Desert Springs Church Youth and Family Ministry — Desert Springs Church

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”

— Psalm 119:9 (ESV)

Youth & Family Ministry

The mission of the Youth and Family Ministry is to spread God's glory broader and deeper by equipping the DSC body to lead its youth in the process of Christian maturity. We recognize parents as the God-given and primary instrument of discipleship in a child's life. Therefore the Youth Ministry should never replace parents, but rather come alongside them in the work they are doing. While we have lots of fun together, our philosophy of ministry is no different than the rest of the church—we want our students and families to treasure and worship Jesus above all else because of a greater knowledge of God's glory and our sin.

Service Opportunities

Our adult DSC Youth leaders are church members we equip to partner with parents and together, guide youth in the process of Christian maturity. We want our students to walk in joyful obedience to all that Christ commanded and to treasure and worship Jesus above all else. We envision spreading God’s glory by:

S: Studying the Bible
P: Preaching the Gospel
R: Reaching the Students
E: Equipping the Body
A: Applying the Bible
D: Discipling the Disciple-Makers

DSC Youth leaders are a significant voice in encouraging students to engage in fellowship, singing, learning from God’s word, and they facilitate small group study. Leaders and students have fun together as strong and healthy relationships are cultivated, and as students learn how they can belong to God’s family.

Gatherings

Youth Nights
Our youth meet every Thursday evening in the Youth Room from 6:30 PM - 8:15 PM, but students are free to come and hang out at 6:00 PM. In this meeting, we worship God by sitting under the expository preaching of His Word, by singing His praise and by diving deep in the the study of Scripture in age and gender specific small groups. For more information email Ben Hobbs at ben@dscabq.com to sign up for the DSC Youth Weekly.

Philosophy

The Bible consistently and directly places the primary responsibility for teaching, training, and disciplining children on their parents. The youth ministry can and will work to help parents through the reinforcement of what parents are teaching. But the youth ministry will not seek to be the primary source of teaching for the youth of DSC. We will strive to support parents in their God ordained role, not take it from them. Therefore, this ministry will by nature become a ministry to both youth and their parents. We will endeavor to become for both parents and their children a ministry of support, encouragement, teaching, equipping, and accountability. We will seek to be a resource and a loving family to everyone who comes to the DSC youth ministry, including those who are among us without Christian parents and family.

Our youth activities and gatherings will be limited in order to not isolate our youth from their families or the larger body of DSC. We will intentionally limit these in an effort to develop a culture where youth are integrated into the ordinary body life of DSC (corporate worship services, community groups, service, missions, etc.), while still providing regular God-centered opportunities for healthy relationships and development among their peers. These gatherings and activities will be the primary vehicles, within the youth ministry, for imparting Biblical truth to youth, and our greatest opportunity to partner with parents in "...spreading God's glory broader and deeper..." in and through their families and ours. The goal of youth ministry will be to consistently see God's glory spread deeper into the hearts and lives of parents and their children. And from this depth of relationship with Christ will overflow our corporate desire to see God's glory spread more deeply into the lives of those at DSC, and to our extended families, neighbors, schools, places of work, community, and even to the remotest parts of the earth.

Practically this means that through our activities, gatherings and teaching we will seek to see God elevated, and help everyone connected to the youth ministry see and understand His supremacy in all things. We will endeavor to see "Youth Stay in Church When They Grow Up," to put the "Family First in Youth Discipleship and Evangelism," and have a "Youth Ministry Done Well" (see summary of 3 College Church Wheaton articles below).

Why Youth Stay in Church When They Grow Up

They are converted — so we need to pray for the saving work of God in their lives and teach them the Word.

They have been equipped, not entertained — "are we sending out students that will show up to college in a different state, join a church, and begin doing the work of gospel ministry without being asked?"

Their parents preached the gospel to them — "the common thread that binds together almost every ministry-minded 20-something that I know is abundantly clear; a home where the gospel was not peripheral but absolutely central."

Family First in Youth Discipleship and Evangelism
The biblical model is that parents are to be the primary evangelizers/disciplers of their children — parents need to take responsibility for this, commit themselves to this work, and not presume the church will do this work. The church must actively place this responsibility on the parents, and equip and encourage them in this work.

Youth Ministry Done Well for the Benefit of the Church
- Word-centered — send out students who believe, read, study, and love God's Word.
- Church-focused — "A church-focused youth ministry has leaders who go out of their way to remind the students (and themselves) that their youth group is not the church.
- Family-oriented — the youth ministry should stand with parents, partner with them and equip them in their ministry to their children.
- Benefits of a Youth Ministry Done Well — Young people hear voice of other godly Christians, young people need to learn to minister the gospel, young people encourage one another, young people will grow up, and young people share the gospel.

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