What do VBS, Chiapas, and the youth commission have in common? At first blush, the answer may not be apparent; these opportunities, as well as others at PCTR, are often an outgrowth of the connections and discipleship nurtured through relational ministry and small groups.
For example, when Andrew and his wife Lori first began attending PCTR in the years just prior to COVID, they were very intentional about getting to know people here. “We actually hosted one of the Dinners of 8,” shared Andrew. Their group only met for dinner once in the winter of 2020 just before the pandemic brought everything to a halt.
As things began to open up again, Andrew and his family were invited to participate in a family small group. These weekly groups create space for children and parents to meet with their respective peers simultaneously for study and fellowship. For many, these groups have also become a great way to meet people within the church while growing in faith.
For some, the connections formed and discipleship fostered in small groups lays a foundation for other points of connection within and through the church. Speaking of his experience, Andrew said, “Lori and I would volunteer to do Sunday School periodically when they needed someone. And then VBS the following year was something I was able to get involved in because our youngest son Oliver was born and I had a couple of weeks off of work that fell during that time. That’s how I originally got involved. I thought, ‘Well the kids are going to go. I have time. I can do that.’”
Volunteering as a crew leader in 2021 was a positive experience and Andrew jumped back in to serve in that capacity again in the following years. He was also part of our 2022 Chiapas Mission Team. “I remember hearing about it the year before and thinking, ‘Oh that sounds like a neat thing,” he shared. “I typically travel in the winter with a good friend of mine. We go scuba diving or surfing or something like that. With COVID and such he wasn’t up for a trip that winter and I thought well I still want to go somewhere and this was an option. I didn’t know what to expect. My travels to Mexico before had been to border towns and beach towns.”
That particular year’s mission team included teachers, counselors, and nurse practitioners who were each able to share their unique gifts on their trip. In speaking about his experience in Mexico during a recent worship service, Andrew said, “You can expect God to show you truths about Himself, yourself, and about the world that you may have forgotten or didn’t even know existed.”
Andrew’s experience has been echoed many times over the last few years. The Next Gen Student Ministry, as an example, has been intentional about making disciples who make disciples. With that goal in mind, youth leaders focus on one-on-one time with students and small groups, as well as large group opportunities. As a result, they’re seeing students more fully engage with not just youth ministry activities, but with leadership and service opportunities throughout the life of the church.
One of our goals is to intentionally reach middle school and high school students in our church and community with the gospel. To do that effectively, our Next Gen Student ministry recognized that we need to have a variety of different voices around the table as we seek to discern and make decisions around strategy and next steps. If we want to reach students, we need to hear from students. To that end, the Student Ministry team invites students to serve on the Next Gen: Student Commission with the full authority to vote and activity contribute.
These four students are active participants in small groups, as well as in other facets of the ministry, and they bring with them a unique perspective as a result. “I feel like it would be cool to be a part of something more than just youth group and I think it’s smart to have a student on the youth commission to help make decisions from a student’s point of view,” explained Maddie, one of our student leaders, “I think the adults do a great job on the commission, but I think students can have different opinions on the stuff that we do. Having grown up in the church, I know a lot about the youth program which will allow me to bring new ideas to the commission. I hope that God will work through me in the way that he wants for the youth commission. I hope I can be a good disciple and have his words be spoken through me.”
Matthew, another student leader who also serves on the commission, agreed, “I’m hoping that God can help me help others grow in their faith.”
These students may have just begun their service through the commission, but their enthusiasm and plans reflect the hopes of the Next Gen Student Ministry leaders. As Kari, a parent and member of the commission explained, “I hope God will empower them and ignite them to advocate for our youth and inspire them to share God’s love with each other and our community.” Julie, a parent and chair of the commission agreed. She added, “And that as we work together within generations we grow in faith and spread the gospel.”
Of course, there can be a leap of faith involved when it comes to that transition from disciple to one who disciples. Andrew would encourage others to leap over the uncertainty and unknowing. He referenced a sermon series that dug a little deeper into familiar Bible stories, nodding back specifically to the fiery furnace and the lion’s den, “I like how the sermon reminded us that it doesn’t always work out the way we hope it will. I think I’ve seen enough situations where it often does work out and even when it doesn’t, it’s still okay. God’s still there. So knowing that, I know that when it does work out it’s really great and when it doesn’t, it’s still okay. That gives me the freedom to take a chance on it.” Thinking about the various small groups, study groups, and service opportunities that fill the church calendar, Andrew encourages others to take a chance and find your place. “Try it. Put your name on the list, and see where it goes from there. I think that I’m always impressed and surprised at how smoothly things work out when we don’t have such a plan or at least a plan that’s too written in stone to happen. You can’t always make things go so smoothly. You have to start somewhere. It’s not even a hardship. It’s a fun experience to put your name on the list and see where it leads.”