The Philosophy of Student Ministry
1. A biblical student ministry should equip parents to make disciples out of their children.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Proverbs 1:8-9; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21
Too often, churches functioning as the only means of discipleship for children. Churches have willingly provided programming based on age, and have separated students from adults and attempted to discipled these students in isolation. When the church creates an expectation that the church is a primary disciplers, parents expect that the church will make their children into followers of Christ. While a noble goal, parents see their children more often and on much deeper level than the student ministry does. Parents need to be made disciples of Christ in order to make their children disciples of Christ. A student ministry should function to come alongside parents to raise their children, not attempt to raise children without parents. Parents are the ultimate asset to student ministry, not the enemy.
2. A biblical student ministry should equip students to lead their friends to Christ.
Mark 16: 15; Matthew 28: 19-20; Mathew 9: 37-38; Romans 1: 16; 2 Timothy 4: 5
Many students are taught to invite their friends to church so that they can hear a Gospel presentation. A Gospel-centered student ministry will equip students to share the Gospel with their friends and other lost people. This will be accomplished through local, national, and international missions. Some students will be best served by serving those that are less-privileged than themselves, and building relationships with non-Christians, in order to point them to Jesus.
3. A biblical student ministry should regularly examine all facets of its ministry to determine its effectiveness and worth.
Philippians 4: 8; Daniel 6: 3; 2 Peter 1: 3-4; Titus 2: 7; Colossians 3: 23
This includes doing everything with a level of excellence. Christians should glorify God in all that they do, and all they do should honor God. This means that when a student ministry does any type of event, it should be done well. A biblical student ministry should examine each major event, such as camps, fundraisers, discipleship-now weekends, lock-ins, and retreats in order to improve on the event. Christians should hold themselves to a high level of excellence, and a biblical student ministry should elicit trust and respect from parents due to its level of organization and good reputation.
4. A biblical student ministry should use all available resources to make disciples out of its students.
2 Timothy 2: 2; Acts 2: 42; Matthew 5: 14-16; Ephesians 4: 11-17; Titus 2: 1
A biblical student ministry should equip and make mature, experienced adult Christians and match them with students, so that the students have someone that is willing and able to walk through life with them and equip them with biblical community where they can learn the Bible and see the cross of Christ fully. A biblical student ministry will invest in the lives of lay leaders and parents who will then invest in the lives of the students. Equipping parents and lay leaders to make disciples of students allows for healthy, biblical growth. Having capable, invested lay leaders allows for more relationships with more students and creates more disciples. These lay leaders are to stand in the gap for those students whose parents are not interested in discipling them, and the parents are responsible for the discipleship of their children.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Proverbs 1:8-9; Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21
Too often, churches functioning as the only means of discipleship for children. Churches have willingly provided programming based on age, and have separated students from adults and attempted to discipled these students in isolation. When the church creates an expectation that the church is a primary disciplers, parents expect that the church will make their children into followers of Christ. While a noble goal, parents see their children more often and on much deeper level than the student ministry does. Parents need to be made disciples of Christ in order to make their children disciples of Christ. A student ministry should function to come alongside parents to raise their children, not attempt to raise children without parents. Parents are the ultimate asset to student ministry, not the enemy.
2. A biblical student ministry should equip students to lead their friends to Christ.
Mark 16: 15; Matthew 28: 19-20; Mathew 9: 37-38; Romans 1: 16; 2 Timothy 4: 5
Many students are taught to invite their friends to church so that they can hear a Gospel presentation. A Gospel-centered student ministry will equip students to share the Gospel with their friends and other lost people. This will be accomplished through local, national, and international missions. Some students will be best served by serving those that are less-privileged than themselves, and building relationships with non-Christians, in order to point them to Jesus.
3. A biblical student ministry should regularly examine all facets of its ministry to determine its effectiveness and worth.
Philippians 4: 8; Daniel 6: 3; 2 Peter 1: 3-4; Titus 2: 7; Colossians 3: 23
This includes doing everything with a level of excellence. Christians should glorify God in all that they do, and all they do should honor God. This means that when a student ministry does any type of event, it should be done well. A biblical student ministry should examine each major event, such as camps, fundraisers, discipleship-now weekends, lock-ins, and retreats in order to improve on the event. Christians should hold themselves to a high level of excellence, and a biblical student ministry should elicit trust and respect from parents due to its level of organization and good reputation.
4. A biblical student ministry should use all available resources to make disciples out of its students.
2 Timothy 2: 2; Acts 2: 42; Matthew 5: 14-16; Ephesians 4: 11-17; Titus 2: 1
A biblical student ministry should equip and make mature, experienced adult Christians and match them with students, so that the students have someone that is willing and able to walk through life with them and equip them with biblical community where they can learn the Bible and see the cross of Christ fully. A biblical student ministry will invest in the lives of lay leaders and parents who will then invest in the lives of the students. Equipping parents and lay leaders to make disciples of students allows for healthy, biblical growth. Having capable, invested lay leaders allows for more relationships with more students and creates more disciples. These lay leaders are to stand in the gap for those students whose parents are not interested in discipling them, and the parents are responsible for the discipleship of their children.
