Youth Ministries

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power-together with all the saints-to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ..."

- Ephesians 3:18

A wide variety of opportunities exist at FBC for middle school and high school students. Weekly gatherings, special events, summer excursions, and winter retreats are all elements of the youth ministry experience. Among other fantastic experiences designed just for them, our students have had the opportunity to minister to Native American children in Canada, repair church buildings in Mexico, and climb mountains in Colorado!

GAIT (Middle School Ministry)

Endurance...stamina...pace. The purpose of a gait is to get you somewhere-typically an end-point that is a long way from where you've started. Because of this spiritually age appropriate imagery; the Middle School Youth Group has identified itself with the acronym G.A.I.T. (suggested by Claudia Melton), which stands for God's Army In Training.

FBC's Middle School program centers directly on what its name suggests-training. During the formative years between 12 and 15, studies have shown that kids develop the morals and values which will continue to govern their choices for life. This means it is vitally important for mature Christians to impress, instruct, and interact with middle school students in their world, and on their spiritual level-NOW!

As a church, FBC has decided that the church exists on earth for the purposes of Witnessing, Worshipping, & Community Building. It is the expressed desire of the GAIT team that our students will see, smell, hear, taste and touch each of these elements, and by doing so fall in love with Jesus!

Upcoming Events:

447 (High School Ministry)

The current high school youth group at FBC has a true servant heart, a rare characteristic capable of opening the floodgates of God's Spirit into this community; but also a gift that must be honed like iron by the Word. That goal has led our vision for Senior High into a search for what a Christian servant's identity looks like, and our name is a code for locating a Jesus story that begins our investigation.

The first 4 stands for the fourth book of the New Testament, John. The second 4 leads us to the fourth chapter, and 7 puts us at the verse which reads, "When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her 'Will you give me a drink?'"

Our highest priority as Christian servants is to become vessels for the refreshing water of spiritual life in Christ. The Samaritan woman told her community about what happened when she met Jesus, and as a result most of them also believed. Like the woman at the well, we are the minority representatives in popular culture today. Like her, we were once thirsty and parched. Like her, we have been known, rescued, and taught by our Maker. Like the Bible shows us in 447, we offer the drink of Christ to others!

FBC's high school ministry is geared toward interacting with the practical side of living like Christ-followers in a culture far removed from our God. Taking the truth of John 4:7 as our banner, we believe that we are called by Christ to offer living water to a dry and spiritually thirsty generation. The primary goals of this group are learning how to be Christian influences to others, how to love one another effectively, and how to pursue God in our daily lives.

Upcoming Events:

YOUTH MINISTRY RATIONALE

The spiritual life can often be very confusing and far removed from our daily lives... and though our teens display a desire to spread spiritual roots, they often get choked out by the culture that surrounds them. Immersed in a society that chooses self-indulgence over worship, it becomes increasingly difficult for young people to know God. And while the weeds of the information age battle for our attention, false wisdom threatens to steal their hearts and minds. Yet in the midst of this struggle to live, our God created within us the need to plant our souls into a relationship with Him.

That's why First Baptist Church Youth Ministries (FBCYM) exists-to help Biblically feed, spiritually water, and practically tend the gardens of our kid's souls.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Please feel free to contact Pastor Ben Cooley.

LINKS

• Our Current Curriculum - Student Life Bible Study
• Online Bible
• Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
• Conservative Baptist Association

DOWNLOADS

• Student Medical/Travel Release Form