The Whats and Whys of Youth Ministry By Maryanna Story
W hat comes to mind when you think of youth ministry? Loud music, games, junk food, and 2-liter drinks are not wrong answers, but there is more than one
might gather from a quick glance while passing by the Junior High or Senior High rooms on a Sunday morning or Wednesday night. “In IPC Student Ministry, there’s a clear plan for our covenant children from the time they come into sixth grade to the time they graduate from high school,” said Sean Lucas, Senior Pastor. “There’s a clear plan for what we’re trying to accomplish in terms of getting the Gospel into them, not just intellectually, but how it plays out in their day-to-day lives. Do they get the Gospel? Do they understand it? Are they living it out in community and service and mission? There’s a lot of creativity, a lot of
thoughtfulness, in terms of accomplishing those goals. Each part of what Brad Robson and his team have developed fits into one of those aspects.” IPC Student Ministry has four full-time staff members. Brad Robson, Pastor of Student Ministry, has been at IPC for nine years; Stephen Felker, Associate Director, two years; Mary Virginia Felker, Assistant Senior High Director, six years; and Maryanna Story, Assistant Junior High Director, is in her first year. The Senior High ministry is for grades 9-12; the Junior High ministry is for grades 6-8 and is known as IPC IDK. “IDK stands for ‘I Don’t Know,’ and it does not mean anything. It’s just a silly name for our middle school students,” explains Robson. “One day during our staff meeting, we were
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