fsm parent packet

2011ParentInformationPacket

FoothillsStudentMinistry/FOOTHILLSCHURCH

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::GregGibson::StudentPastor

MissionPastor

ggibson@foothillschurch.com

GregismarriedtoGraceandtheyhaveonedaughter­­Cora.HereceivedhisBSin

BiblicalStudiesandYouthMinistryfromBoyceCollegeandhisM.Div.fromTheSouthern

BaptistTheologicalSeminaryinBiblicalandTheologicalStudies.

HeisthefounderanddirectorofTheVeritasNetwork,atruthnetworkthatexploresculture

making,truthdefending,andothergospelrichtopics.

ConnectwithFoothillsStudentMinistry:

• http://foothillschurch.com

• http://twitter.com/FoothillsSM

• FoothillsStudentMinistryFacebookPage

ConnectwithGreg:

• http://twitter.com/gregrgibson

• http://facebook.com/grgibson

• http://theveritasnetwork.org

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MissionStatement:FoothillsStudentMinistryexiststomakedisciplesinrelationalenvironmentsbypartneringwithparentsandotheradultsinthediscipleshipandspiritualdevelopmentofyoungpeople.

VisionStatement:

::Share::Connect::Equip::WeShare:ThecenterofallthatweteachatFCisthegospelofJesusChrist.EveryWednesdaywewillshareGod'sredemptivestoryinhopesthateverystudentwillhearthegospelandhavetheopportunitytospirituallymature.WeConnect:Thesecondstepisconnectingourstudentswithotherbelievers.Indoingso,studentswillgrowintheirrelationshipwithGodthroughsmallgroupsandrelevantteachingfromGod'sWord.WeEquip:Finally,wewanttoequipthefamilytobetheprimarydisciple‐makersofourstudents.Wewanttoworkalongsideyou,oursmallgroupleaders,andotheradultstoequipourstudentstolivewithabiblicalworldview,lovethelocalchurch,andlovetheGreatCommission.

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PhilosophyofStudentMinistryTheFoothillsChurchFamily‐DrivenModel:1.WhatistheFamily­DrivenModelofStudentMinistry? ~Thehomechampionsthechurch ~Thechurchchampionsthehome ~Simplyput:Weareworkingtogetherforacommongoal

2.Whatisourfoundationalgoal? ~Thespiritualdevelopmentanddiscipleshipofourchildren3.Howwillwefosterandfacilitatethismodel? ~Catalysts, Content, and Context ~ Catalysts: Parents, Youth Pastor, Other Adults ~ Content: See Our Goals Below ~ Context: Relational Environments at Church and Home 4.WhoaretheprimaryCatalysts/disciple‐makers?

~ParentsortheYouthPastor?~Parentsaretheprimarydisciple‐makersorCatalysts~YouthPastorchampionsthisandcomesalongsideofthefamily~YouthLeadersandotheradultsalsoshouldcomealongsidestudentsinthisendeavor

5.WhataboutourContent?

TeachTheology:Thisissomethingthatweareverypassionateabout.Webelievethatweneedtoraisethebarinwhatweareteachingtoourstudents.Theycanhandleit,andtheywantit.TheentirecounselofGodisprofitableforeverypersonatanylife‐stage(i.e.,2Timothy3:16).Weareseeingyoungpeoplebegintocravetheology.Infact,wemustbegintoteachourstudentsthefoundationsoftheirfaith,sothatwhentheyarefacedwithoppositiontheyarereadytogiveanaccountfortheirgreatKing(i.e.,2Timothy4:2;1Peter3:15,etc.).TeachApologetics:Weholdahighviewofapologeticsbecausewebelievethatyoungpeoplemustbegintoknowwhytheybelievewhattheybelieve.Letmebeclearthough,weteach

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theologyfirstinarelevantway.Inordertodefendyourfaith,wemustfirstunderstandit.Thisisespeciallyimportantasstudentsleavethecomfortableconfinesoftheirparent’shomeandstepontothebattlefieldforthemind‐‐thecollegecampus(i.e.,Jude3).

6.WhatareourprimaryContextsforthisphilosophyofstudentministry?

FOOTHILLS CHURCH COMMUNITY-DRIVEN MODEL (MINISTRY TO ADOLESENCE / AGES 10-18)

Equipping the Family --------------- Age-Graded Relational Programs

Step 0: Gateway Picnic for SHARE CONNECT EQUIP upcoming 6th graders. Level 1 / Level 2 / Level 3 / Level 4 / Level 51 Step 1: Families worship together. No Sunday School. I---------DOXA--------I I------Fall Retreat------I Step 2: Weekly parent email I--------DNOW--------I

- Weekly Scripture Reading - Family Devotions Summer Gatherings - Small Group Questions - Outline from Doxa LockOUT

Student Worship Service) Super Bowl Party Step 3: Small Group Leaders con- Small Groups nect with parents each sem- ester (phone calls). The Summit Step 4: Four parent equipping Doxa II meetings / Parent Connect Love the City Missions Trips Step 5: Comprehensive Resource Guide. Leadership Teams

Step 6: Family mission opportunities (local & international)

Step 7: Yearly parenting seminars (2-3 per year)

1David Adams. 5 Levels of Programming Class Notes. (Level 1 = Relationships, 2 = Evangelism, 3 = Discipleship, 4 = Leadership Development, and 5 = Leadership Reproduction).

