Grace Church Youth Ministries

“If I could relive my life, I would devote my entire ministry 

to reaching children for God!”   D.L. Moody

  Some years ago someone gave us what was little more than a limb of a Corkscrew Weeping Willow. At first, as it began to grow, I was careful to protect it and keep it growing straight, but it got away from me. Before I knew it we had a small tree that was tilting. If I had only directed it when it was much younger, it might be growing straight today. 

  That can be true with young people. Children and teens are setting patterns that often follow them into adulthood. As adults, we’re responsible for our choices. The time though to direct young lives is when they’re not yet set in their ways and so much more moldable.

  The young people in our church are our church’s future. They’re our investment in Christ’s Kingdom for tomorrow. This is why we’re making some adjustments in our youth ministries. At Grace we’re committed to investing in tomorrow today.  

  First, to make it more convenient for parents so that they don’t feel like they’re out another night or driving a “taxi cab,” we’re putting our midweek children’s and teen ministries on the same evening.

  AMPED, our biblically based children’s program is designed for those in 4-K through 5th grade. AMPED will now meet every Wednesday from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Besides games, snacks and prizes, there are two vital ingredients in AMPED that we believe are vital for their spiritual future.

  Bible Memory. Amped has lots of things going for it – Bible lessons, games, crafts, snacks, etc. Yet one of its most important aspects is memorizing Scripture. Psalms 119:11 says, “I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He didn’t fight the devil off with His divine power. Jesus beat back Satan’s attack with memorized Scripture. Amazingly, every verse our Lord used was memorized from the book of Deuteronomy.

  Everyone knows that children have amazing memories and memorize easily. In fact, they often memorize effortlessly. Since memorization is so easy for them, they’re memorizing constantly. At Amped we want to utilize this God-given gift for the benefit of their spiritual growth.

  Studies show that this “window of opportunity” is open for about twelve years. After age twelve, memorization is harder — unless a child has been trained in the habit of memorization.

  Yet, what is learned in childhood is often retained for a lifetime. Memorizing God’s Word provides children with an ever-present counselor and protector. You and I can’t always be with our children. If the Bible is hidden in their hearts, they have divine wisdom with them at all times. God’s Word is much more powerful than our words. It can protect them from the attack of the enemy.

  GRACE STUDENT MINISTRIES (GSM). There are many good youth programs out there and we are thankful for how God uses them. At Grace, we are committed to…

  Biblical Truth. We have our teens for such a short time. After they enter adulthood the statistics are disheartening for how many of them drop out of the church, and sometimes never to return again. Then, they’re bombarded nearly 24/7 with anti-biblical messages. Usually, there are just three places where they are going to learn God’s truth from Scripture (your home), personal Bible study/devotions, and the local church.

  A good teen program isn’t going to succeed with teens if it’s another “classroom.” God’s truth shouldn’t be boring. They need the opportunity to be teens. They need socialization and freedom from screens. They need a safe place with no peer pressure and certainly no bullying.

  They need to be taught how to work through the Bible for themselves. They need to be taught how to feed themselves from God’s Word, not spoon fed. They need to be taught to ask the right questions and to know for themselves how to find the right answers, not be indoctrinated. God wants all of us to think and be wise. Wisdom is found in His Word!

  Community. All Christians, including teens, are called to live in a community with God's people. All Christians are called to serve other members of God's people, to love them, to be held accountable by them, to be taught by them. Teens desperately need that! If they do not have a circle of friends with the same values, if they don't have the freedom to participate in that community, it can be detrimental to their faith and spiritual future.

  Read the New Testament. It never teaches “Jesus and me.” It consistently teaches Jesus and us. It teaches community and multi-generationalism.

  From the Garden to eternity in heaven, God’s plan for us is community. In a culture of screens, young people are often isolated. They don’t know how to engage and interact with fellow teens. And asking them to interact and have Christian adult friends is like asking them to visit Mars.  

  Because teens often fail to develop adult friends during those critical years, once they’re post-youth group, they abandon the church because all of their friends are in the youth group. Young people need older adult friends who love them, pray for them, encourage them and mentor them. It doesn’t just happen at a midweek teen program.

  Standing Alone. Over and over again you will find that those who God uses have learned to depend on Him to stand alone from Joseph in Genesis, to David, to Esther, and even to Mary the mother of Jesus. All of us know what it is to face cultural peer pressure in today’s world. If our young people are not taught to have their own convictions and to stand alone, they will just be more tragic statistics of a culture gone mad.

  A youth program is only as successful as its ability to help young people know Jesus Christ personally. When young people realize they can have a personal relationship with God, it gives them a purpose by recognizing that their existence is part of His bigger plan.

  At Grace we’re committed to partnering with you as their parents in both Amped and GSM. We want to encourage you and come alongside you in helping your children transition into a healthy adult spiritual life, one that pleases God. If they learn to live for the Lord now during these formative years, it will help them live for the Lord when they’re independent adults.  

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.