Mission Statement:
Equipping a generation to become leaders in this world, for the purpose of Jesus Christ!
Scripture Foundation:
Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Philippians 4:13…The Message)
“The 4 Pillars of Student Ministry”
- Biblical Purposes (Evangelism, Worship, Discipleship, & Fellowship)…this is what we do!
- Students and Families…this is who we do it with!
- Consistent programs…this has got to be how we attempt to fulfill the Biblical purposes!
- Process in Action…developing and working out how our programs interact with each other!
“The Foundation of Student Ministry”
- Keep Costs Down. Money should never be an issue that would keep students from attending. We must manage the money with responsibility for this ministry to better edify the body of Christ.
- Raise the Bar High. Students are giving us their time to help them grow in their faith. We need to take advantage of this opportunity by giving them a variety of ways to learn and build a relationship with God.
- Build Strong Relationships. Develop interaction times that enable friendships to form. Work on providing a couple of hours on certain weekends, days, or afternoons for groups to spend time together.
- Understand that Students can be Ministers. Students are the church of today! We must create an environment where students are challenged to serve others, and discover the significant life God has called them to live.
- Develop the Potential. Many students believe that if they’re not popular or lack the outgoing personality, that they can’t be involved in the ministry. They need to “see” that they can make a difference.
- Position Individuals. Recognize their talents and the call that is on their lives. Encourage them to work in other departments and ministries in the Church. Train students to become leaders for those younger than them and continue the cycle as time passes.
“The Plan”
413 Service – Wednesday nights @ 6:00 pm
The Foundation – Last Saturday night of each month @ 6:00 pm
- Preaching & Teaching
Evangelism is all about LOVE and we have done a good job loving the “churched” kids, but we have failed in loving the lost. When a student’s life is fully invaded by the presence of Jesus—it’s indescribable. We are tired of the average youth group of kids who would rather be a “holy click” rather than be a part of a movement of love that not only embraces the lost, but pursues them!
413 Student Ministries is engulfed with evangelism, fellowship, discipleship, worship, and missions. We are willing to go to the lost and point others to Jesus Christ. It’s all about Jesus! We must always be willing to develop a service that will be feeding our own and calling others to feast on the word of God. - The 413 Service will have a standard format of starting at 6:00 pm with Praise-n-Worship, Drama, Preaching/Teaching, and Altar Service.
- Each 413 Service is for 7th grade thru college. We must be willing to minister to those in junior high, high school, and even those in college (College Students have the highest rate of walking away from Church, because very little is ever offered for them).
- The Foundation will continue to allow other Churches/Denominations to come together for one purpose…JESUS! Using drama teams, speakers, singers, and musicians from many different churches and denominations, we become the body of Christ.
413 Worship Team & Altar’d (Drama Team)
Vision goes a long way when you’re trying to reach people for God’s Glory. The Bible says that those who fail to plan, plan to fail Without a God given vision, which starts with prayer, we might as well go ahead and wrap it up!
- Everything that we attempt has got to start with prayer. Before we can even begin to look at who will be in the Worship Team or apart of Altar’d will need to start by asking for God’s Direction and His Vision.
- God calls us to do everything with excellence, and this goes for how we lead others into worship as well. Each member of the Worship Team will be under the guidance of the Worship Leader (Drew Garrett). Also each member of Altar’d will be under the guidance of the Drama Leader (Kristie Works).
- There must be a COMMITMENT established! It’s important that each member of the 413 Worship Team and Altar’d abide by the following:
- YOU are doing this for the Glory of God!
- It’s not about YOU.
- Understand the Vision & the Direction of the Ministry.
Basic Facts:
When our children become teens, they will be tempted, to one degree or another on numerous occasions. Caught in the midst of change, confusion, challenges, media bombardment, family dysfunction and a host of other stresses, they will desire for stability and normalcy. In order to protect themselves form feeling like they’ve been left alone to wander through adolescence, teens will change and begin to blend in with the surrounding environment of their peer group.
The pressure is frightening. We want students to know that mistakes and bad choices are often made, but with each one they can be overcame. Many of us have been in the same situations that students face today and we can help them overcome. We want to protect them from the painful pull between doing what is easy and doing what is right. Peer pressure is ugly and very difficult to face in this generation. Teens are being tested to evaluate the values that we have worked hard to instill by lining themselves up with many of the dangerous values espoused by our rapidly changing culture. Peer pressure turns its head and snarls at the Word of God when the children we love compromise what we’ve taught them about God’s will.
