The goal of the student ministry at Grace Baptist is to disciple teens to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. However, our student ministry is not just about teens—it’s about their entire family. We are firmly committed to equipping parents to be the primary spiritual leaders of their children (Deut 6:4-9, Ps 78:1-8, Eph 6:4). Therefore, we minister to students with the home in mind. If a student has Christian parents, our goal is to partner with them on two levels. First, we want to equip them to be godly parents so that they will effectively disciple their own children. Second, we want to be a resource that they can utilize in the discipleship of their teen(s). If the student does not have Christian parents, our goal is to help the teen learn to faithfully follow Jesus as he glorifies God at home in hope of seeing his parents also become followers of Jesus.

What can students expect?

Are you tired of chasing popularity, what’s “cool,” and playing religious games? Then you will find a home at Grace. Our goal is to prepare you to live as a godly adult, so we utilize a small group ministry to teach you the overall message of the Bible, give you an in-depth understanding of the essential doctrines of the Bible, and prepare you to defend your faith. Basically, you will know what you believe, why you believe it, and how to defend it. In addition, here are a few of the things you will love about our student ministry:

  • Relationships–with other teens and godly adults.
  • Real life application of God’s Word.
  • Solid, biblical teaching.
  • Opportunities to serve and grow in your leadership ability.
  • God-centered, student-led, engaging worship and teaching each Wednesday.
  • A fun, relaxed atmosphere where you can be you and grow in Christ.

Students, our goal is to equip you with a solid foundation in your faith so that you know what you believe, why you believe it, and how to defend it. While our student ministry is fun, we are not focused solely on fun because we understand that a student ministry that is just “fun” will not be of any use to you when your beliefs are challenged in Biology 101, when you are on the mission field in Southeast Asia, or when you experience times of trials or tragedy. Here is what you should expect from our student ministry:


Sunday Small Groups

Our small groups are one of our greatest strengths and serve to equip you for life in the midst of our culture. Our small groups are grouped according to gender and grade so that you can grow in Christ with your peers and are led by godly adults who will help you apply God’s Word to your life. If you go through our small group ministry, you will learn…

  • The big story of the Bible and how you fit into it.
  • The main beliefs of the Christian faith.
  • The biblical worldview.
  • The worldviews of other religions.
  • How to defend your faith.

Our small groups meet every Sunday morning at 9:00, beginning with a time of fellowship and breakfast with the entire group.


Wednesday Night Worship (Oasis)

Each Wednesday night at 6:00 we gather to eat, fellowship, and worship. Our time of worship is led by our student worship team and a message is given by Pastor Matt or another guest speaker. These messages are relevant and in-depth, helping you to gain a better understanding of God’s Word, his calling in your life, and how to navigate life as a Christian teen. 

What can parents expect?

You are the primary spiritual leader of your children and no one has more influence in their life than you do. But, like most parents, you probably already knew that. The question most parents ask is, “How do I lead my child spiritually?” Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge, resources, abilities, and opportunities to not only know how to lead your children, but to actually do it. In order to do this, we will equip you to carry out your role as a parent in the following ways.

  • Training–you will receive a weekly newsletter that provides you with the knowledge, information, and resources to lead your child.
  • Involvement–we want you involved in our ministry, so be ready to serve!
  • A focused plan–you will know exactly what to expect your student to learn in small groups while she is in our ministry.
  • Rites of passage–we have a structure to guide you through the key transitions in your child’s life as he/she grows into a godly adult.
  • Solid, biblical teaching for both you and your teen.
  • Weekly pod-casts of the Wednesday night youth sermon (available below).

For too long youth ministries have been “baby-sitting” services where the parents dropped off their teens for the “professionals” to teach and disciple their children. You will not find this mentality at Grace Baptist. Parents, we have two desires in our student ministry: First, we want to equip you to be an effective spiritual leader for your teen. Second, we hope to partner with you in discipling your student.


Family Ministry Approach

At Grace we don’t see ourselves as having separate children’s and youth ministries.  Instead, our emphasis is upon having a family ministry that seeks to minister to the whole family and help equip parents to be the primary leaders in their homes.  Click CLICK HERE to read more about our approach to family ministry.


How do we equip you to be a godly parent?

Being the parent of a teenager means that you have an incredible opportunity before you to teach your child how to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. However, this opportunity for discipleship is not without its challenges. Therefore, our desire is to equip you for the blessed task of raising a godly teen. Here are a few ways we will equip you.

  • The Family Bridge    A weekly e-letter that is filled with information about the student ministry, important dates, info on youth culture, and pertinent articles to help you raise your teen. CLICK HERE to begin receiving The Family Bridge.
  • FaithTalk Guides     The FaithTalk is a family devotion that we provide in the worship folder each Sunday. This devotion is based on the sermon and is appropriate for families with children of all ages.
  • Rites of Passage     At Grace we equip parents to intentionally lead their children through four critical rites of passage as they mature into an adult. For an overview of our rites of passage, click HERE.
  • Resources     There are a lot of very good resources available to help you be a godly parent–and some that aren’t very good as well. Grace will equip you with biblically sound resources to hone your parenting skills. For a list of recommended resources, CLICK HERE.
  • Training     At various times throughout the year we offer parent trainings. These will occur during Disciple Now and Camp, along with other times of strategic training.


How do we partner with you in discipling your teen?

We believe that the most effective way we can partner with you is to offer a student ministry that is a resource which complements and enhances what you are teaching your teen about God at home. Here is how we do this.

  • Small Groups (Sunday School)    Working in conjunction with the children’s ministry, the student ministry Sunday school is part of a strategic plan to equip students with a knowledge of what they believe, why they believe it, and how to defend it. An overview of the Grace Baptist teaching plan for children and youth can be found CLICK HERE.
  • Involvement     We want you to be involved in the ministry to your teens! Don’t just drop them at the door–come in and minister to them. We want you to serve food, teach classes, go on trips, lead leadership team, etc.
  • Missions     We provide you with opportunities to serve together as a family. There is nothing that teaches your child about missions better than to go on a mission trip together.
  • Oasis (Wednesday youth worship)     Each Wednesday night we gather the students for a time of worship and teaching that is Christ-centered. During this time we teach through books of the Bible and on relevant youth issues.