Many people have become frustrated to discover that one of their favorite bookstore hangouts is going out of business. Somewhere along the line, businesses that sold books eventually became ideal places to meet friends or spend some alone time with a warm beverage while reading a book or thumbing through a magazine. More and more bookstores began accommodating these experiences, but they were never the main purpose for the stores’ existence. They were designed to get customers in the door and convince them to frequent their shops over those of the competition, but the ultimate goal was always to stay in business and make a profit by selling books. The innovative strategies to attract customers worked for a while, but then the ease of online shopping and the rise of ebooks threatened their plans as sales declined. Amazon was often blamed for killing the bookstores, but even they eventually closed all of their physical retail bookstores.^[1]

Customers may mourn the loss of a local bookstore that closes down, but if it can’t fulfill its main objective of making a profit selling books, there is no longer a reason for it to exist. Store owners can find other ways to survive financially, but if they aren’t selling books, then they can’t stay true to their original purpose of being a profitable bookstore.

The Barnes & Noble chain closed over one hundred stores in a fifteen-year period, but then a shift occurred. The company found a way to recover and began successfully opening new stores again. The goal of making a profit in the bookselling industry didn’t change, but the store design and retail strategy did. One key factor leading to the rebound was that individual store locations were given more freedom in which books they stocked for sale, providing them the opportunity to supply the books that their local readers wanted to buy.^[2] Chain bookstores aren’t the only ones to experience a comeback, as hundreds of bookstores have opened and been thriving in recent years.

People seem drawn to the community aspect of a local bookshop. They can talk with others about what they’ve read or gain firsthand recommendations. When they order something online, they generally search for something specific, but browsing in a shop allows readers to discover something new they didn’t know existed, leading to increased sales. Regardless of the values or strategic changes made by store owners, their purpose remains the same. They exist to make a profit by providing readers with books.

The Church is not a business, but it also exists to fulfill a specific purpose. For Christians, the Church is the body of Christ, which includes all people who have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation and are committed to following his teachings. The word church comes from the Greek ekklesia, which consists of kaleo (to call) and the prefix ek (out). The Christian Church is the group of people called out of the world to follow Christ. It was intentionally initiated as an institution by Jesus, designed to nurture and develop disciples as it grows through evangelism and thrives through worship and fellowship. Everything it does should honor and fulfill the divine purpose for which it was established (Matthew 28:18–20). A well-constructed curriculum plan is a means toward accomplishing that purpose.

As described in the introduction to this book, a curriculum is like a racecourse, a path, or a route leading to a particular destination. Developing a curriculum for Christian ministry must be focused on designing a plan to help people grow toward Christ’s specific, unchangeable purpose for his Church. Humanity will continuously change in a variety of ways because we are all shaped by our cultural surroundings, and culture is never static. History (time), geography (place), and technology are some of the strongest influences on culture, and Christians cannot ignore their impact. Teaching methods, learning environments, and even subject content must adapt in consideration of these cultural shifts if the Church is to remain focused on realizing its ultimate purpose. In other words, the path may change, but the final destination will never change. The destination or purpose of the Church and its teaching ministry were mandated by God, who is immutable and not bound by time.

Christian Education/Discipleship

Christian ministries often use the terms discipleship or spiritual formation to describe the Church’s focus on teaching and learning. However, for more than a century, Christian education was the predominant designation used by churches, Christian leaders, and higher education institutions to identify the specific educational programs designed to help Christians grow in their knowledge, understanding, and commitment to Jesus Christ. Christian education’s emphasis was what we most commonly think of as discipleship. The following excerpts from twentieth-century definitions are representative of that understanding:

Christian education is the process by which persons are confronted with and controlled by the Christian Gospel. It involves the efforts of the Christian community to guide both young and adult persons toward an ever-richer possession of the Christian heritage and a fuller participation in the life and work of the Christian fellowship.^[3]

Christian education is a means by which the church seeks to help persons respond to the Gospel (the message of God’s redeeming love in Jesus Christ) and to grow in their understanding of its promises and their acceptance of its claims.^[4]

