About
Today young people have access to an ever increasing array of communication devices, yet often yearn for personal, real contact which is missing from the haze of a computer terminal. Parents work hard to provide the latest in gadgets and toys for their children. Unfortunately the very items they buy often widen the communication gap between them. Spiritually, our young people need more than what this high-tech, hands-on, visually stimulating, hooked-up, wired-for-sound culture can provide.
Young people want a welcoming atmosphere where they can hang and be themselves. Spiritually savvy teens are looking for more meaningful relational experiences than typically offered in many high-energy youth groups. More hype will not work; we have to move past the facades and into their hearts. Achieving this takes relationship, time, love and a whole bunch of prayer. On another level, youth are looking for a place where they can safely and authentically become who they are becoming. When they sense God has something to say to about their future, life begins to get dynamic for them. They want to meet the mystery and majesty of God by holding hands in prayer with candles and quiet instead of large-screen entertainment. Too often kids see church as a spectator sport. We need to help them use their skills in the church. In the past, the church was the premier institution for training in music and the arts; our teens need to discover and use their artistic gifts freely for God’s glory. The key is providing authentic growth opportunities.
There are five areas that encompass the ministry to youth here at Grace:
Reach Reach out to the lost
Rave Rave about God corporately, individually, and in our spheres of influence
Radiate Radiate His love through outreach, evangelism & service
Relate Relate to other believers at regular weekly meetings and special events
Raise Raise a godly seed through discipleship
Maintaining the status quo is not an option; we work to cultivate a hunger to respond to God’s love, to be transformed, to grow.
|
