REACHING~ Showing teens they have a Savior in Jesus
CONNECTING~ Helping teens establish their place in the family of God
ADVANCING~ Assisting teens in their spiritual growth and maturity
TRAINING~ Teaching teens to exercise their talents for God
EXALTING~ Encouraging teens to give their lives to God and praise Him everyday
Ministry Focus Highlights:
Bible Classes – provide in-depth studies for the teens that dive deep into God’s word and challenge them to grow and mature their relationship with God our Father.
Advances– provide getaway experiences for the teens to refocus and renew their Christian walks… traditionally taken to the pine woods of East Texas.
Mission Trips– teach teens to grow through service and the sharing of God’s word to mission areas supported by our congregation. We travel to Honduras and South Texas and primarily work with churches and children’s homes through works of service – i.e., building houses and church buildings, Vacation Bible Schools, Youth Rallies, and more. The teens help develop, organize, and carry out mission activities on each Mission Trip.
Service Projects – identify church members, local Christian organizations (Hilltop Haven and Samaritan Inn), civic organizations, and other churches that the youth can provide a service for (e.g. – singing and encouragement, painting houses, lawn work, city clean-ups, etc.)… Training the teen students to develop their servant-like attitudes and exercise their talents for God.
Youth Rallies and Area Christian Youth Functions – provide opportunities for teens to worship, connect with other Christian teens, and build identity within the extended family of God (Winterfest, Area-Wide Worships, Lock-Ins).
LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) – provide opportunities for the teens to grow in Christian leadership and Bible knowledge. This annual convention at the Dallas Downtown Hyatt Regency and other hotels around the Metroplex brings together thousands of kids to practice and perform various church leadership and service activities… such as song leading, Bible Bowl, speeches, and sign-language. Their website is www.ntltc.org.
Devotionals – give students regular opportunities to worship and fellowship with other students in the church youth group.
Summer Camps – provide an opportunity for growth, learning, and fun to help students excel in spiritual habits and community building. Our 3rd through 6th graders have Summer Camp at Brookhaven Retreat in Hawkins, Texas, and our 7th through 12th graders have Summer Camp at Collin County Adventure Camp in Westminister, Texas. In addition to these camp sessions, we offer to the teens opportunities to participate in Wilderness Trek Camp in Salida, Colorado, and Harding University’s Uplift Camp in Searcy, Arkansas.
Community Building Activities – offer events for students to build stronger Christian relationships and develop stronger bonds of fellowship. All youth functions are planned with the goal in mind that we will teach the students to strengthen one another in the love of Christ.
Youth Internship Program – hire college-age Summer Interns who have a love for Christ and teens to work alongside our students and help support them in their growth and development into adult Christians. We believe that this program assists in the development of future ministers and on the other side of the coin gives our teens, college-age Christian leaders to help guide our students in their Christian walks. We seek to hire a male and female intern each summer to work with our teens.
God's Word
Proverbs 22:6 NIV “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
Psalms 119: 9 NIV “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.”
Ecclesiastes 12:1 “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NIV “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