It is education which has for its purpose, first, the gaining of personal religious faith…and, second, the development of that faith.…One must also have a correct conception of the nature of Christianity. Christian education has no existence in its own right.…Christian faith and Christian education are inseparable; where the first exists, the second is found.^[5]

As these excerpts exemplify, according to its original meaning, the goal of Christian education is distinct from the traditional purposes of any other type of education. It is discipleship. It isn’t simply teaching that acknowledges God or is focused on helping students learn facts about God, the Bible, or religion. It transcends human educational goals, which most often include such outcomes as gaining knowledge, becoming a better citizen, contributing to society, or providing what’s necessary for a good life. All those objectives may be achieved through a solid Christian education curriculum, but they are characteristic outcomes or by-products of striving to accomplish Christ’s mission for his disciples, the Church.

While the term Christian education may still be used and understood to describe the Church’s teaching ministry, the meaning has shifted and expanded over time. In the twenty-first century, it most often evokes the idea of an educational institution affiliated with a church, denomination, or Christian tradition or a program of instruction that is taught from a Christian worldview. The Christian schools, colleges, and universities that serve as alternatives to public educational institutions are typically associated with the term Christian education. Their purpose is not the same as that of the Church’s Christian educational mission. This shift in meaning is a key reason why discipleship may currently be a more appropriate term than Christian education to describe the educational programs and purposes within the Church.

A common way for people to think about discipleship is to associate it with religion in general and Christianity in particular. In its broadest sense, however, it is a process of intentionally learning from a master or teacher, and a disciple can be a student of any particular teacher or school. The Greek word for “disciple” is mathetes, which describes one who learns from another person, formally or informally. Christian discipleship occurs when one intentionally chooses to learn and grow from the teachings of Jesus. Mentors, pastors, or small group leaders may be the human teachers, but they are teaching God’s Word from Scripture through the power and counsel of the Holy Spirit, most fully revealed by the life and teachings of Jesus. Christians often associate the term disciples with the original twelve men called by Jesus to follow him. The Bible uses the term disciple most often to describe anyone who has decided to follow Christ, not just the original twelve apostles. Today it is more common to use the word Christians to describe those who follow Christ, but that label wasn’t used until after Christ’s resurrection:

Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. (Acts 11:25–26, NIV)

Discipleship means adherence to Christ, and, because Christ is the object of that adherence, it must take the form of discipleship. An abstract Christology, a doctrinal system, a general religious knowledge on the subject of grace or on the forgiveness of sins, render discipleship superfluous, and in fact they positively exclude any idea of discipleship whatever, and are essentially inimical to the whole conception of following Christ. With an abstract idea it is possible to enter into a relation of formal knowledge, to become enthusiastic about it, and perhaps even to put it into practice; but it can never be followed in personal obedience. Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship, and Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.^[6]

The Christians in the Early Church described in the Book of Acts were disciples and students of Jesus Christ, whose teachings were shared by prophets and teachers such as Barnabas, Saul, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen (Acts 13:1). Wherever we are in the world today, we have that same responsibility to teach and help others develop as disciples of Jesus.

Mission

A curriculum plan for Christian ministry is a discipleship plan. Its purpose is to provide a guide for helping all persons develop as disciples of Jesus Christ. That is the mission of the Church, most clearly articulated in what is known as the Great Commission. The Church’s mission and the mission of the curriculum plan are the same. Both are focused on discipleship:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)

The one imperative in Jesus’s instructions is to make disciples, with no one exempt and no people group overlooked. Making disciples includes baptizing new believers as a sign of their commitment to Christ and then teaching them to live out all of Jesus’s teachings, everything he has taught and commanded. A curriculum plan is focused on fulfilling this imperative.

