THE WHATS AND WHYS

The Whats and Whys of Youth Ministry

By Maryanna Story

What 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

talking about how the children’s ministry does ‘That Thing,’ and we thought it was hilarious that their program is named that. Maryanna made a joke about calling middle school ‘I Don’t Know’ and I suggested IDK— we thought it was really funny and stuck with it.”

The objective of IDK is for students to have a heart to find, to learn, and to know who Jesus is and what it means to follow

Him. “The four big ‘whats’ that we emphasize in Junior High whenever we are teaching are the answers we hope students walk away knowing,” says Robson.

The goal of these “whats” is that the students are resting in Christ alone for salvation, and that they understand God has loved them from before time began, and that they are made right with God, not through anything they have done, but only through what Christ has done for them.

While IDK emphasizes gospel roots, Senior High emphasizes gospel fruit. The focus shifts from finding, learning, and knowing, to knowing what it means to live, experience, and trust.

The goal of teaching in Senior High is for the students to walk away with an understanding of what it looks like to grow in their faith, be in union with Christ and his church, and to have hope as they live in this world.

This philosophy plays out in the way the student ministry plans its programs. Weekly, IDK and Senior High both meet on Wednesday nights from 6:15 to 7:30 p.m. for fellowship, snacks, games, and a lesson. Sunday mornings involve eating pancakes, spending time together, hearing large-group teaching, and then combining to sing together at the end.

Small groups are another way for students to come and grow together in Christ in a more intimate setting. These groups meet at different times, and volunteers along with staff help lead and facilitate discussion.

“As we think about philosophy of ministry, we really focus on large-group teaching, small-group discussion, and our staff members meeting with students regularly one to one. We also meet with students as they go through the process for profession of faith,” says Robson. Both IDK and Senior High take annual trips. IDK has the Buffalo Retreat at Victory Ranch the weekend before Thanksgiving with staff and Senior High chaperones leading and speaking. Middle school students can The Junior High fundamentals are: 1. Who is God? 2. Who am I? 3. What does it mean to be a Christian? 4. What is justification?

The four points of emphasis in Senior High are: 1. What does it look like for me to be a part of the kingdom of God? 2. What does it mean to be united to Christ? 3. What does it look like for me to hope as a Christian? 4. What is sanctification?

also attend the Edge Conference at Covenant College in June. Senior High students travel to Nashville for a spring retreat every February. In the summer, Senior High students can go to RYM (Reformed Youth Ministries), which is a week at Laguna Beach Christian Retreat Center.

Throughout the year, IDK and Senior High have various monthly fellowship events, ranging from paintball, Grizzlies or Redbirds games, Brunch and Crafts, pool parties, Golf-n-Games, IDK360, Christmas Campout, and more.

Our students also have opportunities to serve through the youth ministry. Stephen Felker heads up Leads, a senior high leadership team. The goal of a Leads meeting is to teach and encourage students who have a desire to serve in the life of the church. Leads students help out with IDK when needed, chaperone Buffalo Retreat, and sometimes serve as co-cabin leaders at Camp Palmer.

Robson notes, “I’m really excited about the future of Leads—for kids to begin thinking about what it looks like as a student to serve in the church, but also to help them think about what it means to be a servant and use their gifts for the kingdom of God.”

All youth students can be teen helpers for Vacation Bible School, a great way to serve in the life of IPC.

The biggest challenge for youth ministry at IPC is what Robson also considers to be the biggest blessing. “Between middle and high school, our students come from over 30 different schools. How do we develop a sense of community in this place when we have so many students, who live in so many places, who go to so many different types of schools, who are involved in so many activities, and who are here at a variety of different times during the week or month? It’s important to know how to live with one another and to grow together, even though we are all different in a lot of ways.

“We have lots of events for students to be able to come in and feel like they are welcomed and get to know other students. Even though that can be a challenge, I think that our student ministry’s diversity “Between middle and high school, our students come from over 30 different schools. How do we develop a sense of community in this place when we have so many students, who live in so many places, who go to so many different types of schools, who are involved in so many activities, and who are here at a variety of different times during the week or month? Brad Robson, Pastor of Student Ministry

among places and types of students is one of our greatest blessings,” he explained. “What we have is a lot of different people who come together because we are united in Christ as a new family—one that reflects what the kingdom of God looks like. Our hope is that students will get plugged in, grow in Christian friendship, and be able to encourage each other.”

