Youth

We're back from RYM's 2010 Summer Conference in Estes Park, CO and we're already looking forward to next year!

Reformed Youth Fellowship (RYF) is our covenant discipleship with students in their teen years. We have a variety of gatherings, often hosted by church families in their homes. Together we enjoy friendship, food, with study and discussion led (predominantly) by our pastoral staff.

We currently meet in a variety of venues including Wednesday Nights (during SoLD), Sunday Nights (4:30-7pm on the second Sunday of each month), and in our RYF girls’ book club. Typically Middle School and High School students gather together for an activity and food, followed by a time of study and prayer. RYF gatherings and events will be posted here once they are scheduled.

Students can sign in to our discussion group here.

You can read more on our philosophy of ministry for RYF below the Calendar.

If you have questions you can contact Aaron Morris at the church office (214-438-0120).

Thinking About Youth Ministry:

As members from a number of backgrounds, we have had a wide range of experiences with youth ministry; some good, some bad, all with baggage. Many have a good idea of what youth ministry is not, but it is a little harder to come back and say what it should be. Hopefully this article will move us at least a few steps in that direction, and prove helpful for those with children in or approaching RYF.  Our goal in RYF, like the overall philosophy of ministry at New St. Peter’s, is to disciple toward maturity. Admittedly, Christian maturity is a moving target, one of those ever developing objectives we will never exhaust. The more we grow in it, the farther we realize is left to go. Where does RYF fit into all of this?

Bridging the Gap

Our children belong to our households and they live under our care, but this will not always be so. At some point they will need to learn to live in and as the church outside of our homes.  In reality, from the day our children are born, they are moving from our covenant household to their own. They progressively try on and grow into new pieces of adulthood: feeding and dressing themselves, forming relationships outside of our family, determining schedules, taking on and fulfilling responsibilities, and eventually living on their own. And so it is in the church; from Worship Training to RYF we are ministering to our children by bridging the gap between covenant households. Rather than a series of separate bridges, you may find it helpful to picture ministries to our children and students as lengthening strides across a single bridge. It is our hope that the Wednesday night Catechism clubs will prepare and naturally lead children into RYF, that RYF will do the same for RUF (Reformed University Fellowship), and RUF will lead to engaged and growing discipleship throughout adulthood in the Church.

Life & Doctrine

We intend to cultivate maturity and discernment, so sound doctrine necessarily sits at the core of our concern. But, admittedly, this process takes years, and our goal is not to graduate junior divines. We began by running through the Westminster Confession of Faith at a pace that moved us through the Confession in around 18 monthly “bites.” We hope that this will accomplish three things: 1) provide a broad, Reformed context for further study, 2) move them to embrace confessional Christianity, and 3) give them a start as lifelong readers in the Westminster Standards. Our students should not see this as teaching separate from the life of the church, but as tools enabling them to interact more deeply with corporate, family, and private worship.

Biblical and theological instruction will be one focus in this process, but the gospel is more than information and life in the church requires more than knowledge. Not only will they need to be fed right doctrine, they will need to learn to ask good questions of their experience. And they will need to be able to hammer out solid answers. Our students will need to grow up strong in their doctrine and vigilant in their practice of sanctification. This means learning the practice and necessity of real community, confession, and repentance. All of these things are essential not just for their private exercise, but for times when they will be required to call others along in them as well. So, while we want to have fun when we are together, our time, activities, and meals are not intended to attract and entertain. They afford us regular time spent together during which our students can get to know each other and their shepherds better. Knowing one another ought to make more substantial community more natural and accessible in coming years.

In Short

If asked, how would we briefly explain what we’re trying to do? In short, we are aiming at maturity by means of discipleship in reliance on the grace God alone grants. Specifically when discipling our children and students, we consider much of our task in terms of growth and preparation. We are growing them in the gospel and preparing them to live outside of our direct oversight and care. On their way, we are committed to train them to be the church: to grow and live as Christ’s church even when they are not under our shepherding as parents or elders. May the Lord work through and in spite of us to raise our students as his worshippers!