Jesus has given us a clear mission to guide the Church and, therefore, our curriculum journey. We know where we’re headed—on the path of making disciples. Still, while the curricular destination is clear, it can be daunting to think about our responsibility to teach everything that Jesus taught. He assured us that he’ll be with us; we’re not alone in our planning or teaching. But what if our plan omits something important that Jesus taught? We are limited in the time we have to teach, so how can we prioritize what we include in our curriculum? Jesus provided us guidance for this dilemma through what we call the Great Commandment. When one of the religious leaders tried to trick him into somehow devaluing the religious regulations of the day by asking him which of the laws he viewed as the most important, Jesus responded,

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40, ESV)

Jesus’s response didn’t omit any of the scriptural teachings. In verse 40, we read Jesus’s clarifying explanation that everything prescribed in the Law and Prophets is reflected in these two imperatives—love God and love others. Taken together, the Great Commission and the Great Commandment provide the heart of our mission, the directional focus for our discipleship curriculum. The target, the finish line of our racecourse, must always reflect these two mandates: to make disciples who love God with every part of their being and love and value others.

Creating a Mission Statement

A curriculum plan begins with an understanding of the overall mission for which it is designed. Various terms have been used to describe this destination, such as an overall goal, objective, or purpose statement. Designating it as a mission statement aligns it most closely with Jesus’s Great Commission. Christians are on a mission with God, a co-mission, to evangelize and develop disciples. This includes teaching them to love God with their hearts, souls, minds, and strength and to love their neighbors the same way they love themselves (Mark 12:30–31). The Message expresses it this way: “‘The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself’” (Mark 12:30–31, MSG).

• Two key passages, the Great Commission and the Great Commandment, should guide the mission statement for a Christian curriculum plan.
• A mission statement with this biblical foundation will provide a clarifying focus on why the ministry exists and what it seeks to accomplish.

These proclamations of Jesus have often been interpreted to express the key purposes of the Church as worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and ministry or service. A church-based mission statement may include those purposes specifically, or they may be understood or suggested by the wording of the overall mission. Some Christian ministries and para-church organizations have a narrower focus in terms of their overall purpose or target audience. For instance, a ministry might understand its particular mission as developing young Christians to be leaders in their schools, an organization might have a missional focus of serving local immigrants in the name of Jesus, or a ministry might view world evangelism as its primary mission. These organizations still need to articulate a clear biblical mission that is connected to Christ’s overall mission for his Church.

• A mission statement should include a reference to the intended target audience, such as a particular age group or unique population, if relevant.

Examples

According to the National Council of Churches—Nepal, their mission is “to unite the Christian community in Nepal, equip them spiritually; encourage them to be involved in social issues and work for the betterment of society.”

Freedom for Youth Ministries “empowers youth across Iowa, through the love of Jesus Christ, to break out of bondage, discover their God-given talents, and lead transformed lives.”

The website for Christ’s Church of the Valley (CCV) in Peoria, Arizona, says, “Our mission has always been to reach the Valley for Christ.” Their ministry focus is clearly on those who live in their geographical area, known as “the Valley.” While this mission is geographically specific, the church also has a more formal mission statement reflective of the Great Commission and Great Commandment: “At CCV, our mission is to WIN people to Christ, TRAIN believers to become disciples, and SEND disciples to impact the world.”

• The most effective mission statements are clear and concise and most impactful when limited to one sentence. This makes them more memorable and increases the chance that those within the ministry will understand their overall purpose. Sometimes people speak of passing the T-shirt test to determine whether a mission statement is sufficiently succinct. If a mission statement can easily fit onto a T-shirt, it passes the test. They should be simple yet meaningful and use action-oriented words that clearly communicate.

Further Examples

Our mission is to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. (LifeChurch)

We exist to Reach Up, Reach Out, and Reach In. (Fellowship Church)

• A mission statement provides a clear sense of direction for a ministry, which is necessary when designing a curriculum. If you don’t know where you’re headed, it is unlikely that you’ll arrive at a desirable destination. Disciples don’t develop just by spending time together in a small group. Disciples are learners who benefit and grow through intentional teaching that encompasses the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, and skills of Jesus Christ.
• Mission statements are action-oriented and use verbs and phrases that reflect momentum and not passivity. Instead of saying, “We want to do something,” a mission statement says, “We will do something, and this is what we will do.” Examples of action verbs could be words such as create, empower, equip, establish, provide, or share.
• Committing to a common articulated mission can help leaders with decision-making related to curricular content, leading to unity within a ministry team. Diverse opinions may still arise on how to achieve a mission, but without agreement on that ultimate objective, any curriculum planning is doomed to fail.

