Here is a recap of what we talked about. Please know that we want to minister to parents too - if you ever want to chat, or go for coffee, email me - I'd love to get to know you better!
Student Ministries Overview
- Ministry includes Grades 6-12
- Age groups – Grade 6-7 (iConnect) Grades 8-12 (Youth)
- Amanda - Student Ministries Director (full time) - oversees all Student Ministries programming, groups and initiatives for Grade 6 through college age (college group actively lead by Pastor Stef)
- Connor - Student Ministries Intern (part time) - reports to Amanda, runs iConnect on Friday nights and is involved with Thursday drop in and special events
Overall Goals:
- Help students meet Jesus and deepen relationships with Him
- Foster healthy relationships between students
- Life-applicable education as students grow into young adults
Our Philosophy of Ministry
- Students are not the church of tomorrow – they’re the church of today. We believe students can and should be involved in "big church" and encourage them to serve at Bethany and take steps towards baptism and membership if they are Christians.
- Student Ministries isn’t a “holding tank with pizza” but a vibrant ministry designed to help students meet Jesus and grow in faith in practical ways. We want to see students integrated into the larger picture of Bethany, including building relationships outside of their age group.
- We believe in: hunger, humility, and hustling: hunger for God's word, humility to know we can't do anything apart from him, and hustling to use our gifts, set goals, and work hard to reach people for Jesus.
- We want to build into the lives of students… and parents too! We believe in relationships that run deeper than Friday nights. We also strive to minister to parents and love getting to know them better.
- Our ministry isn’t just for church kids – we design our programming to reach community teens and the friends of our participating youth. Different activities have different purposes, and we want to provide ways to get to know teens, see them come to faith, and then develop that faith deeply.
- We also believe in self-care, for both students and leadership. We are here to support students with what's going on in their lives - don't be afraid to ask for help or talk to us about what's going on in your life. We also believe the same thing for ourselves - we can only do our jobs well if we take care of ourselves and relationships with God and family too.
Safe Spaces
- All adult leaders have criminal record checks and are trained to work with teens (including youth culture, mental health, safety, and more)
- We aim to foster an atmosphere that is welcoming, inclusive, includes teamwork and fun
Consent Waiver – new this year!
- One form covers everything we do, including outings
- Required for Fridays and outings
- Bring your form to the first event you attend and you are covered until August 31, 2017.
- This gives parents the peace of mind to know that we have all important info about your child should they injure themselves or experience a health emergency
- This gives us the peace of mind to know that parents consent to our activities and we can reach them in case of emergency.
Overdrive: Sunday Morning Program
- During Sunday School hour (9:45-10:45 for most groups in the church)
- For Grades 6-12
- Social time followed by lesson options - doors open at 9:30am (drinks and snacks provided), lessons start at 10am
- Students have choice of classes – we aim to offer variety (e.g. Revelation, how to study the Bible, Jewish holidays, movies and the Bible, friendship, etc.)
- This also gives students a chance to get others in our church who may not be regular volunteers at our events
Sunday goals:
- Help students find their footing on the “narrow road”
- Give students practical knowledge about life-applicable topics
- Challenge them to engage in lessons and with others
Friday Night Programming
iConnect: Friday Nights
- Grade 6-7 in the iConnect room
- Fridays alternate between Alive nights and events
- Alive: games, snacks, worship (with youth), devotionals, service projects, etc.
- Events: in-house activities, outings, etc.
Youth: Friday Nights
- Grade 8-12 in the Youth room
- Fridays alternate between Alive nights and events
- Alive: games, concession (proceeds go to our sponsor child), worship, message, small groups
- Events: in-house activities, outings, etc.
Friday goals:
- Help students have fun build healthy relationships
- Starting point for non-Christians to learn more about Jesus
- Time for students and adult leaders to connect and pray
Drop-In: Thursday Afternoons
- Drop in program from 2:30-5pm
- For Grades 6-10 (11-12 can volunteer)
- Gym time, snacks/concession, board games, video games, homework help, table games and more
Thursday Goals:
- Meet community students where they are at
- Get to know them better in a safe space
- Build connections to share Jesus
Mid-week Area Bible Studies
Surrey Group
- Meets at Heidi's home (near Panorama Ridge Secondary)
- Every second Tuesday at 7pm (starts Sept. 27)
- Fellowship and discussion - studying "Jesus Centred Life" curriculum
Richmond Group
- Meets at Norm's home (near Cambie Secondary)
- Every second Wednesday at 7pm (starts Oct. 5)
- Fellowship and discussion
Bible Study Goals:
- Guide students who want to dig deeper into the Bible
- Challenge students who are maturing in faith
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