Every believer has something to offer the body of Christ and we believe that every member of AFMC should have an area of service. Not only that, but we believe God has uniquely given us abilities and desires to serve in a particular area of ministry. We are thrilled you are considering making an investment in the lives of our students.
God has entrusted us with students that we minister to on a weekly basis and we believe that healthy relationships with adult leaders foster and encourage healthy spiritual growth. We are looking for adult leaders who have a strong commitment to Christ and a strong desire to care for students. The quality of adult leadership is extremely important to us.
IMPACT Student Ministries is a great place to make an eternal investment in the lives of teenagers! I’m thankful you are considering serving here! I look forward to talking with you soon about your hopes and desires for ministry. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Until every student hears, Chris
Fact or Fiction: Truth about Relationships and Student Ministry
Fiction #1 Adult volunteers should be involved at every student ministry function
If you are, you need a break!
Fiction #2 Adult volunteers should relate to every student
Seriously, do you really believe this?
Fiction #3 Adult Volunteers must have plenty of free time
Bring students along. Take them where you’re going and don’t feel the pressure to always be in their world.
Fact #1 Students Crave Relationships
Check out the nearest Sonic after Sunday night church!
Fact #2 We are in the people business
We must come to terms with this fact if we are to work with students!
Fact #3 Change happens best in the context of relationships
93% of those coming to church do so b/c of an invitation of a friend. Programs don’t yield the greatest impact. They simply allow the framework for workers to build relationships with students.
2) Continually Connecting
Being consistently present in a young person’s life is one way to build trust and confidence and it’s your way of ensuring a safe place for your students to be heard and cared for. When students don’t attend youth group for three weeks in a row, the likelihood they will ever come back is low. As a leader you have to consistently be connecting with your students to ensure they know that they are welcome, but also know that they are missed when they are not there. Your voice in their life makes a huge difference.
3) Identify & Empower
Where do leaders come from? Leaders are fostered and cultivated by the community around them. At IMPACT we are committed to finding and training the next generation of leaders. Not every student will lead, and that’s ok. But that won’t stop us from creating safe places for students to take risks in leadership. As a ministry leader, identify those students who you believe have the potential to lead. Empower them in your small group, worship set, or other ministry team you lead. It is your role to see and call out the gifts that God has placed in each student’s life.
4) For The City
Our ministry is not confined to an evening service or a small group meeting. We exist for our city, to serve our schools and our community, and to be a voice of encouragement and hope. Involvement with our city, our schools, and other out-of-church programs is closely related to the heart of IMPACT. We want students to know that IMPACT is a place that is for them long before they step through our door.
5) A Little Goes a Long Way
We believe the smallest actions can have the greatest impact and that no opportunity is too small to serve. When we join together, the details communicate the heart behind what we do. When we greet a student at the door or wait with them until their ride comes to pick them up we are communicating that we value them and that they’re worth our time. A simple text or call after the big game will go a long way in the eyes of our students. It all matters.
6) Radically Inclusive
Every student at IMPACT is welcomed at the door, connected with students their age, and introduced to a small group leader. The gospel story conveys the message of love and hope to everyone. Jesus spent a lot of His time with the outcast and the unknown. We have the opportunity to be inclusive, an opportunity to be like Jesus. We will strive to continually bring those on the fringes back to the middle and will go out of our way to do it.
7) Walk The Walk
Self-leadership is vital when leading others. Students will learn more about Jesus from the way you live than from what you say. They are watching your social media and watching the way you interact with those around you. A healthy Christian life is caught, not taught. As role models, leading others means we lead ourselves; taking time to grow personally with God validates and energizes us for ministry.
8) In it Together
At IMPACT, just ‘like birds of a feather, we fly together’, together we can soar to new heights in life and ministry — but alone we fall. God has designed us for community; in isolation we become susceptible to temptation, resentment, apathy, and discontent. We are committed to doing life and ministry together, to rejuvenating, restoring, and spurring one another on.
Volunteers
JR Presby
Lindy Hill
Janean Roach
Redmond Walsh
