God At Work in Our Students
Last weekend more than 20 middle and high school students gathered to dive deeper into their relationships with Christ. Some came as life-long believers. Others arrived with no relationship with Christ. Our approach to reaching students at University Baptist Church is multifaceted, but we sum it up with the phrase: Grow, Grow, Go.
- Grow in the Lord
- Grow as a community
- Go into the world
This specific event was made possible by the 10 leaders who spent some or all of their weekend teaching these students scriptural truths and sharing the light of Christ with them. Families donated supplies. Some church members donated their property to host us while others donated their finances to provide supplies and scholarships for students. Events like this are really a church-wide event, even if we label them as “Youth Ministry.”
My heart is full of gratitude for the way this church cares for one another, in general, and our students in particular. In a recent interview I was asked, “Do you think your church supports students? Are they included in the life of the church or are they seen as more of a nuisance?”
Church, I can honestly say that it is a great privilege to be part of a body of believers who prioritizes students. At UBC we don’t reference our youth as “The Church of tomorrow.” This common refrain in the faith community is well meaning but misguided. Our students are the Church of tomorrow, absolutely, but they are the Church of today, as well. God values youth. He gave it to us. He lived it himself in the life of Christ. Most strikingly, Christ honored adolescence and childhood in His teachings.
In his letter to Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to set an example even to his elders. Timothy was older than our youth at UBC when he received this letter, but he was discredited and disrespected just the same as many students are in our world and, sadly, even in the church at large – simply for being young. Paul was encouraging Timothy that still having more to learn did not discredit the work God was already doing in Him.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” - 1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
Thank you for not only being a Church that helps our students find their voices in Christ but one that also gives them a space to use those voices. I am excited about the future of our Student Ministry, but I am also excited about the present of our Student Ministry as well! - Jason Simon, Minister to Students