Vision

A mission statement describes what a curriculum is trying to achieve, while a vision paints a picture of what it will look like when the mission is accomplished. The distinction between mission and vision statements is often misunderstood, and sometimes they are reversed in the planning process or even in how they are identified. Vision statements help us see what the ministry’s future can look like and inspire and motivate us to accomplish the mission. One helpful way to understand how they differ is to think of them in terms of a mountain climbing adventure. The mission is to reach the top of the mountain. That is a succinct and clear statement about what the group of climbers is going to accomplish together. The vision describes what it will be like to stand on top of the mountain once that mission is completed. The vision communicates why people should want to climb the mountain and provides them with a glimpse of what it will take to get there. Trying to convince a group of people to commit to a long and arduous trek up a mountain might not be successful, especially if they only think of it as a physical feat that would consume time and energy. A vision is aimed at convincing them why the climb is worth the effort and paints a picture of what they will experience if they make the climb. They will see breathtaking views; breathe clean, crisp air; and gain a sense of personal accomplishment. The vision is a motivational piece, making it more likely that others will see the value and commit to the mission.

While mission statements are cognitive and informative, vision statements emphasize the affective learning domain and appeal to the heart. They clarify the mission, which is why they are typically longer than just a sentence. Since effective mission statements are concise, they can lend themselves to interpretation. Vision statements can assist in clearing up any confusion. Look back at some of the examples in the previous section and imagine the various ways they might be understood in different ministry contexts.

If you do a search for church mission statements, you will notice many similarities in their use of words. This is to be expected given our common biblical purpose as the Church. At the same time, each church and ministry is unique. Inspiring others to reach young people for Christ in one setting will not look the same in another location. The vision statement adds colorful details that explain the ministry’s purpose in its unique context.

Mission statements are grounded in biblical truth and align with Jesus’s teachings, so they are timeless. The language may be updated to reflect contemporary communication, but the focus should not change. Vision statements rely on a distinct setting and the needs, resources, and challenges of that one particular ministry. These characteristics may fluctuate over time because no church or ministry is immune to change. This reality means that some vision statements may require occasional revisions to reflect the current realities.

Mission statements are more about doing, while vision statements are about inspiring and helping people glimpse a mental snapshot of future possibilities. They add details and rationale to the succinct mission statement that are motivational and help maintain a focus on the importance of the curriculum.

Examples

The following examples are taken from ministry vision statements expressed by students from various countries. They are not complete, but as you read these excerpts, take note of the subtle contextual differences that are expressed. (Note: In many of these examples, English is not a first language. While some of the phrasing may initially be confusing, I have chosen to include the words of the students.)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: It is evident that there are a lot of issues that aspire to be appealing to the attention of teenagers during this period of transition to adulthood. They start to experience different kinds of changes including physical, emotional, psychological and social. It is also a time where they start to look meaning to life independent from what they have been taught by parents or guardians. This pursuit of meaning exposes them to different kinds of thought systems, ideologies, philosophies and religions that are amply found in this diversified and fluctuating world. They begin to explore and even try out some of these beliefs that seem to give sense to their enthusiastic minds. This path of exploration has taken some to some cultic and evil ways and directed others to Christ. Most Christians testify that they came to the Lord during this time of adolescence. Therefore, this desire to find meaning by itself is not evil but it is important that we help these teens to draw the meaning they are looking for from the Word of God.

    Hence, it is our vision to see our teenagers make the Word of God the center of their lives and the authority of their decisions.

Congo Town, Monrovia, Liberia: My vision is for students to find meaning that is biblically based in order to shape their daily activities. The purpose or meaning that will give each student the reason to rise up early and goes to bed late without anxiety, fear, and hopelessness.

    I dream for this generation to rise and take on responsibility in order to not become liability to families and extended relatives. Also, I envision inspiring students of the sense of responsibility or service in order to become independent adult tomorrow.

    I envision students to find their identity, significance and morality in Christ. Since adolescents wrestles with “who am I,” “what is my worth” and what behavior that will bring success in life, students must be inspired to resolved their identity, significance and morality in Christ so as to prevent being identified with wrong identity that will make their lives empty in adulthood.