Student choirs are another avenue for students to grow in faith and fellowship at IPC. Junior High Choir kicks off with a day at Horseshoe Lake, Senior High at Pickwick Lake, then practice starts after Labor Day. Voices of all skill levels and experience are welcome. Junior High Choir, grades 6-8, meets Wednesday nights, from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m., with pizza for dinner. Senior High Choir, grades 9-12, meets Sunday afternoons from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. “The goal is not to produce an adult choir out of the student choir, the goal in this is to help people learn to worship and to be confident worshippers,” explains James Brown, Director of Worship and Music Ministries at IPC. Brown directs with assistance from Pam Brown, Jennifer Velázquez, and Harrison Howle. Both student choirs perform for the Graded Choir Christmas program as well as IPC’s annual

Service of Lessons and Carols.

Each spring, Junior High Choir takes a weekend-long trip to lead Sunday morning worship at a sister PCA church and while there, typically spends a day enjoying a theme park or the beach. Our Senior High Choir embarks on an eight-day choir tour every June, where the group performs, leads worship, and shares spoken testimonies throughout several churches in a region. A select group from Senior High Choir forms the Ensemble, which performs choreographed popular music. Our Junior High Choir performs a commissioning concert before their weekend trip, and Senior High performs a homecoming concert at IPC after their tour.

Brown notes, “I think of music as a primary language of worship that we want people to be able to express. The Bible challenges us to worship in singing, and our hope is that when the students leave us, they are equipped, not uncomfortable, not too shy, and not bored. We are explaining biblical truth and hoping to enhance their understanding of what the words that they are singing mean as well as enhance their understanding of worship.”

As the staff at IPC seeks to be involved with junior and senior high students, Sean Lucas reflects on the role of youth ministry. “If our students ‘get it,’ then what is the ‘it’ we are hoping they walk away with? Ultimately, the big ‘it’ from the time they are in the cradle all the way through is that we want them to love Jesus more today than they did yesterday and more tomorrow than they did today. In order to have a lifetime of faithfulness, it starts in these early years, and our student ministry team does a great job with that.”

J O S E P H ! G o , G o , G o I P C V B S • 2 0 2 0 J U N E 8 - 1 2

register at ipcmemphis.org

It’s about to get wild because we are headed to the Nile June 8-12! This year’s VBS theme is Go, Go, Go Joseph! So, hop on your camel and join the caravan because we are traveling our way through Egypt. We will study the life and story of Joseph, discovering how God is in control and means everything for his good!

It will be a fun-filled, Christ-centered week for both children and adults. Our preparations are well underway, and we are very much anticipating the week’s explorations. Would you be praying for seeds of faith to be planted this week and pray for how you might get involved?

Pre-K through 5th Grade registration opens May 1 (children must be age four by June 1 to participate). Hope to see you at VBS!

A call for Volunteers to help lead our children! Volunteer registration begins Wednesday, April 1 Teacher Training (Classroom teachers only): s Wednesday night, April 22, 6:15 p.m., Room 205 s Sunday morning, May 3, Sunday school hour (9:45 a.m.), Room 205 s Sunday morning, May 17, Sunday school hour (9:45 a.m.), Room 205 Teen Helpers Junior & Senior High Students, want to help lead the way? Contact Leah Butler at leahjbutler@gmail.com VBS Prep Week: June 1-4; 9:00 a.m. to noon or 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Nursery provided by reservation from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Contact Lucy Green at lgreen@ipcmemphis.org to make reservations.

Women’s Ministry Spring Dinner Tuesday, April 28 | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. | $40

Join us for dinner and a unique opportunity to have Mitch Maher lead us through his acclaimed “Clarifying the Bible.” The two-hour presentation frames the storyline of Genesis through Revelation in a passionate, compelling fashion that will help you dive into Scripture with confidence. Cost includes workbook.

Dated Material — Please Expedite NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 422 MEMPHIS, TN

SPRING CALENDAR At Independent Presbyterian Church

March 27-28 Women’s Conference with Paige Benton Brown

April 5 Palm Sunday Music Program “Rejoice in the Lord!” 7 IPC Scouts Blue and Gold Banquet 9 Maundy Thursday Communion Service 10 Good Friday Service 11 Easter Eve Concert with Sara Groves 12 Easter Sunday 22 Junior High Choir Commissioning Concert 25 Wellness Seminar with Dr. John Dunlop 24-26 Junior High Choir Spring Trip to Ohio and Kentucky 26 Senior High Recognition Sunday Lunch 28 Women’s Dinner with Mitch Maher 29 Children’s Spring BLAST! Program

May 2 3

8-9

22-27 28

31

IPC Ballet Recital Final Sunday Evening Praise for Spring Pathway Class for Prospective Members Camp Palmer Senior High Choir Leaves for Tour of Southeastern States College Cookout

June 4

5 8-12 12 14 15-19

Senior High Choir Homecoming Concert College Drive-in Night Vacation Bible School College Trip to Six Flags Summer Evening Praise Begins Junior High at The Edge