Dear Parents,
Thanks for checking out Grace Fellowship Church Student Ministry. Below you find our purpose statement and core values, these are the guiding principles and evaluation tools for everything that we do. Our student ministry reflects the purposes of our Church as a whole. At Grace Fellowship Church we are about making disciples. A disciple is one who learns from another, for us it is one who learns from another about following Jesus by following them. Making disciples is not a catch phrase for us. It is our purpose therefore....
Purpose Statement: Grace Fellowship Middle School Ministry exists to attract and disciple middle school students into a life driven by knowing God and His Word. We believe that this is most effectively done through life on life discipleship and outreach (LUG), coupled with consistent Bible teaching (Base Camp), missions (Infusion) and leadership development (LEAD).
Core Values:
1. We believe that parents are the primary disciple makers in their child’s life. At Grace Fellowship Church, we desire to support and encourage what you do as parents, by making our times and programs accessible for your family. We also desire to reinforce your role in your child’s life. Over 100 parents are involved in the student ministry department at Grace on a weekly basis. We model parents as valuable members of our ministry team.
2. We like kids and enjoy being around them. At Grace you will not find lots of trips to amusement parks or other “entertainment” based events. Instead you will find a team of adults and high schoolers committed to building relationships with your child. Relationship is the goal; the activities are only the canvas they are painted on.
3. We believe that kids need people in their life they can trust. Each person submits to background and reference checks. All of our team members sign and are held accountable to a ministry covenant regarding ministry excellence and moral purity. We also have specific policies in place to protect your child. We have a no-tolerance policy in regards to the emotional and physical safety of your child.
4. We believe that true happiness comes from serving God. Mission trips are a core part of what we do. This year alone there over 500 openings for missions trips in the student ministry department. Our relationship with God can not be kept quiet, either here, in our schools or overseas. Locally we strongly support Wyldlife, FCA and school Bible clubs with our resources here at Grace Fellowship Church. We are also involved in several weekly ministries to homeless shelters, women and children’s shelters and urban apartment complexes.
5. We believe that God’s Word is the clearest instrument of His communication with us. When Jesus was discipling his followers, they studied the Bible, thus I feel it is important that we learn from the Bible itself and not only from devotional books. We teach the Bible at Grace Fellowship Church and we believe it. We provide relevant and creative ways to make it apply to your child’s life. We also provide tools to help them understand and study it for themselves.
6. We believe that students are capable of leadership. Our high school students are discipled by our team of caring and trained adult leaders. Your middle schooler will be discipled by our high school students along with another adult mentor. We also have service and missions opportunities for middle school students in our children’s ministry, in our middles school ministry and in our mission programs. This philosophy not only builds disciples, it builds leaders.
Peace of Christ ,
Randy E. Rainwater
Pastor of Students
& one who loves Anita my true companion, Daniel, Elizabeth and Sarah, a
father that no longer sees dimly but face to face, a family of faith,
Tennessee Walking Horses, old guitars, our Golden Retriever hitting the
water, UK basketball, a late night run, Grace and all who call it home, the
Word made flesh and telling students about the great affection.