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Welcome Parents and Guardians,
We are so honored to have your child joining us this year in YTH Ministry! It is our joy to partner with you as you disciple your child and raise them up in the ways of the Lord. Every year, we get to watch God bring salvation, freedom, healing and purpose to teenagers as He moves in their lives. We say frequently that there is no “junior Holy Spirit”. The same power and presence of the Holy Spirit that is available to our adults, is available to our teenagers! As we minister to your student, our prayer is that our teenagers would become Biblically literate as the Word of God transforms their lives, that they would live culturally discerning lives on mission through the power of the Holy Spirit and that they would know their identity in Christ as a Son and Daughter of God.
It can be overwhelming as your child moves from Elementary School into Middle School. We understand that this is a big milestone in their lives and in your life! As a Youth Ministry, we are committed to walking with you, the parent or guardian, to help raise up your child in the truth of God’s Word. We do this through intentional Wednesday night services where every student gets to be mentored and discipled by background-checked, trained, vetted Youth Leaders, and through our team of Youth Pastors who are passionate about reaching teenagers. We also do this through YTH+ Small Groups where students get to walk through content outside of a Wednesday night and learn about foundations of faith, missions and what it means to be a man and woman of God. Finally, our Youth Ministry has seasonal events that bring lift, faith and inspiration to our students as they get to gather together with other Youth Ministries to lift up the name of Jesus and dig into the presence of God.
As your child engages in a life-giving community at YTH, our prayer is that you would also engage in a life-giving community with other parents in our ministry and with our Pastoral and Leader Team. We also desire to resource you monthly as best as we can with information on how to continue spiritually investing in your child. One way we do this is through parent emails where we allow you to continue the conversation from Wednesdays at home with your child through conversation starters or bible studies to dig into. As we come alongside you, we are expectant for the man and woman God desires to mold your child into. It is said that roughly 80% of Christians commit their life to Christ between the ages of 10-14 years old. As your child enters middle school, do not be afraid or overwhelmed. These are pivotal years for them to discover who they are in Christ as you intentionally disciple them! God created you, parent and guardian, for such a time as this to raise up the next generation!
We could not be more excited and expectant for what is to come. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. We look forward to partnering with you!
Pastor Gabi O’Rourke
Ways to Pray Over Your Child as They Go into Middle School
As your child is entering Middle School, you get to walk them through some of the most formative years of their lives. As you disciple your children, there is power in your prayer life! You cannot go with your kids into their hallways and classrooms, but your prayers can! Here are ways you can pray over your kids.
Prayers for Purity
• “Create in _____a pure heart, O God, and renew in _____ a steadfast spirit within them. Do not cast them from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from them. Restore to _____ the joy of their salvation and grant a willing spirit in them to sustain them.” - Psalm 51:10
• “Therefore, since _____ has these promises, let _____ purify themselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” - 2 Corinthians 7:1
• “Lord would you help _____, to think on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– would _____ think about such things.”
- Philippians 4:8
• “May _____ flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
- 2 Timothy 2:22
Prayers for Courage
• “The Lord himself goes before _____ and will be with _____; he will never leave _____ nor forsake _____. Would _____ not be afraid and would they not be discouraged.” - Deuteronomy 31:8
• “Thank you Lord that you have commanded _____ to be strong and courageous. Would my child not be afraid and not be discouraged, for the Lord God will be with _____ wherever _____ goes.” - Joshua 1:9
• “For the Spirit God does not make _____ timid, but gives _____ power, love, and self-discipline.” - 2 Timothy 1:7
• “The Lord is _____’s light and salvation, whom shall _____ fear? The Lord is the stronghold of _____’s life, of whom shall _____ be afraid?” - Psalm 27:1
Prayers for Integrity
• “May integrity and uprightness protect _____, because _____’s hope, Lord, is in you.” - Psalm 25:21
• “Whatever _____ does, may _____ work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” - Colossians 3:23
• “Don’t let anyone look down on _____ because they are young, but may _____ set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” - 1 Timothy 4:12
• “Would _____ walk be found blameless before you so that they may be kept safe, do not let _____ ways be perverse before you.” - Proverbs 28:18
Prayers for Healthy Friendships
• “Let _____ be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving others, just as Christ God has forgiven _____.” - Ephesians 4:32
• “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:If _____falls down, would you surround them with Godly friends who can help them up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
• “May _____ be devoted to others in love. May _____ honor others above themselves.” - Romans 12:10
• “May _____ love others as God has loved _____. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - John 15:12-13
Prayers for Wisdom and Discernment
• “God please fill _____ with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge…” - Exodus 31:3
• “Lord, would _____ trust in the Lord with all _____heart, and not lean on _____ own understanding. In all _____ ways, would they acknowledge You, and would You make _____ their path straight.” - Proverbs 3:5-6
• “If _____ lacks wisdom, let Him ask God, who gives generously to all without approach, and it will be given to _____.” - James 1:5
• “Would _____ not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of _____’s mind, that by testing _____ may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable, and perfect.” - Romans 12:2
Ways to Serve
There is room for you as a parent in our YTH ministry! We believe it is vital that your voice, your presence, your prayers and your support are felt in our ministry. This is not only beneficial for us as pastors, but it is beneficial for your child. We desire for you to be able to engage in the life of YTH as you watch God move in your teenager. Here are ways you can participate in YTH ministry.
Become a YTH Leader
Every single campus in our YTH ministry is consistently praying that God would continue to send strong Youth Leaders to invest in our students. As a YTH Leader, you are helping raise up the next generation of husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, Pastors, Business Owners, Teachers, Doctors and so much more. Being a YTH Leader is a weekly commitment on Wednesday nights to lead in prayer, small groups and the service. To learn more and sign up to be a leader, scan the QR Code below.
Volunteer on a Wednesday or at an Event
For those who cannot commit to YTH Leadership, that is okay! You can still sign up to volunteer on Wednesdays in our Cafe, New Student Check-In Table or on Security. You can also volunteer at our events for Camp, MYC Check-In, Revival Nights or YTH Conference. To learn more about volunteering, you can scan the QR Code below.
Pray with Us Every Wednesday
Would you commit to partnering with us in prayer for the next generation? We invite you to pray for our students, our leaders, our Pastors and our services every Wednesday night from 6-8:30pm. We believe that prayer changes things and there is power in prayer! We are grateful for the army of prayer warriors lifting up every campus each Wednesday.
Host a YTH Small Group or Summer YTH Hang
We would be honored to have you host a YTH Small Group at your house, or for a summer YTH hangout! We believe that community is vital in our YTH ministry. We desire for students to find life-giving friendships in YTH that build them up and encourage them in the Lord. As YTH Small Groups and hangouts are hosted, this becomes a ministry space for your child to find their best friend in YTH ministry who helps them grow in their faith! It also allows you as a parent to meet other parents and the kids who are in small groups on Wednesday nights with your child every week. To sign up to host a YTH Small Group or hangout, scan the QR Code below and talk to your campus Youth Pastor.
Scan here to sign up to be a YTH leader
Scan here to learn more about volunteering
