The Student Ministries at Calvary Church exist to encourage young people to respond in faithfulness to who Jesus is, what God has done for them, and who they are in Christ.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for … And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:1-6).
Living such a faithful and biblically holistic life involves much more than attendance at church. The goal is beyond encouraging young people to go to church – rather, it is to be the church – which is to recognize that we are to be a blessing people sent by God in His mission to serve others as He brings people into relationship with Himself.
… I will bless you … and you will be a blessing … all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (these are some of the promises given to Abram, seen in Genesis 12:1-3, and extended to the world: see John 3:16 … For God so love the world that He gave His one and only Son…).
A ministry to students comes out of that which is entrusted to the people of God. It is the responsibility in families for parents to model love for God and neighbor before their children. It is the responsibility of spiritual leaders in the context of their communities to train and equip people to live with such a missional emphasis in being both a “sent” and “sending” people that loves God and neighbor. This priority is emphasized in the whole of Scripture, from Moses to Jesus:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (from the Shema in Deuteronomy 6).
Jesus reiterated the centrality of this purpose for living, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” – He also added that the second most important command is “to love you neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31 and Luke 10:27).
As we help encourage students to respond in faith to God’s missional work, we help them to become disciple-makers themselves as they follow Jesus. We seek to instill in them the following qualities:
- Compassion for community (caring for others)
- Activity that imparts hope (abiding in the Word of God)
- Passion for serving others (prayerful in direction)
- Teachable in disposition (training in responding to life challenges)
- Integrity of character (integrity and wholeness in all of life)
- Vigorous in giving back (vitality in ministry)
- Enthusiasm for life (enthusiasm for God’s mission)