Spreading a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of young adults (Grades 7–12) with their parents through Jesus Christ!

 

Through whom [Jesus Christ] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations.—Romans 1:5

 

Biblical Essentials in Youth Ministry

 

Loving Jesus Christ

We long for God to enable young people to genuinely, passionately, and increasingly trust & love Jesus Christ and his cross-work, publicly exuding joy in their intimacy with him so that his greatness is made visible to the church and the lost world.

 

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”—Matthew 22:37

See also Philippians 1:20–21, 25, and 3:1.

 

Enjoying Biblical Fellowship

It is our desire to help young people understand, build context for, experience, and pursue the biblical fellowship that Christ died for.

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.—Hebrews 3:12–14

 

See also 1 John 1:1–4.

 

Thriving in the Life of the Local Body

It is our desire to help young people grow in their love for our local church body, young and old, as they serve, pray, learn, and enjoy fellowship with the wider church.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.—Ephesians 4:15–16

 

See also Romans 12:5–6 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–26.

 

Word Drenched Ministry

Our desire is that we would regularly, accurately, winsomely, and powerfully proclaim Jesus Christ, his gospel, and his truth from the pages of Scripture and that all of our ministry practices and programs would be rooted in and shaped by his biblical revelation.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.—Colossians 1:28

 

See also Psalm 19:7–11 and 1 Timothy 3:15.

 

Praying at All Times in the Spirit

It is our desire for prayer to be central in all we do as we seek God’s grace to regularly pray for those we serve, equip the saints to join us in prayer for the next generation, and work to help young people develop a Spirit empowered, faith-filled, continual, and fervent life of prayer.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.—Hebrews 4:14–16

 

See also Romans1:9–10 and Ephesians 6:18.

 

Spreading the Gospel

It is our goal to equip young people to love all peoples by speaking the gospel clearly, graciously, and boldly, and partnering in its spreading locally and globally for their joy (the lost and ours).

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.—Acts 1:8

 

See also Colossians 4:3–6 and Psalm 67:1–4. 

 

Bethlehem Priorities in Youth Ministry

Flourishing in a Home–Church Partnership

It is our desire to equip, support, encourage, and promote God’s amazing design for parents and the home as his primary tools for ministry to young people.

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.—Genesis 18:19

 

See also Ephesians 4:11–16 and Ephesians 6:4.

 

Holy Ambition

It is our goal to call students to exalt Christ, in dependence upon his Spirit, by fleeing youthful passions in the pursuit of faith-filled risks in the places he calls them, whether ordinary, distinguished, or obscure, for the advance of Jesus’ kingdom.

Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”—Jeremiah 1:6–8

Rejoicing in God’s Design for Biblical Manhood & Womanhood

It is our aim to ground young people in the truth and gospel realities of God’s phenomenal designs of masculinity and femininity and joyfully display his wisdom as they live it out in everyday life.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.—Genesis 1:27

 

See also Ephesians 5:31–32.