Our Strategies

Many of the men and women who guide student ministry in the SBC agencies, state conventions, and colleges and seminaries meet each year. They seek God's face to know how best to support churches in student ministry. The following are the student ministry values they affirmed in their 2004 meeting. 

Student Ministry Strategies

• We believe the mission of youth ministry is the accomplishment of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) and obedience to the Great Commandment
  (Matt. 22:37-39).  Read more...
• We believe the purposes of youth ministry are evangelism, discipleship, ministry, fellowship, and worship under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
  (Matt. 28:19-20).  Read more...
• We believe evangelism and ministry constitute missions (Matt 28:19-20).  Read more...
• We believe that numerical growth, lifelong spiritual growth and transformation, ministry expansion, and kingdom advancement often are indications of youth ministry performance of the five purposes (Matt. 6:33).  Read more...
• We believe in winning, discipling, and equipping parents to be primary spiritual leaders for their children (Deut. 6:7).  Read more...
• We believe in providing open groups for all youth that focus on foundational evangelism and discipleship (1 Peter 3:15).  Read more...
• We believe in providing opportunities for youth who desire deeper discipleship content, lifestyle and attendance accountability, and study and spiritual preparation between meetings (2 Timothy 2:15).  Read more...
• We believe in equipping youth, their leaders, and their parents to make a clear and relevant presentation of the gospel (2 Cor. 5:19).  Read more...
• We believe in biblical baptism for all believers (Rom. 6:3-4).  Read more...
• We believe in local church membership (Rom. 12:4-5).  Read more...
• We believe in calling youth, parents, and leaders to an ongoing prayer strategy to undergird youth ministry (1 Thes. 5:17).  Read more...
• We believe in training, mobilizing, and sending youth and their leaders to meet spiritual and physical needs of all people in the name of Jesus both locally and globally (Matt. 25:34-40).   Read more...
• We believe in educating and training youth to create and implement strategies to evangelize and minister to target cultures, both locally and globally
  (Acts 1:8).  Read more...
• We believe in involving youth in multiple avenues of worship during which they experience God, including the full congregation, families, youth settings, and personal worship (John 4:23-24).  Read more...
• We believe in training youth to use music and fine arts as tools of worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, and fellowship (Ephesians. 5:19).  Read more...
• We believe every youth ministry event, organization, and ministry must have clearly defined target audiences and must be designed to accomplish one or more of the youth ministry purposes (1 Cor. 10:31).  Read more...
• We believe in providing consistent guidance and immediate opportunities to serve for youth sensing a call of God to Christian ministry vocations
  (1 Timothy 4:12).  Read more...
• We believe in challenging every student to spend a summer or longer in full-time missions service during high school or college (Psalm 126:6).  Read more...
• We believe in equipping youth to fulfill the ministries to which they have been called, including ministry roles they are to fill now in youth ministry, in the congregation, and in the broader Kingdom (1 Thessalonians 5:14).  Read more...
• We believe in calling out adults who sense they are called by God to minister with youth, and to disciple and equip those adults for their ministries (Ephesians 4:11-12).  Read more...
• We believe youth ministry belongs to the congregation under the leadership of the Holy Spirit rather than to an individual (1 Cor. 12:12-14).  Read more...
• We believe that representative youth, leaders, and parents should be mobilized to establish a youth ministry's purpose and vision; choose priorities; select organizations, events, and ministries; and implement youth ministry plans in accordance with the church's mission statement (Proverbs 29:18).  Read more...
• We believe youth ministry must bond ethnically and socially diverse youth into a uniquely Christian subculture characterized by biblical community and joyful fellowship (Galatians 3:28).  Read more...
• We believe in equipping youth, parents, and leaders to represent the Great Physician in the lives of hurting youth and families (Romans 12:15).  Read more...
• We believe that obedience to God results in a lifestyle that is holy and pure for youth, youth leaders, and parents (Luke 1:6).  Read more...
• We believe youth ministry assists people in moving into and beyond the teenage years (Titus 2:6).  Read more...