What can 413 Student Ministries do to equip students to overcome the pressures of life in a way that will bring honor and glory to the Heavenly Father?
- We have to recognize that negative pressures reach the greatest intensity during the adolescent years. As a part of their growth toward self-sufficiency and independence, students are prone to no longer see their family as the center of their social universe. Imagine how this mind-set develops a student into a young adult at college. Students begin to separate themselves from the family while forming more and more meaningful relationships with the opposite-sex and often same-sex friends and peers. The transition can be turbulent for parents, especially when the kids take on behaviors drastically different from their own. These sudden changes can leave many parents feeling like they have failed.
- We must recognize that the nature of peer pressure has changed since we were teens. In order to help our kids grow through today’s peer pressure; we must understand that it is marked different. Today, peer pressure typically takes the form of an unspoken expectation to participate in behavior that the vast majority of the peer group believes to be normal and right. All this adds up to mean that it is more difficult for our students to go against the flow when the behaviors promoted are no longer sneaky, but celebrated. In today’s culture negative pressures related to sex, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, clothing styles, body image, violence, material possessions, cheating, stealing, lying, etc…are overlooked as wrong and just a part of the generation.
- Finally, peer pressure shouldn’t lead us to wave the white flag or surrender. Instead, it should motivate us to do all we can to encourage and equip our kids to stand firm in the midst of their pressured-filled lives.
- We have to realize that peer pressure is a spiritual battle that all of us will fight constantly. Like Paul, we will find ourselves baffled by our behavior (Romans 7:15-24). But like Paul, we can see the way out of our struggle with sin through Jesus Christ (Romans 7:25).
- We must pray and continue praying for our students in the midst of pressure. Our prayers should be so intense that it will not leave parents and teens feeling helpless and hopeless.
- We should examine ourselves and our lifestyles to see how our example teaches them to handle certain pressures.
- We should model a lifestyle of discipleship and, by doing so, show students that following Christ is not always the easiest choice, but it’s always the right choice.
- Help Students realize their value and worth in God’s eyes so that they are less likely to seek their satisfaction by conforming to the images of the world. Students who have not been reminded of their value and worth will oftentimes seek to be affirmed by finding it through the eyes of their peers.
- Understand the truth of Proverbs 13:20—that for better or worse, friends always influence friends.
- Realize that the students we know and love are in a process of development. Another word, don’t expect them to go from where they are in their spiritual maturity to a higher level instantaneously. Our expectations for them and for ourselves should reflect the standard of God.
- Be a ministry of Grace, Mercy, Love, and Acceptance!
What can YOU do?
- Pray for this ministry daily!
- Help us financially with a one time offering or through monthly support. Here is a list of items and purposes that we are praying for the finances to be met:
- A Student Sanctuary – currently we use the main sanctuary on Wednesday nights, but would like our own sanctuary and Student Room that they can call their own. Naturally this would cost thousands to build and to operate, but this is a top priority in the ministry to date.
- Computer Equipment – we need a laptop that we could carry on the road with us and use in our programs. We are praying for an APPLE laptop that would enable us to use it for our music, drama, and preaching. Along with the computer we are looking for a projector that will work with the laptop.
- Advertising Funds – we need to continue to get the word out about the ministry, but this requires a large amount of money. We would like to expand into window decals, folders for students in school, invitation cards, t-shirts, newspaper ads, website promotion, radio/television ads, etc.
- Mission trips – we are continually planning trip(s) for missionary work and have to have all of our needs met before leaving.
- Volunteers – If God is leading you and your abilities to work with students, this may be the ministry for you.
- Musicians/Singers – If God has blessed you with an ability to play an instrument or sing, we are always in need of both.
- Drama – If God is leading you into the ministry through Drama, we would love for you to help us in this area of ministry.
In Christ,
413 Student Ministry Staff
chase@fellowshipchristiancenter.org
www.myspace.com/413studentministry
www.myspace.com/altar_d
413 Student Ministry Staff – Back Row -- Drew Garrett, Christie Linear, Cindy Hechler & Chase Johnson Front Row -- Amy Works, Kristie Works, & Amanda Johnson (Not Pictured Brian Hechler & Jud Jones)
413 Student Ministry Worship Leaders – Drew Garrett and Cindy Hechler