Student Ministry Philosophy

For Santa Rosa Bible Church

By Jeremy Writebol

5/1/06
For each ministry context there must be specific foundations and purposes that govern and di-
rect how we go about ministering within the context God places us. Each sub-ministry of the
church must come under the specific foundations and purposes of the church as a whole or else
it will be a renegade ministry. However each different sub-ministry has unique roles and con-
texts that is specific to just that ministry. Therefore, fully affirming the Foundational Values and
Purpose of Santa Rosa Bible Church the student ministry adopts these articulations of those
values and purposes including our own ministry specific theological values in governing the
methodology of the Jr. High and High School ministries themselves.

Theological Convictions Regarding Student Ministry:

1. The supremacy of Christ in all things

Scripture declares clearly that all things were created through Christ, by Christ and for
Christ (Colossians 1:16). All things exist to declare the greatness of Christ and to mag-
nify who He is (Romans 11:36). By virtue of His divine nature, his perfectly obedient life,
his suffering, atoning death, and powerful resurrection, Jesus Christ stands as supreme
over all things. He alone is worthy of all glory and honor.

Because of this we exist to declare and demonstrate His supremacy and sufficiency in all
areas of life. In our ministry we exist to magnify Christ first and foremost. We do not
exist primarily to meet needs, fellowship, provide a safe place or entertain young people.
We exist to glorify Christ in everything we do. Christ is the start, middle and end of
our ministry and all we do is to display His supremacy and sufficiency in all of life.

2. The sole sufficiency and authority of the Scriptures

Without a clear revelation from God concerning how to live life we would be totally lost
and clueless on what life is about and what God desires from us. However God has
clearly revealed Himself to us through His Word. The Bible is the sole authority for all
matters pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Scripture is inspired by God and is
useful in dealing with every area of life (2 Timothy 3:16). There is no revelation from
God outside of His Word that instructs us how to live and relate with Him and others.

To that end we will teach the Bible in our student ministries. No human philosophy or
clever thinking of man is sufficient or authoritative to instruct us how to live. Programs
and events will use the Scriptures alone as the basis for our instruction and teaching.

3. The ability of God alone to bring about spiritual transformation

Spiritual transformation is God’s work. Only He is able to bring a person to new life,
save them, and sanctify them (John 3:8). There is nothing that man can do to bring a
change of heart, mind or soul. Even being able to believe in Christ is a gift from God by
the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:8-9). Spiritual transformation is God’s work alone.

Because of this we are totally dependent upon Him to work in the lives of students.
Only God’s methods of doing ministry bring about true life change (Romans 10). No
matter how engaging, or exciting our programs, lessons, or events are we are solely de-
pendent upon God alone to work in the lives of teens. This does not mean that we
 therefore have no ministry in the lives of young people. Quite the opposite, we labor,
strive, and battle to demonstrate the supremacy of Christ to teens, and pray earnestly
that God would work to open their eyes to His all-surpassing greatness (Colossians
1:28-29).

As a ministry we are held accountable for being faithful to the Word of God and the
ministry to which we are entrusted, and dependent upon God for the results of our la-
bor.

4. The supplementary nature of student ministry

God has ordained the family to be the primary means of instruction and discipline. It is
God’s design that the family be the primary teachers of God’s Word to children (Psalm
78:5-7). Scripture clearly states that fathers (not youth pastors) are to bring up their
children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). The family is where the
Word of God should be discussed, taught, learned and memorized (Deut. 6:6-7). Parents
are the primary ministers to their children.

The church, and the youth ministries of the church, are merely supplements. We exist to
support families in their efforts to train and disciple their children, not to replace them
in their God-given responsibility. The student ministry is not to be the primary place
where teens hear the Bible taught, nor is the primary place where they are to be disci-
plined and trained in the Lord. The home is.

Because of that we seek to involve parents in our ministry leadership and development.
It is our desire to be a family ministry, ministering to both parents and teens. Parents are
always welcome at events, encouraged to participate in programs, and encouraged to be
on the leadership team of the student ministry.

We encourage you to spend time daily reading the Bible together as a family, and making
it a discipline for you and your children to have personal and family devotions together
in the Word and prayer. Your students will model your visible daily devotion to Christ.

We recognize that there are differing views regarding educational choices (public school,
Christian school, home-school, etc.) within various families among the church. The stu-
dent ministries aim is to support each of these choices without denigrating or biasing
our ministry towards one philosophy or choice.

5. The intentionality of ministry programs, events and activities

Unfortunately in today’s world most of what is done in modern youth ministry is done
to entertain, or fill time. Youth ministry often becomes teen-centered baby-sitting.
However real discipleship is always intentional. Jesus’ own ministry was intentional in
every way. Events didn’t just happen to fill a calendar – He lived and did things on pur-
pose. The time a student spends in the youth ministry is a short time and we want to
maximize every moment we have with them to impact them with Christ.
 To that end all of our events, programs, and activities are specific in their planning and
intention. We don’t just fill a calendar; we have a specific and definite plan to minister to
students.

Our Ministry Philosophy:

Based on our theological convictions concerning student ministry we have a defined philosophy
of how we do ministry that impacts what we do in ministry.

What is the purpose of the student ministry at Santa Rosa Bible Church?

We exist to lift up the Lord by living out the Word, loving one another, and lead-
ing others to Christ.

This purpose is reflective of the command Jesus gave to the church to be a disciple making min-
istry (Matthew 28:18-20).

How do we seek to accomplish our purpose?

As Jesus called his disciples to be disciple makers he left them a definite plan for building the
church and developing disciples. This plan had four clear stages.

• Winning the lost to worship Christ

• Building believers to walk with Christ
• Equipping committed believers to work for Christ
• Multiplying leadership to make disciples

We seek to follow the pattern given to us for disciple making by ordering our ministry events
and activities around these four phases, each building upon the other to develop mature and
equipped disciples of Christ. Each of the stated “Foundational Values” of Santa Rosa Bible
Church can be seen in these four phases of ministry.