Students

Haymarket Baptist Church Youth Ministry Philosophy:
Equipping, Encouraging, and Empowering students in their faith development through worship, dialogue, service, and study.

Objective:
To provide meaningful ways in which youth come to faith in Christ and deepen this life-defining relationship. The guiding conviction is that experiential learning – the hands on activities, questioning, and first-hand experiences – should be used in concert with learning the doctrine of Christian faith. In fact, Christ, the master teacher, many times answered questions with a question, encouraging seekers and disciples alike to discern the call of God for themselves.

The goal in this kind of approach is to empower youth to discover the meaning of the Christian faith. This is accomplished through corporate worship, dialogue, Bible study, service (missions), and Christian fellowship. The belief is this kind of approach will equip youth with the confidence and desire to follow God and foster life-long active church membership.

What the Youth Ministry Intentionally Fosters:

1. Knowledge of the Christian Faith and the person of Jesus
Encourage the youth to be conversant about belief in Judeo-Christian understanding of God and God’s attributes.
2. Biblical Literacy
Ability to use the Bible and value it as a resource for faith development
3. Ownership of Faith
Ability to move from a parent’s, family, or friend’s faith to a faith informed by own experiences when encountering God through prayer, worship, study, and service.
4. A holistic faith
Understanding that faith in God impacts everything a person does.
5. Community with one another inside and outside the church
To grow beyond a self-serving life to a life-giving attitude to one another
6. An ethical and respectful life (respect/reverence)
To appreciate and respect those around them – parents, ‘elders,’ siblings, friends, and ‘enemies.’ To understand that all are God’s children and all have redemptive qualities.
7. Stewardship of God’s blessings
To expect wise use of all that we have – time, money, food, things, and opportunity
8. Compassion
To have eyes that recognize real need and to show and act with compassion for those in need.
9. Spiritual Giftedness
To recognize their purpose and to see that everyone has a gift that enhances our community together and glorifies God.
10. Recognition of local church
To be actively involved in an intergenerational community of worship.
11. Fun!
Well, duh!