in considering discipleship as well as working on social skills with their peers/adults within the church. This ministry shows a lot of patience for them as we are preparing them to begin taking further ownership of their own faith once they enter high school. Some take ownership sooner!
   3. Faithful Adults surrounding you

      Each age group and gender of our students has an adult present leading their small group of students. In a dream world, this adult walks alongside them from 5th grade until 12th grade. Creating a lifelong bond with someone who is a committed disciple of Jesus. They are beyond just adult leaders, but mentors to our students.

   4. Opportunities to be involved (James 2:14-17)

      These opportunities vary from middle school to high school, but operate under the same statement. “If students aren’t running your ministry, then it’s not a student ministry.” It consistently communicated to our high school students that we want them serving in a personal gifted area in our church. And they do! It’s impressive how eager they are to be involved. Even on a Sunday night, our student worship team is 99% lead by students with just one adult on stage keeping everyone on track.

      While our middle school opportunities to serve are more limited, there is an intentional mission. 5th-8th grade students are reaching the point where they have the sense of independence and “growing up.” We don’t expect middle school students to serve somewhere, but we call/encourage them to a higher purpose for their lives by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior and unpacking what it means to follow Jesus with patience and intentionally.

   5. A place to make mistakes

      I would be lying to you if I said our student ministry doesn’t get crazy sometimes. Of course it does! Those moments are when students become coachable and easy to encourage. We see students constantly growing in their walk with Jesus by making mistakes in how they lead each other, converse with each other, and listen to each other. If you’ve ever been in middle school or high school before, you know what it was like trying to live among others who are still figuring out what life is all about. We provide a safe space for students to “belong before you believe” and make mistakes without being frowned upon.

In a nutshell, disciples are not made by sitting comfortably in a chair. We believe that we can best pursue our mission of “Helping students become lifelong disciples of Jesus" by giving them an active role as a disciple of Jesus and a listener’s heart as a follower of Jesus in our youth group settings. We hope to see you or your student at the next gathering.

Youth Group on Sundays at Mt. Gilead
Middle School (Grades  5-8) meets on Sunday mornings during 2nd service in the Student Center
High School (Grades 9-12) meets on Sunday evenings from 5-7pm in the Student Auditorium