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Student Ministry

Posted on August 9, 2007 ...

It occurred to me last week that I have been at North Cleveland Baptist Church for over a year now! My first official day was July 26, 2006. It's amazing how fast a year can go by. I'm sure our students (and some of you parents) can relate to how fast even a few summer months can pass! Our students will be starting back to school this week and on August 15th we will kick off our Student Worship in the Annex on Wednesday evenings. For the Student Ministry staff and myself, our "year" seems to kick off about the same time students return to school.

Since I began working with the students here at NCBC, I have seen a 180-degree change in some of their attitudes, spiritual lives, and just their overall excitement about what God is doing in this church, the student ministry, and in their lives. I am encouraged by their excitement because I believe that they have a vision for our "For A Future Generation" campaign. Sure, we are all excited about the possibilities that a new facility will provide to our church and the student ministry. However, I think we all can acknowledge that a future generation consists of PEOPLE and not BUILDINGS! So, it thrills me to know that our church and the Student Ministry are growing to REACH a future generation.

Although numbers are not an indication of spiritual growth or depth, I do think they are a good way to measure the impact a group of people is having on the community and the people that surround them. With this being said, our Sunday school attendance has reached or exceeded 50 several times in the past few months, including this past Sunday. Our Wednesday night activities have drawn anywhere from 35 to 55 students during the summer months and all of our Student Ministry Discipleship/Outreach events in the past year drew anywhere from 45 to 65 students at each event! This tells me that our students are excited about what is going on and they are inviting their friends. More importantly is the fact that several students have accepted Christ and have followed Him in obedience through baptism.

Overall, I think the past year has been a great year for the Student Ministry and our church as a whole. I can only wait in anticipation to see what God is going to do this year! Would you covenant to pray with me for the students of Bradley County and Cleveland? Pray that our students, their peers, and our Student Ministry staff will have a positive impact on their lives, an impact that will ultimately point them toward Jesus Christ.

CALENDAR NOTE: Please visit the website at www.ncbcyouth.com for a complete Winter Calendar. You can also pick one up in the Welcome Center or in the Vestibule.  Much Love, Nathan