Wisconsin, USA: We seek to help immigrants and refugees effectively integrate into the local church. We look to achieve this through discipleship, radical hospitality, and contextualized worship. We desire for our international families to be grounded in Scripture and intimately connected to Christ and the body.

    Our international/refugee families will be equipped and empowered, through the body, to share the love of Jesus to their families back home.

    (Pt 2. Challenge) Our church must be unified in this mission. As we act in hospitality to the foreigner, we ought to become increasingly burdened with their burdens. Their people become our people. We, as one body, must walk hand in hand, in brotherly love, with our international and refugee families who are our key to reaching the rest of the world with the Gospel of Jesus.

Penang, Malaysia: XXX Church is located beside a college, an international school, 3–4 schools and a neighborhood who has people who really need to hear the Gospel of Christ. Hence, we aim to reach out to young people and adolescents who need God by bringing His truths to them. However, while doing this, we need to train our youths to be more committed to Christ and to know God’s Word themselves.

    The priority to train our own youths has to be placed in priority while not forgetting that our time to reach the lost is getting less and less. The youth members are majority Christians (have accepted Jesus as Savior) but lack biblical conviction in their lifestyles. Fun is still fun to enjoy. However, we need to teach and guide them to be more committed in their faith and to fulfill The Great Commission.

Indiana, USA: As college students, we recognize the importance of being disciples of Jesus even as we live our lives in the world. We wish to be a mature community of believers who, through intentional growth in our faith through the study of God’s word and participation in our church body, are able to engage with the culture we come into contact with on our various local campuses and show the light of God’s love to those around us. As disciples of Jesus, we recognize our call as God’s people to be a light to the nations while also holding firm to our faith in the midst of the world. We wish to be a community of disciples grounded in the truth of Scripture, able to move out in love with grace and truth to those we walk with daily on our college campuses. A community that loves God and brings His love to the world through service, intentional relationships, and the sharing of the Gospel which draws in those around us to form communities of faith multiplied from ours in the church onto the campuses where we live.

Vision statements should answer questions such as:

• • • • Why is it important to accomplish our mission?
      • What is currently keeping the mission from being accomplished?
      • What will it take for the mission to succeed?
      • What will it look like when we are accomplishing our mission?

*Remember that vision statements should inspire and attract others to follow the mission. They offer a rationale and provide hope for the future.

Core Values

If a mission statement communicates our ministry’s purpose and a vision statement inspires us toward commitment, then core values are the key beliefs that motivate us and keep us focused. They are why we do what we do in ministry. If we refer to the previous example about mountain climbing, we might think of core values as the reasons why we’re climbing or even the rules we’ll follow as we climb. The mission is to get to the top, the vision motivates us to climb as we think about what it will be like when we reach the top, and the core values are the beliefs that motivate us to climb, the guidelines we will follow, or how we will conduct ourselves along the way. For instance, mountain climbing values may include physical fitness and exercise, respect for nature, adventure, looking out for one another, or a concern for safety.

Core values in a curriculum are the foundational biblical truths that compel us to fulfill our purpose. They are why we engage in ministry. They are also the beliefs that shape what we do and how we do it. They define the ministry’s character. While it isn’t advisable, the reality is that a church or ministry can exist without ever giving thought to a mission or vision. Core values, however, are always in existence. They are operational, whether or not they are articulated. In other words, every church and organization holds specific values. They are the beliefs and commitments that drive ministry decisions. Why does a church decide to include some ministry programs and not others? What influences its decisions about spending or scheduling? Why is it that fundraising is acceptable in some churches but not others? These are matters of value. Even though those values may not be clearly communicated, their existence inevitably determines the ministry’s actions. They are operant core values. Sometimes, the operant values are positive, but that isn’t always the case. This is why it is imperative to carefully consider and identify a ministry’s intended core values. Once they are identified, they then become articulated core values. Articulating a ministry’s values provides a basis to evaluate whether it is genuinely acting in accordance with what it believes to be of utmost importance.

