Please contact Benny Collins at ph. 205-664-0889 ext. 149 for more information. Evangel Presbyterian Youth Ministry exists to encourage and aide Junior and Senior high students in their pursuit to glorify and enjoy God. We are committed to raising up a new generation of Christian leaders who are prepared for works ofservice so that the Body of Christ may be built up. It is our aim to provide students an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to nurture and tutor those who respond, and equip them to become disciple makers. This will be accomplished through worship and Bible studies, discipleship groups, mission opportunities, service projects, and fellowships. We desire to minister to our students within the context of their own families by getting parents involved at every level of our ministry and ministering to them as well. All of this is done with the passionate desire to raise up teenagers who reflect the image of Christ to the praise of God.   The Bible consistently and explicitly lays upon parents the primary responsibility for teaching and modeling God’s truth to children (Deuteronomy 6:7; 32:45-47). Therefore, Evangel Youth Ministry is designed not to replace parents in this responsibility but to equip and assist parents in discipling their children according to the truth of God’s Word. When youth are entrusted to the care of the church, we will seek to provide faithful nurturing programs and activities that will fit their needs and will support that home based training. These programs and activities are divided into three types: Bible studies, ministry opportunities, and fellowship activities. Bible Studies Because we believe that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17) and that “all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2 Timothy 3:16), the Word of God is central to all that we do at Evangel Youth Ministry. Every Wednesday night the Junior and Senior High meet for worship and Bible study in our youth room located inside the Evangel Gym facility from 6:15 to 7:15pm. This is followed by our discipleship small groups which meet from 7:15 to 7:30 pm . Both our Wednesday night Bible studies and our discipleship groups strive to instruct students from the whole counsel of God’s Word while instilling within the student’s heart a love for and commitment to personal study of the Scriptures.   Ministry Opportunities In Acts 1:8, Christ tells His disciples that they are to be His witnesses both near and far, “to the ends of the earth.” In I John 3:18, however, they are instructed not to “love in word or tongue” only, “but in deed and in truth.” In other words, Scripture is clear that as followers of Christ we are to share the gospel both verbally and non-verbally. We are to preach the gospel to all who will listen and live out the gospel for all to see. Evangel Youth Ministry strives to provide opportunities for students to do both. Whether our youth are sharing the good news of Christ with fellow teenagers in Northern Ireland or they are demonstrating the love of Christ in tangible ways to a needy family at Christmas, we believe that such occasions will not only be a blessing to others to the praise of God, they will also stretch our youth to grow in Christ. Therefore it is our goal to provide students with bi-monthly service projects and an annual short-term mission trip. These ministry opportunities will range from one-on-one evangelism for those who are equipped, to visiting senior adults in area nursing homes, to manual labor projects, such as mowing lawns for the elderly or working with Habitat for Humanity. It is our hope that by encouraging students to give of themselves to others in the name of Christ, not only will the gospel be seen and heard by all, but our students will develop a servant’s heart like Christ displayed during His earthly ministry.     Fellowship Activities In Acts 2:42 we read that the early church “continued steadfastly” not only “in the apostle’s doctrine...in the breaking of bread, and in prayers,” but “in fellowship.” Therefore, it would seem that fellowship and a sense of community was an essential ingredient to the vitality and growth of the early church.   Although Evangel Youth Ministry is not an “activity driven” youth program, we do believe that it is crucial to provide regular opportunities for students to interact with each other and with their church family. Therefore each month we offer fun activities for youth to participate in such as scavenger hunts, Christian concerts, paintball, Six Flags, soccer matches, and camping trips (just to name a few). Parents are always encouraged to come along with their youth whenever possible. These outings offer parents quality time not only with their own children but also with other children in the church as well. What better role model could our youth have than their own godly parents or the godly parents of a friend?   During the summer months activities are planned weekly as opposed to monthly, and although we do not expect any student to come to all the planned events, the summer schedule does provide parents and students with a menu of exciting fellowships and excursions to choose from, including a short-term mission trip and a summer camp. It is our desire that all such fellowships and activities will strengthen relationships between students, between parent and child, and between our youth and the rest of the church family, creating a spirit of community that will energize both the youth program and the church as a whole.