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Growing in Knowledge,
Learning through Love

"Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

WHCC Youth Ministry

 

Welcome to the Western Hills Church of Christ youth group page! We are so glad you are interested in our Youth Ministry program. We offer many opportunities for young people in grades 6-12 to build community, grow in faith, get connected to the body of Christ, participate in service, and learn more about their individual identity in Christ. Our youth group provides a safe, welcoming place for children to have fun while growing in faith.

 

We are well aware of the sacrifices parents make and the stress that parents are under, so we want to partner with families to help teach our youth to live a Christ-centered life. We assure you that we are working hard and doing our best to provide students the chance to start a relationship with God, grow in that relationship, and learn to share with others what Jesus Christ is doing for them. If you have any questions about our Youth Ministry, please feel free to email the church office any time.

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WHCC Youth Philosophy

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Our Personal Relationship With God

Our personal relationship with God is where we must begin. We cannot be an example of what it means to grow in Christ if we are not doing it daily ourselves. We must communicate that we are faithfully and genuinely pursuing a relationship with Christ, and as Moses proclaims, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deut 6:4-7). Christ is our everything: and we must not just tell them this, we must also show them this!

 

Prayer

Prayer is our primary instrument of communication with God. In prayer we are able to praise Him, give thanks to Him, confess before Him, and ask for things from Him. Without prayer, no youth ministry will be successful. Our entire focus and reliance will be in Him with our dedication to prayer so this must be the foundation of our relationship with Christ.

 

Family Focus

After prayer, parental involvement is the key element in youth ministry. Parents are the number one influence in a child’s life and this includes the Spiritual life. I hope to build strong relationships with parents to help build strong relationships with youth. I will communicate regularly and give encouragement in the raising of their children.

 

Relationships

It is important to me to have meaningful and personal relationships with students and to be intentional in making sure that every student is contacted and met with on a regular basis. I want students to know that this is not just a job for me, it is a passion and a calling. Meeting with students in a small group or one-on-one setting helps build relationships that lead to further discipleship.

 

Discipleship

Although relationships are very important, the goal is to intentionally disciple students. Jesus commands us “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. (Matt 28:19-20a). I believe my call has been to disciple teenagers; making sure they are seeking Christ in all that they do. This starts with building trusting relationships that leads to Spiritual growth.

 

Group Meetings and Activities

 

  • Large Groups - Large group activities such as trips, hanging out, and spending time together in God's Word are all helpful in building meaningful relationships amongst students and leaders. This can be done at youth events, on mission trips, retreats, service projects, and more.

 

  • Small Groups - Smaller, more intimate settings are where relationships are strengthened. Trust is established, sharing is encouraged, and accountability is welcomed when we are able to spend time in a group of less people.

   Youth Ministry is a difficult job. Not just for the youth minister, but also for the parents. Our goal is not just to help our kids succeed, or even on a more basic level, to get them involved in church. We also aim to help them find to a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with Christ. It is essential that we have a core philosophy on how this can be accomplished. Read below for information about our approach to youth ministry and the scope and nature of the activities our children enjoy!

Youth Mission Trips

   Members of the WHCC Youth Group participate in regular mission activities that promote our children's own spiritual growth and servant hearts, while providing valuable support to organizations and people in need of assistance.

   These mission trips may be conducted locally, regionally or even internationally, as in the case of the photo shown, where WHCC youth assisted in the construction and repair of family dwellings in Honduras.

   For more information about WHCC youth mission trips, you may email the church office.

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Recurring WHCC Youth Events

Devos: Frequently, we will have a devotional on Sunday night. This will usually consists of us playing games, spending time in worship, having a devo, and eating dinner.

 

Tuesday Tradition: This is a time during the school year when we get together to spend time discussing the topics our teens want to learn. We do this every other Tuesday evening from 7 to 8 pm in the Loft.

 

MAD: Movie And Devo! We use this time together to watch a movie and discuss where we saw God working or Godly themes throughout the movie.

 

Service Projects: These will be times that we go into the community to serve in many different ares of need.

 

Movie Nights: Sometimes there will be a movie that comes out that many of our teens want to see. We plan a night (usually on opening night) to go and watch these as a group.

 

Lock-Ins: Once or twice a year we will meet at the church from 7 pm to 7 am. Throughout the night we will play games, have worship and a devo, do a spiritual activity, and hang out as a group.

 

Bowling Nights: These are nights we go to Thunderbird Lanes and bowl as a group. We usually go to Braum’s beforehand.

Larger Events

Winterfest: This is a huge youth rally held annually in North Texas. We travel down for the weekend with many other youth groups and spend time worshiping, listening to great speakers, and spending time together!

 

LTC: Leadership Training for Christ is a program used to help our teens grow in the gifts God has given them. We spend time from January to Easter preparing drama skits, puppet shows, Bible reading, song leading, etc. Then some travel down to Dallas, TX so that our kids can showcase their talent. This program is for 3rd - 12th graders. If you are interested, email the church office for more details.

 

Servant Retreat: Open to all high school students, we are joined by a few other churches in Oklahoma and spend a weekend focused on God. We spend time worshiping, participating in some spiritual disciplines, listening to a speaker, and building bonds within all groups that attend.

 

OverFlow Retreat: Very similar to the Servant Retreat but open only to middle schoolers. We worship, do a spiritual discipline, play games, and begin to build bonds with all youth groups that attend.

 

VBS: Vacation Bible School is a week long event hosted by our Children’s Minister for those in grades pre-k - 5th. It is usually in the evenings from Monday through Friday but requires extensive planning and set up. Our youth group volunteers play an essential part in the success of the event.

 

Zenith: Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Okla., hosts this summer camp open to all high schoolers. It is a week long and very similar to our retreats.

 

Cornerstone: This is the Middle School camp offered by Oklahoma Christian University during the summer. It is a week long and is also very similar to our retreats.

 

Westview Boys Home Service Trip: During the summer we travel to Hollis, OK to work with the Westview Boys Home. While we are there we help them by doing some kind of service work. This could include painting houses, building structures, or as simple as picking up trash. We also spend time hanging out and building relationships with the boys there.

Senior Sunday: We like to recognize and celebrate the graduating senior that will be moving out of the youth group. We will honor and bless them during Sunday morning service, and then we have a banquet for them on Sunday afternoon. During this time they will receive Bibles, be shown a video featuring pictures of them growing up, receive many gifts from our congregation, and be treated to dinner.

 

Sixth Grade Induction: During this weekend we help our incoming 6th graders transition into the Youth Group. We “kidnap” them and take them to breakfast with some of our already youth group members. Then on Sunday morning, we present them with Bibles and have the elders pray over them as they make the transition from our children’s ministry into our youth group ministry.

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