Sometimes, a church’s core values are more clearly identified by an outsider than by those within the ministry. Experiencing how they are welcomed when they attend a service or event for the first time gives them a window into the value a church places on newcomers. One visit may not provide an accurate understanding, but if a pattern is discerned after a few visits, the church’s value in reaching out to visitors is evident. Other value clues are the property’s condition, how corporate worship services are organized, or the types of programs and events that are held. Looking at a flyer, bulletin, newsletter, website, or calendar also reveals what the church or ministry emphasizes or values. What is given the most attention or time is a strong indicator of values. How much time is devoted to prayer or studying the Scripture during worship or in a small group? Are there opportunities for age group teaching and learning? Does the church engage in ministry within the community? Observations about such things are indications of the core values that guide a ministry. If the operant values aren’t aligned with the agreed-upon articulated core values, that is a signal that changes are needed in the way a ministry carries out its mission.

Culture changes, but core values should not. As technology advances, it is necessary to think about how we teach and whether we need to alter our methods. Flannelgraphs, chalkboards, whiteboards, overhead projectors, PowerPoint, and online streaming represent technological changes in teaching over the past century, but they do not reflect a missional shift or a shift in core values. Even the content of our curriculum may change to address new cultural challenges. For example, teaching biblical truth about identity and sexuality today requires the Church to address many topics that would never have been imagined in past decades. To accomplish the mission and remain true to its core values, the curricular content must change. The changes a ministry makes in terms of methodology or content may reflect the importance a ministry places on keeping current, though “keeping current” would probably not be a core value of the ministry.

• Biblical truth does not change. The Church’s mission does not change, and core values should also remain unchanged.

Core values are biblical commitments and guiding principles determined by strong convictions of belief. They aren’t the same as doctrinal statements, even though some core values will be doctrinal in nature. Doctrinal statements are a comprehensive explanation of theological beliefs. While core values should align with biblical truth, they are not, for example, a list of what a ministry believes about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church, or end times. Core values will reflect doctrine but speak more to a church’s beliefs, standards, or assumptions related to doctrine.^[7]

Consider a commitment to the Bible as a core value. Such a value will reveal itself through the style of preaching, the selected teaching resources, the emphasis on the personal or communal reading of Scripture, and even the availability of Bibles within the church. Are Bibles read by the members of a small group Bible study, or are they only read by the leader or found on a handout? Are the words from the biblical text projected on a screen during worship, or are people also encouraged to open a Bible? Are sermons and small groups focused on a study of Scripture or current topics with little to no reference to the Bible? A commitment to the Bible as the authoritative and revealed Word of God is a theological doctrine about the nature and importance of Scripture, but identifying it as a core value should translate into the ways and rationale for how this belief is lived out in the life of a church or ministry.

Identifying core values can help a church or ministry more effectively accomplish its mission. As part of a curriculum plan, they are necessary to provide guidance for the content and the structure necessary for impactful discipleship. Sometimes, the core values operating within a ministry are contradictory and can impede the accomplishment of the mission. An example of this may be a ministry that values both tradition and reaching younger generations with the gospel. While these two values are not necessarily in opposition, if too much emphasis is placed on adhering to tradition, a ministry’s approaches to teaching and learning may be ineffective in reaching or discipling a youth population.^[8]

Within the context of a curriculum plan, it is vital to identify a small number of core values that will guide the discipleship experience. Not everything a ministry values can be a core value. If too many are designated as core, the likelihood that they will provide genuine guidance in decision-making is low. It is a good idea to think in terms of no more than five core values.

• Each value should be identified, explained, and supported by Scripture.

Examples

The following examples are taken from curriculum plans created by students as part of a class assignment.

