Our Middle School Ministry is for students in grades 7-8. We know that this is a time of great transition for students and parents and we are excited about the opportunity to share this part of your journey with you. The goal of our ministry is simple. We want to help middle school students begin to answer two questions.
1. Who is God?
2. Who am I?
In support of this goal, we have a number of ongoing, seasonal, and stand alone programs and events.
Area 51
Area 51 is the name for our Middle School worship service on Wednesday nights. The name comes from Psalm 51. Our hope is that Area 51 is a place of healing, hope, and restoration for our middle school students and their families. We also know that just as many people search for some hidden mystery at the secret military base of the same name, many people are also searching for truth and meaning in their own lives. The most exciting part is that we have that truth and we know what gives our lives true meaning! This is a place where people can find answers.
The service is designed specifically for middle school students and includes games, videos, a live worship band, and teaching from God’s Word. We meet every Wednesday night from 6:15-7:30 in the Middle School Worship room at the Student Building. We encourage parents to come and participate!
Sunday School
Our Sunday School classes meet each worship hour (8:05, 9:30, and 10:45) and are divided by grade and gender. We highly encourage all students to be involved in a Sunday School class because it is easy to get lost in a ministry our size and Sunday School is a great way to get connected and build relationships. We use StudentLife Bible Study material and out 7th graders spend their first year in our ministry in a series called Christ and our 8th graders work through a series called Character.
Higher Ground Choir
Higher Ground choir is for all students in grades 7 and 8. This is an opportunity for you to grow in your faith and understanding of worship. It’s an opportunity to sing and minister together. Higher Ground sings in our main worship service periodically and goes on a choir tour/mission trip every Spring Break. You don’t even have to sing well to participate! Just come with a good attitude, a desire to serve, and a heart for worship! Higher Ground meets on Sunday nights from 6:00-7:00 pm in the music suite in the main building. Higher Ground will resume on September 12, 2010!
Discipleship
Our Middle School discipleship runs in two phases: August-March and June-July. During the school year we meet on Sunday nights from 5:00-6:00 pm in the Clubhouse in the main building. There is a short large group teaching time and a time for small groups to meet. The small groups reinforce what was discussed in large group, but it is also time for students to really get to know one another and build community. These gender-specific small groups allow students to hold each other accountable and provide an opportunity for students to pray for each other.
We change topics every 6 to 8 weeks. This fall we will begin a series on 1 and 2 Timothy. Recently we have studied cults and world religions and how we can effectively minister to individuals of other faiths in light of Scripture. We’ve also done a session on the FAQ’s of the Christian faith.
During the summer months, our students are divided by grade and gender and meet in homes on Monday nights from 6:00-7:30.
