In today’s society teenagers are leaving the church at an alarming rate. In 1995 one book estimated that at least 50% of teens left the church following their high school graduation. Today that statistic is estimated as high as 90% and is evidenced in every congregation of which I have been a part. As the Youth and Family Minister at the Scenic Hills Church of Christ my goal is to counteract this horrific trend. I am here to assist parents in developing a lifelong
commitment to Christ in their teenagers. My goal is not just to influence teens while they are a part of the youth group but also to influence them to be faithful Christians after they leave the youth group.
In order to help everyone understand the direction of our youth ministry program we developed the acronym P.R.A.I.S.E. which identifies the primary purposes of our program. Thus, the Scenic Hills Youth Ministry exists to PRAISE God in our:
PARTICIPATION as we use our abilities within the body of Christ (1 Peter 4:10)
RELATIONSHIPS as we seek to bring others to Christ (Mark 16:15)
ADORATION as we glorify God through personal and congregational worship (John 4:24)
INTELLECT as we mature in spiritual and biblical knowledge (Ephesians 5:15-17)
SERVICE as we work for the benefit of Christ as well as others (Matthew 25:31-46)
EXAMPLE as we imitate Christ in our daily lives (John 13:15)
These purposes will serve as the guidelines for everything we do within the youth ministry program. Please continuously pray for me that I will direct this program as God desires and that we might break the trend of teens leaving the church.
Youth Ministry
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