Sample A

1.Prayer

a.One of the most important ways we engage with Christ and become Godly women is through individual and corporate prayer. We experience the love, healing, and freedom of Jesus Christ through prayer.

b.James 5:13–16, Philippians 4:6–7, Ephesians 6:18

2.Scripture

a.Scripture is the living and active word of God and is all truth. It brings life and equips us to fight battles against the enemy so we can do the good work of the Lord.

b.2 Timothy 3:16–17, Matthew 4:4, Hebrews 4:12

3.Showing compassion

a.We want to show compassion and love to those different from us, just as Jesus did. This means laying down our lives and loving them unconditionally by humbly serving them.

b.1 John 4:11–12, Matthew 20:26–28, 34, Romans 12:10

4.Holiness

a.We are made to be image-bearers and live pure and holy lives to reflect the light of Christ to the world. This means we are to be set apart from the world and show the world Christ through our humility and Christlike love.

b.Philippians 4:8–9, Hebrews 12:14, 1 Peter 2:9, John 1:7

5.Fellowship

a.We believe we have been called to live life together. To live in unity and to encourage and build each other up in faith as each of us uses the gifts the Lord has given us.

b.Matthew 18:20, Acts 2:42, Hebrews 10:24–25, Romans 12:4

Sample B

1.Putting others before self (servant love)

a.Part of the greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves, our youth group wants to take that to the next level by putting others before ourselves. This expresses our care for one another and will be representative of what Christ did while on this earth. We are called to follow in his footsteps, and was a servant even though he didn’t need to be, that is what we are deciding to follow.

b.Matthew 25:40, Matthew 22:37–40

2.Being scripturally grounded and knowledgeable

a.This is important because if we do not know what Scripture says, how are we to know how to live our lives? Scripture is God breathed, coming by his own accord, if we are to truly be grounded in our faith we must also be grounded in his word.

b.2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:105

3.Available for constant community

a.Accountability and community in the faith are vessels to help us stay rooted in the right things. It is important to have interaction with others, going through life with others, able to learn, teach, and disciple one another. Students will be able to effectively talk within intergenerational settings, fostering growth from all people.

b.1 Thessalonians 5:11, Romans 12:4–5

4.Living evangelistically

a.Christ calls us to go throughout the world and preach the gospel. Making disciples and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. That is central to the Christian life and central to this ministry. We will equip the youth to feel comfortable in these types of situations, helping to show a life lived for kingdom growth.

b.Matthew 28:18–20

5.Experiencing time with Christ

a.In the Christian life, God is desiring a personal relationship with each and every one of us. Spending time with him is how we learn and mature in our faith the most. Whether it be through prayer, solitude and silence, reading Scripture, etc. We believe that this is central part to the lives of Christian believers, and it is what we want to engrain into the kids of our youth ministry.

b.Mark 1:35, 1 Peter 2:2

Sample C

1.The authority of Scripture

a.Scripture grounds all that we do. We believe that the Bible is the inherent Word of God. God used men to write His words, but we believe and know that Scripture contains messages inspired by his Spirit. Scripture is the foundation that we will come back to for all things, rooting all that we do in that firm foundation.

b.2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20–21, Isaiah 40:8

2.The power of prayer and praise

a.Prayer and praise our essential elements that cannot be neglected. Prayer and praise go hand in hand to us. When we praise, worship, and exalt the Lord, our response should be communication with him through prayer. We believe that prayer is fundamentally communication with God, which can take on forms like repentance, supplication, or intercession.

b.2 Chronicles 20:20–30, Acts 16:16–34, Matthew 21:22, 2 Chronicles 7:14

3.The guidance of the Spirit

a.We believe that walking in step with the Spirit is indispensable to our spiritual vitality and longevity. It is by the spirit that we can live lives that are above reproach; lives of upstanding, Christian character. Trusting the guidance of the Spirit means that we are also always willing to go where the Spirit leads, no matter what that looks like.

b.Galatians 5:22–23, Galatians 5:16, Romans 8:13

4.The necessity of community

a.We are meant to live in community with each other. Living in genuine community means we are willing and available to be there for our brothers and sisters no matter the cost. We believe that Christian community also strives for unity, unity that comes through the Spirit of God.

b.Acts 2:42–47, 1 Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 6:2, Proverbs 27:17

5.The responsibility to share

a.We believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something that is supposed to be kept within ourselves or kept within the 4 walls of the church. We have the responsibility to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus to the world. This can take on many forms, from service projects to evangelism and outreach, in order to share the Gospel.

b.Matthew 28:18–20, Psalm 96:3, Romans 1:16