Teen Ministry

Cultivating: The idea of cultivation brings with it intentionality, sweat equity, and time investment along with an involved personal relationship. Such is the picture in a farming sense as we think of plowing and sowing, watering and weeding, and harvesting. Yet, on the other hand, there is another force at play: the force that causes the plant to grow. We see this used as an example of the kingdom of God in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 9 among other places.

As we consider our teens (and truly, every member of Grace!) we recognize the need for this kind of work. We plow and sow by sharing the word of God with those who have not come to know Him yet. We water and weed by encouraging in positive ways as well as rebuking or correcting in what often may feel like negative ways, and in so doing we facilitate their sanctification. The harvest could speak to their salvation, but in a greater sense it speaks to their fruitfulness as reproducing (the flower or fruit is the potential for new plants that also bring forth flowers and fruit). In this case, as we consider the growth of our teens, we are speaking of the
work of the Spirit of God within their hearts.

Servant: Jesus Christ, the One whom we seek to emulate, was Himself a servant. He both spoke (Matthew 20, Mark 10, and Luke 19) and lived (Philippians 2) this truth. The title of 'servant' speaks not so much to what a person does, but to the way in which he goes about it. To this point we need only look to the Servant Songs of Isaiah (Chapters 42, 49, 50, 52, & 53). We as Christians are called to serve God and righteousness and not self, sin, or other men (Romans 6, Galatians 1, 2, & 4, 1 Timothy 4, Titus 3, 2 Peter 2).

We desire our teens to minister alongside the rest of our membership at Grace. We want them to live out their identity as a δοῦλοσ or 'bond-slave' of Christ. While the world has promised freedom, it never meets expectations. We want to show our students the freedom that comes from offering yourself as a slave to God (and others!). We want to teach them the skills to be able to serve well, and also guide their hearts and attitudes to be pleasing to God.

Leaders: The best leaders did not focus their time on becoming leaders. Likewise, a Christian cannot lead well if His greatest goal in life is to become a leader. Such was not the model of our Lord; rather, He made a point not to be well known (Mark 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, & 9). Similar to servanthood, leadership is not determined by a man's position but by his heart. So then, we are not trying to turn followers into leaders. Our goal is to train these students in the way of Christ's servant-leadership, so that when they find themselves leading others they do so in a God- honoring way.

There are a host of different qualities or traits that could have been considered to be trademarks of good leadership. In our case, we will use the following four characteristics exemplified by Christ to set the standard of good Christian leadership. 1) Leaders love. Christian leaders must love and care for those they lead (Mark 10). 2) Leaders labor. A leader will never be trusted to lead if he does not first prove himself work (John 5). 3) Leaders listen. A leader's greatest tool is his ears. Those he leads will trust him more and understand him better, and he will have greater understanding in where they need to go next (Mark 8; John 21). 4) Leaders lead. This may be rather obvious but is necessary to mention. Direction, purpose, hope, and strategy all flow from good leadership (Luke 12; Acts 1.8). We will teach our teens both by word and example to follow after Christ as they have the opportunity to lead others.

A student in the CSL program will have the opportunity to serve in a variety of ministries alongside current leaders who will mentor the student by providing training and discipleship so that he or she might be better equipped to serve and lead both inside and outside the context of the local church. Each student who participates will commit to help for a certain period of time.

Within the CSL program, a ‘ministry leader’ is one who oversees the student’s ministry. Ideally, men and women of GBC will be seeking out people they can disciple or mentor to perform their ministry. When it comes to training teenagers in ministry, the CSL program is designed to give structure to the discipleship process and provide accountability to both the student and ministry leader. Each student is to fill out a CSL Commitment Form and turn it in to the ministry leader who will be working with them. The ministry leader will then review the form and turn it in to the church office to be kept on record.

What To Expect: Throughout the duration of the CSL program, the ministry leader will be responsible for (1) communicating with the student, (2) training the student in the ministry or arranging for training, (3) scheduling when the student will be involved in the ministry, (4) providing feedback (both positive and corrective) on the student’s ministry, and (5) encouraging the student’s sanctification by showing the student the spiritual impact of the ministry. Each of these is a natural part of mentoring. At the end of the student’s time being involved in that ministry, the student is to write a brief (2 paragraph) reflection on the ministry opportunity. The ministry leader should review this reflection with the student and parents (formally or informally) to provide feedback. Remember, the purpose is to cultivate servant leaders!

There are two ways to get involved since this program might look different between students

1. Ask! Find the leader of a ministry that is interesting and a good fit for your student's gifts, abilities, and interest. 
2. Respond! Some students are approached by ministries to be a part of a servant leadership role within that ministry. 

Not sure where to start? talk with Pastor Matt for more details.

You will find the CSL Commitment form here