Student Ministries

Bill Pitts, Jr.

We will provide a place for students to BELONG;
teach them what we BELIEVE;
and see them BECOME Christ-followers.

Our challenge each year is to live out this mission statement. In 2003 we did that in the following ways...

BELONG: Students continue to find a sense of belonging here that encourages them to bring their friends. We have had one student, who is an atheist, who has been coming to the Storm for over a year now. He was invited by a Buddhist teen who came with a friend from school. This atheist student has found a place where he can journey with others who will accept him right where he is. Students see that by including everyone Jesus included, we introduce normal people to a radical way of living that IS Christianity.

BELIEVE: This year we've seen our Satellite Stations (Bible study and accountability small groups) grow from about 35 students participating to around 85 students coming weekly. We also have 20 high school students meeting at 6:30 in the morning, before school starts, to be involved in journaling groups that study and discuss God's word. The idea that living for Jesus means changing your entire life is something that we all struggle with, but our students are striving to be more than Sunday Christians.

BECOME: If they feel like they belong and they learn what we believe, we know that with God's grace they will become Christ-followers. We continue to have students from outside any church exposure begin their journey of faith here at Central. Some come to our weekend outreach programs; some begin in the small group setting. Here are a couple other ways that we see them Becoming:

*We had an incredible mission trip to West Virginia with a mixed group of middle and high school students that learned how to love each other and those around them.

*And this year we began having students serve around our church and community in 'ministry teams' on Sunday mornings. This has been a huge success as we see students stop simply talking about what they should do, and instead serve others. Whether it is visiting nursing homes each week, making sandwiches for 'My Sister's Place' or helping prepare the food for the post-EPIC crowd, students are being the feet of Jesus in this community.

Christ has us on a journey with Him. He is helping us become who He wants us to be. We won't be that finished creation until the day He takes us home. Students are becoming Christ-followers in this ministry and understanding that following Him is an up and down, sometimes easy, mostly hard, lifelong process. In this ministry, just as in this church, we are doing life together.