FAQ’S
1. What is the Student Ministry Shift?
The Student Ministry Shift is focused on spiritually growing students by implementing a different Student Ministry program approach and a change in church culture. This Shift will broaden a student’s perspective of the church by teaching them the importance of WORSHIP, GROW, SERVE, creating deeper relationships and community while developing generational unity among the entire church.
2. Why did GCC come to the conclusion that a program shift is needed?
Students, due to busy schedules/commitments, are choosing to WORSHIP or GROW or SERVE.
Across the nation and in our church, students are disconnecting from the church when they go to college. We believe that this problem stems from how disconnected students can be from the church as a whole.
The program with the highest momentum and retention of new students is during midweek.
3. What will the weekend look like?
During the weekend you will see family worship, students serving, and a preteen venue.
Family Worship
Many families in our church at GCC are looking to attend worship together on the weekend and all you need to do is look in adult worship any given week to find that this is already happening. When we bring students together on the weekend it helps to further embody the name of our church (Generations).
Students Serving
When students in our church are pushed to next steps it is our responsibility to help disciple them in that process. Student ministry would work hard in conjunction with other ministries to help train adults to work with students in other venues. Our team would help develop student specific roles and accountability for students serving throughout our church.
Preteen Venue
Another one of the changes that we are looking to make on the weekend is to establish a preteen venue. While it is undetermined what exactly would be best we believe that creating this preteen atmosphere would largely help minister to families in our church as well as unreached families in the community. The plan for this ministry would be for it to minister to 5th and 6th grade students in our church and overlap with services on the weekend. This could be a great outlet for older students in our church to serve.
Misc. Benefits to a Shift
While these reasons seem to not dictate a weekend change, they do line up as possible ways that student ministry could happen on the weekend.
o Weekend meetings with volunteer of specific grades
o Weekend Band/tech rehearsal for the midweek program.
o Student Leadership program
o Intentional integration of students serving
4. What is the plan for 5-6th grade?
Beginning September 2015 we will have Sunday programing for 5-6th graders to shift from transitional preteen ministry to Student Ministry ownership of specific weekend environments.
5. What is the plan for 7-8th grade?
Beginning the first week after Easter, April 2015, we will have Student Programing for 7-8th graders, Tuesdays 6:30-8:45PM. This will allow WORSHIP and GROW midweek as well as SERVE opportunities outside of the normal lesson environments.
6. What is the plan for 9-12th grade?
Beginning the first week after Easter, April 2015, we will have Student Programing for 9-12th graders, Wednesdays 6:30-8:45PM. This will allow WORSHIP and GROW midweek as well as SERVE opportunities outside of the normal lesson environments.
7. What will midweek programing look like for Middle School? HS?
We will be adding 45 minutes to midweek programing for Middle School and High School students. With programing beginning at 6:30PM, students will engage in worship and receive an abbreviated sermon before small group time. Small group time will now include an extra 15 minutes allowing more time to focus on critical pieces of relationship building with leaders and fellow students and personal spiritual growth.
8. What things are critical to the success of this shift?
There are several critical elements that will significantly increase the effectiveness of this program shift including increased Student Ministry visibility from the platform, baseline standards for students serving adopted, and series creativity and message content considering students.