"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
Our Vision
Our vision is to see students glorify God by helping them know, love, obey, and exalt Jesus Christ as they become fully functioning members of Providence Baptist Church.
This vision for our students is the vision of our church that say:"Our duty and privilege is to conform to the divine purpose in creation and history and redemption; namely, to reflect the value of God's glory...to think, feel, and do whatever we must to make much of God. Our reason for being, our calling, our joy is to render visible the glory of God."
Our vision for our students flows from 1 Peter 2:4-5:
"As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Student Ministry at Providence is designed, not to supplant the body of Christ, but to help these students grow into functioning members of that body who glorify God in all that they do. As such our strategy for discipling students is foundational for how we function as a ministry.
Our Strategy
Our strategy can be summarized into 3 categories: Gather, Grow, Go.
Gather: Students gather together with the rest of the body of Christ at Providence Baptist Church each Lord's Day as we worship God, partake of the ordinances, and hear the exposition of God's Word.
Grow: We grow together through the various times that we meet together in age and gender appropriate groups for further discipleship and study of God's Word. We do this on Sunday mornings, Wednesday nights, and through our retreats.
- Sunday Morning Sunday School: 9am - 10am
- Wednesday Night K-Group: 5:45pm - 7:45pm
- Monthly Fellowships
- Winter Retreat
- Summer Student Camp
Go: As the body of Christ we are then commanded to go in service of the Gospel and so the students have several opportunities to do just that within the body of Christ and for the community around us.
- Childcare ministry to parents (during specific events)
- Local Service Ministry
- Annual Mission Trips
Our Method
Partnership with the family...
This strategy of student discipleship is only properly done by working with our families. We desire to partner with the parents of students to see their children grown into mature and faithful Christian men and women who are church members. Everything that we do in Student Ministry is to be in support of the discipleship work done at home. As such, we understand that you as parents have a massive role to play and we want to support you in that role through any means that we are able. The number one indicator of a child who will put their faith in Christ is faithful Christian parents who live out their faith. The second indicator is a non-parent adult who is discipling that student. To assist in this discipleship work we have many volunteer leaders that are seeking to assist in discipling your students and seeing them grow into the men and women of God that He has created them to be. Parents, we are praying for you in this work. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believeing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13.
-- Joel Blevins, Student Minister