The Youth Ministry at Northlake Church of Christ exists to DRAW students closer to God, CONNECT them to the body, TRANSFORM them into the image of Christ, and EQUIP them to join God in His mission. In short, our purpose is to answer the call of discipleship (see Mark one18).
Discipleship is about three things:
1. Relationships - loving GOD completely & loving OTHERS selflessly
The first and most important command for the disciple is to love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. The second most important command (which can't be removed fom the first) is to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Becuase of this conviction we place a heavy emphasis on fellowship, worship, and service through our teaching and activities together. We work to DRAW students into a love for God that causes them to give all they are to Him and to His purposes. We work to CONNECT students through the love of God to others that they may learn to exhibit, experience, and share His love with them in selfless service.
2. Transformation - becoming like Jesus
As we are drawn into God's love and the loving community of His people, His Spirit begins to work in our lives to transform us. He created us to be in the image of His Son Jesus. This is NOT about simply trying hard to act by the same moral code as Jesus. This is about God forming within us the very heart, mind, and character of Jesus that we live just as He did. Because of this conviction we place a heavy emphasis on spiritual disciplines as well as the life of Jesus in our teaching and activitites together. We work to lead students in the process of TRANSFORMATION into the image of Jesus Christ.
3. Mission - joining God in His work in the world
As we are transformed into Jesus we then inherently embrace the same purposes that drove His life - preaching good news to the poor and releasing the captives (Luke 4:18-19). God is at work in this world all around us. It is our job as disciples to partner with God in that work. Because of this conviction we place a heavy emphasis on spiritual gifts, ministry, service, evangelism, and being missionaries in our teaching and activities together. We work to equip students to join God in His MISSION in this work.
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