Student Ministry August 2017
Dear Church Family,
As the summer draws to an end my excitement and anticipation for the fall is growing stronger and stronger. We will be returning to our Wednesday night routine, which we will now be calling our Student Gathering, with the addition of our new student worship band! Also, Sunday night Life Groups will be going full force with all of our upcoming 6th graders! And to top it all off, we have some great events to look forward to like guys and girls nights, fall parties, and a full weekend of discipleship during our D-Now! We have a lot to anticipate from the Lord in the next few months.
The return to a normal schedule can be a really good thing. Summer time for students is a fun time with many opportunities to hang out and enjoy the sun. But with a regular schedule, healthy habits are more easily maintained. One aspect of healthy habits for students is their involvement in church activities including (but not limited to) that of the student ministry. Hebrews 10:24-25 says “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” This is what we are commanded by scripture to do. And what a great command! The Lord is telling us through the author of Hebrews to literally get together, hang out, and encourage each other in Christian love to obey Christ by doing good deeds. This is our goal with all the things we have planned for this coming semester in the student ministry. And I want to encourage you, if you are a student, to come and be a part of all that God is doing in this particular area of our church. If you are the parent or grandparent of a student, I would like to also encourage you to persuade your students to continue in their faith and in their participation with our ministry for them at our church. Not only is it expected of us from scripture, but it is ultimately a great blessing to those who dedicate themselves to Christian love of others. Right now, one of our main goals in the student ministry is creating an atmosphere that promotes Christian unity and discipleship. This atmosphere can only be achieved when we adhere to the words of Hebrews 10:24-25 and God working in us to bring it about.
I have been constantly encouraged by the students in our church. Their desire for unity and their thirst for what the Bible has to say is such a blessing. With a constant focus on the gospel, a passion for discipleship, and a united group of students bound in the love of Christ, there’s no telling what God can do in the life of our church! I hope that as we look forward to the future, these desires will never wain, and I am praying that we can all be excited about and dedicated to what God is doing through the ministries at our church. I can’t wait to continue taking this journey with you as we all follow Christ together!
Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren