Blueprint: Student Ministry
The following blog was written using responses by Davis Price, our Director of Student Ministry
Seeing Jesus and Following Him
As I look forward to the next year of ministry with students at Orangewood, there are so many things that excite me. God is so good.
I am especially excited about a shift in the structure of student ministry gatherings on Sunday nights. Rather than running two largely identical back-to-back programs—Middle, followed by high school—we are restructuring the night to create overlap between middle and high school students.
Practically, this will ensure more time for students to meet in small groups. But the primary driver for this change was not efficiency. Our desire in this change is that middle and high school students would worship Jesus alongside one another on Sunday nights, as we sing, as we open God’s word, and in our fellowship.
One of my prayers is that the faith of our high school students would continue to inspire middle school students to be engaged, and to let no one disqualify them because of their youth (1 Timothy 4).
Shamelessly Adoring Jesus
I am praying that we would see Jesus, in all his goodness and beauty.
Dallas Willard says, “When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him.”
I pray that our students would shamelessly adore him, and that the same would be more true in my life and in the lives of all who follow Jesus.
I am praying that our students would be challenged and equipped to share the gospel with the people God has placed in their lives, at home, at work, and wherever else they spend their time – not out of obligation, because Davis or Caroline said that they should – but because they live questionable lives and can’t help but give an answer for the reason of the hope that they have. (1 Peter 3)
That they’d share the good news of who Jesus is and what he’s done because they want to.
I’m also praying that God would increase the love that students have for one another, both in depth and width. That our relationships would transcend where we go to school, whether or not we play Minecraft, or if we made the team, etc.
Students Who Long to Follow Jesus
He’s entrusted us with many students who simply have a deep love for Jesus and long to follow him closely. It’s a beautiful thing to see young men and women become spiritual leaders in their own friend groups.
We’ve seen students come to church, even though no one else in the family comes. In some cases, we’ve seen parents come back to church for the first time in years, because their student wants to be present.
One of our high school girls chose to give up playing in a league that was keeping her from gathering for corporate worship on Sunday mornings and for student ministry gatherings on Sunday nights. She now attends faithfully. Her example reminds me of Hebrews 10:25.
There are students who are preaching the gospel to their own families. God is so good.
Serving and Discipling the Next Generation
The primary way for the church to serve the students of Orangewood is by making and serving (or sponsoring) dinner for our high school students and leaders. Typically, this means feeding about 40 people.
This isn’t easy, but it is a great opportunity for community groups, or even individual families, to serve our high school students.
Looking further down the road, beginning in 2027, we’re launching discipleship groups which will meet during the week (not on Sundays). If you’d be interested in being a host home, or discipling students (the groups would be separated by gender and age), or perhaps both, send me an e-mail. I’d love to connect.
This year, we’re inviting people to hear Jesus’s words in the Sermon on the Mount and to simply obey them.
