Youth Group Policy and Philosophy

At Trinity Bible Fellowship, we take Youth Group seriously.

Seriously, we do!

The Youth Program at TBF is designed to recognize that young people come to us with a variety of needs.  Some know Jesus as their Savior and want opportunities for growth.  Some are saved, and don't want anything more right now thank you very much.  Some know little or nothing about Him at all.  We use a variety of people and methods to meet the needs of each.

No one can relate well with everyone, so we have a variety of people involved in Youth Ministry.  Lynne Guhlke teaches the Jr. High Sunday School class, Josh Cooper teaches the High School Sunday School, and the team of Josh Cooper, Dion Ricketts, and Steve McLachlan lead RIOT on Sunday evenings.  Josh Cooper is the leaders for this year's Youth Leadership group (see below).  This combination of youth workers prevents any one person from being overburdened, and gives the young people a good variety of adult Christians they can comfortably relate to.

Discipleship is not for the unsaved, nor is evangelism aimed at disciples.  We recognize this and target our efforts.  Youth Group, which meets on Sunday evenings during the school year, is designed for evangelism, relationship building, and group building.  A key element of Youth Group is fun.  This should be a place kids want to bring their friends, and their friends enjoy once they get there.  Every night there are games, snacks, and a lesson.  There are not many expectations placed on the kids, and once a month we try to have a larger event, designed for outreach.

Those willing to develop their relationship with Christ need more than what Youth Group offers, so we give them Youth Leadership.  Key words in Youth Leadership are: responsibility, and servant's heart.  Young people in Youth Leadership are required to have an area of service in church, to keep prayer and Bible reading logs, to memorize scripture, attend special meetings, and to be accountable for each of these.

They also receive ministry training.  Those who do well in the program are encouraged to go on a mission trip in the summer, and are eligible to serve at Cocolalla Lake Bible Camp.

Young people have many gifts and abilities, and we make use of them in many ways not related to Youth Group at all.  Young people participate on the Worship Team, lead at AWANA, work at VBS, help[ in the Nursery and Children's church, and are involved in many of the projects that come up.  We are proud of our young people and pleased with our youth program.