Every meeting we hold and event we plan has one of these four areas as its primary goal. Our primary goal on Sunday nights is evangelism and outreach.  Friends of our youth are always welcome to any event Grace sponsors, and many of the youth who attend Sunday night youth group are not actually members, but friends of members.  Inviting a friend to youth group is a great non-threatening way for youth to introduce their friends to a relationship with God.  On Sunday nights we hope to pique students’ interest in topics of faith and help them to see how Christianity relates to each one of them personally and to their everyday life.  Many of our special events are also planned with evangelism and outreach in mind so that kids begin to feel comfortable in a church setting (This is why we love the GYM so much!).  We also want to provide an environment where students can become comfortable with our youth leaders so they are open to explore questions about faith.

Most of our trips blend evangelism/outreach and discipleship.  On our summer church camp trips - The Great Escape (6th and 7th graders) and Fun in the Son (8th graders and high schoolers) - many of our youth make a commitment to pursue their faith.  It is on these trips where they really feel they experience God in a personal and powerful way for the first time and their faith becomes their own and not just what they were brought up with.  Fall retreats, Metamorphosis, and other trips also spur kids on in their faith.  For some, it proves to be the spark that causes them to take their faith seriously, and for others it is a way to add more fuel to the fire of their already growing faith.

Most of our discipleship occurs in our weekly small group Bible studies.  It is in this smaller setting that students are challenged to really study Scripture, ask deep questions, and seek to understand God’s Word.  To us, the small group Bible studies are truly the backbone of our ministry.  It is in these smaller groups that students really connect with one another, with leaders, and most importantly Christ.  Those involved in small group Bible study tend to stay more involved in church and take their faith into consideration when making tough adolescent decisions.  Discipleship also occurs in middle school Sunday school, confirmation classes and other special events.

Although we try to include more service during the school year, our primary service events are our summer mission trips and service projects.  There is a service or mission opportunity for every grade 6 - 12 each summer.  Eighth graders take a national mission trip, and sixth and seventh graders have a local service project.  We are always looking for ideas to incorporate more service for our youth throughout the year - a difficult task at times considering our numbers and some age limitations.  If you know of any possible service projects or ministries in need of help, please let us know!

Relational Ministry

At Grace Community Church, we employ the ministry model known as “relational ministry.”  This simply means that we take an ACTIVE role in student’s lives. . . instead of waiting for them at church, we take Jesus to them, on their turf.  Our ministry does not revolve around programs, it revolves around people.  The programs are simply the means to begin developing relationships.  We want our leaders to not just know about the lives of our students, but to be in the lives of our students.  The relationships that our leaders develop with the students is the central part of our ministry.  As our leaders build these relationships and our youth know they genuinely care about them, the leaders gain the youth’s respect and earn the privilege of sharing the love of Christ with our youth. 

This style of youth ministry becomes a ministry
with  students rather than a
program-centered ministry to students.
Programs don’t develop relationships; people do.

When you ask a teenager to list their top ten favorite places to frequent, church usually misses the cut.  Students sometimes come to us, but Jesus teaches us in the Great Commission (Matthew 28) that we should be going to them.  We encourage our leaders to do weekly “contact ministry.”  Simply be in contact with kids.  Go where they go and spend time with them . . . on campus, at school sporting events, at the mall, at school plays, at piano recitals, on the basketball court - wherever your students go, our leaders attempt to spend time with them there.  Contact ministry allows leaders to learn more about the students and their true needs, and gives the students the arena they need to begin to trust them as real people they can count on.  The leaders are no longer the “guy/gal from church,” but their friend.

Youth Group

Youth Group is for rising 7th and 8th graders.  Sixth graders...see section below...are invited to attend after the Christmas Holidays.  One of the primary goals of middle school Sunday night youth group is evangelism and outreach.  On Sunday nights we hope to provide a church setting that is welcoming, inviting, and fun to disprove the myth that Christianity is boring and the Bible can not relate to a middle schooler’s life in the twenty- first century.  A typical Sunday night youth group includes singing a variety of contemporary praise songs - some upbeat, others more worshipful - some kind of game or icebreaker, often a skit or video, an offering to support two Compassion International children, and a message about Christ or daily Christian living either by a speaker or sometimes in smaller discussion groups.  Youth Group meets during the school year on Sunday nights from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

Many of the activities we do through youth group are focused on looking inward and on spiritual growth.  But we know that as Christians we are also called to serve others.  Several summers ago at the Great Escape we were given the opportunity to sponsor a few children who are much less fortunate than the youth who make up our youth group.  We have committed to sponsoring 2 underprivileged children through an organization called Compassion International.  We are sponsoring a 11 year old boy who lives in India named Ketan and an 9 year old girl who lives in Haiti named Lukennise.  It costs $28 a month to sponsor each child.  The money goes toward the child’s physical needs as well as Christian training, health care, and learning opportunities.  Each week at youth group we will take up an offering from our middle schoolers to pay for the sponsorship. This provides a great opportunity for you to talk to your youth about the importance of tithing.  We hope that the youth will use their own money to give to someone in need.  If each youth gave only $1 each week, we should have more than enough money to support both these young kids.

Sunday School

Although we believe it is important for middle schoolers to experience the worship service at church each week, we do offer middle school Sunday school for all 6th - 8th graders during the 9:15 service in the GYM. The lead teacher for this class is Andy Cook. There are also adult table leaders each week who facilitate discussions.   

Confirmation

Confirmation classes are offered to 7th – 12th graders each fall for those students who are ready to make a commitment to join the church.  Students must attend 5 classes and commit to completing outside assignments as they learn and discuss basic tenets of Christianity and what it means to be a part of the church.  At the end of the classes, students are given the opportunity to decide if they would like to join Grace Community Church at that time.  The class culminates with a Confirmation banquet on a Sunday morning when the class meets with the Board of Elders to share what they have learned and to be approved for membership and ends with a luncheon.  Families are invited and encouraged to attend the banquet.  Confirmation is offered once a year in the fall.  Classes are held on Sunday mornings during the 11:00 service.  Confirmation classes begin on Sunday, September 26 and run through Sunday, October 31.  You must complete a registration packet that can be picked up at the church in order to participate in this class.