2001 BLAZE Youth Ministry Report
Matt MacKellar
The BLAZE Youth Ministry exists as a ministry to and a ministry of youth from grades 6 through 12. Its purpose is to minister to youth in relevant ways, recognizing that adolescents often speak a different language and have a different style than adults, thus requiring a specialized ministry. Our desire is to see youth come to know Christ as their Savior, learn more about Him through the Word, and serve and worship Him with their lives, both now and in the future.
Many thanks go to the adults who serve as BLAZE leaders, putting in innumerable hours spending time with youth, teaching Bible studies, leading special events, making phone calls, and praying for those they work with. Our leaders this year were: Vicki Schuette, Jesse & Nancy Mueller, Julie Mills, and Kari MacKellar. Jeanne Maciejewski and Tim Sukow also invested hours in the church's teens, serving as the jr. high and high school Sunday school teachers respectively. As we seek to continue to expand both the quality of the youth ministry and the number of lives we touch, we will continually be in need of additional committed leaders.
One of the significant developments this past year was a change in focus for the Sunday night youth meeting. This year, the focus was narrowed to be upon providing a meaningful opportunity for the youth to worship God, to expand their understanding and experience of worship. Focused teaching on the nature of worship was used, as well as contemporary praise songs, PowerPoint for the lyrics, and adjustments to make the worship space inviting and warm.
To provide a context for deeper discipleship, a number of small group Bible studies either continued or were started. Kari MacKellar and Julie Mills continued to lead a group for high school girls, and Jesse Mueller and Pastor Matt continued to lead one for high school guys. Kari started a new discipleship group for jr. high girls, and Matt started one for jr. high guys. These groups provide an opportunity to dig into the Word at a deeper level, develop some spiritual disciplines, and develop greater fellowship with one another as the group interacts in discussion, prayer, and accountability.
In addition to a whole host of other special events, a highlight of the year was the mission trip to Mexico. A group of 7 high school youth and 3 adult leaders traveled to Matamoros, Mexico, to engage in a weeklong missions trip. The ministries the group participated in were construction for a local church, door-to-door evangelism, Vacation Bible School, sports evangelism, and visiting an orphanage. The trip was challenging and a growing experience for everyone involved. The congregation did a wonderful job of supporting the trip financially and in prayer.
Goals for the new year essentially entail stepping everything up another level. I would like to see the youth grow in their passion for Jesus Christ and desire to serve Him. BLAZE is exploring ideas for reaching out more in the community to serve with the love of Christ and see people come to know Him. We will also be taking steps to further develop student leadership within the group, to give the youth greater ownership in both the decisions made and the ministry responsibilities.
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