Youth Ministry Philosophy
Philosophy
Lifestyle! That's the name of the strategy...to develop a Christ-like lifestyle in the lives of our youth. In the development of this lifestyle, six major emphases come to mind that will be part of youth ministry at Western Hills Baptist Church. A Personal Relationship with Christ; Romans 10:10 states, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." We believe that every youth should have the opportunity to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a clear and understandable presentation, and be given the opportunity to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus.That opportunity is presented often, without any attempt to coerce youth into making such a decision.
Support from Family
Ephesians 6:1-2a states, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother..." We are not in competition with the family, but in support of the family.
Therefore, we will do everything possible to encourage our youth to
properly relate to their parents and help them in fulfilling the
biblical mandate given in Ephesians.
Healthy Self-Esteem
1 Timothy 4:12 states, "Don't let anyone look down on you
because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech,
in life, in love, in faith, and in purity."
We believe that youth are people of value in the sight of God, and
therefore, they are people of value to us as well. We will attempt to
help the youth see their value and use that wealth of knowledge to help
others do the same.
Evangelism and Discipleship
2 Corinthians 5:20 a states, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors..." Likewise 2 Timothy 2:2 states, "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."
As youth are led to a personal relationship with Jesus, they should in
turn, grow to be more like Jesus through a process of Bible study which
leads to a life of discipline and an excitement about sharing Christ
with others.
We will endeavor to bring about such growth in a health fashion. We will not force the youth to adopt a certain "right way to live', but rather encourage them to mature at their own pace while maintaining their personal identity.
A Commitment to Missions
Matthew 25:34-40 discusses the concept of ministering to those who are in need "the hungry...the thirsty...the stranger...the naked...the sick...the prisoner. In a word, this is "missions", and we see the need to reach out to our community."Therefore, we will attempt to give our youth the opportunity to minister to people in a variety of ways. We will do this, not because we feel sorry for them, but because God has instructed us to help people in need and because we see this as a great opportunity to be involved in the same type of ministry in which Jesus involved Himself.
A Team Concept
Parents,
youth, and the church in partnership, i.e. teamwork! That's the way to
accomplish the above stated emphases, the church cannot produce these
qualities of life in youth without the help of parents, and we as a
church will be supportive, as parents in their God given mandate to "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4b).
Together, we can see some wonderful things happen in the lives of our youth.
Remember, these will only happen when we are plugged in to the power
source: Jesus Christ. It is not a game. It is a way of life!
In the end, may it be true of us that we followed closely the challenge of Paul to the church at Corinth when he said, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God"
(1Corinthians 10:31).