ExplanationofEquippingtheFamily:TheEquippingtheFamilysideisprettyself‐explanatory.Thereare8totalstepsthatweareimplementingintoourministryto10‐18yearoldsinordertobetterequipthefamily.TheseStepsareasfollows:Step0:Entryclassforparentsofupcoming6thgraders.Itwillalsoserveasthegatewayintothelifeofourstudentministry.Heretheywilllearnaboutthewordco­champion.Theywilllearnaboutourstudentministryprocessforpartneringwiththem,equippingthem,andequippingtheirchild.ThisGatewayPicnicforparentsof6thgraderswillbetwiceayearattheendofsummerandinJanuary.Step1:AtFoothillsChurch,wedonothaveSundaySchooloryouthactivitiesonSundaymornings.Wedonotwanttoseparatethefamilyduringthistime.Thisway,thechildrenandtheparentsareworshipJesustogether.Step2:AftereachDoxa,PastorGregwillsendoutaparentemaileveryThursday.Thisemailwillincludesmallgroupquestionsthatwillbeaskedanddiscussedattheupcomingsmallgroup,guidedScripturetoreadasafamilyfortheweek,discussionsonhavingfamilydevotions,andwhatwetalkedaboutthatnightatDoxa.Step3:Eachsemester,smallgroupleaderswillconnectwithparents.Thishopefullyfacilitateanopendialoguewithparentsandtheirchild’ssmallgroupleaderthroughoutthesemester.Step4:ParentConnectionswilloccuratthebeginningofeachseason(i.e.,Spring,Summer,Fall,andWinter).TheywillserveasthemainlineconnectionbetweenparentsandPastorGreg.ParentConnectionswillcontainstudentministryphilosophyteachingtimes,parentequippingsections,andtimesforparentsandPastorGregtointeracttogether.Thesearethemostimportanteventsoftheyear.Step5:ThecomprehensiveresourceguidewillbegiventoeachparentattheParentConnectseachyearandwillalsobeavailableattheInformationCenteronSundayMornings.Itwillbecompletewithparentingresources,discipleshipresources,familyworshipresources,etc.,allfortheequippingofthefamily.Step6:StudentMissionTripsarespecificallydesignedforourstudentstodoministry,andoftentimeswiththeirfamilies.Wedodomesticandinternationaltripseachyear,oreveryotheryear.LovetheCityisourcity‐widemissionalendeavorinwhichwedevelopevents,almosteverymonth,wherefamiliescandooutreachandserviceprojectsinourcommunitytogether.Step7:Theyearlyparentingseminarswillbeheldtwo‐threeweekendsayear.Attheseseminarswewilllikelybringinanexpertspeakertospeaktoourparentsontheissuesofparentingteens.

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Thisisonlythebeginningofimplementingafamilyministryphilosophyintothelifeourchurch.Thisministryphilosophyallowsourchurchtotrulyengageinequippingthefamily,whilealsopartneringwiththeminthediscipleshipoftheirchildren.Andagain,thisphilosophyofministrytrulyallowsustocontinuetobemissionalinengagingyouthcultureandthepublicschoolsystemwiththetruthofthegospelforthegloryofKingJesus.

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ExplanationofAge‐GradedRelationalPrograms:Ourmissionstatementismakingdisciplesinrelationalenvironments.Wehavecreatedthreewordsthatweconstantlyputinfrontofourpeopleforhowwearegoingtoaccomplishourvisionstatement.Thesethreewordsare:Share,Connect,Equip.Underthesethreewordsarethewords:Level1­5. Level1=Relationships Level2=Evangelism Level3=Discipleship Level4=LeadershipDevelopment Level5=LeadershipReproductionDOXA(Level1­3).DoxaisourweeklyWednesdaynightstudentgathering.AtDoxa,weopenGod’sWordandworshiptogether.Itisspecificallydesignedforstudents10‐18yearsofage.DNOW(Level1­3).DiscipleNowisouryearlyweekendin­townretreat.ItfallsunderbothShareandConnectbecauseitseemstohaveanoverlapfromrelationshipbuildingtodiscipleshiphappeninginsmallgroupenvironmentsthatmeetinhomes.FallRetreat(Level1­3).FallRetreatisdesignedspecificallyforourstudentstogetawayforaweekendduringthefallmonths.Itrunslikeashortcamp.Whatismore,studentsfeelcomfortabletobringtheirfriends,whichiswhythisprogramalsospansfromSharetoConnect(Relationships,Evangelism,andDiscipleship).LockOUT(Level1).OurstudentministryLockOUTisoneofthebiggestrelationaleventsoftheyear.Itdesignedforthatverypurpose–pre‐evangelismandrelationshipbuilding.SuperBowlParty(Level1).OurSuperBowlPartyisspecificallydesignedforthesamereasonastheLockOUT.Thesearetheonlytwoprogrammedeventseachyearthataredesignedforrelationshipbuildingonly.SmallGroups(Level3).SmallGroupsarethecoreofourstudentministry,aswellasthecoreofFoothillsChurch.TheymeetinhomesonSundayNights.Theyareage‐graded,genderspecific,andledby2adultleaderswhoareatleasttwolifestagesabovethestudents.SmallGroupsaredesignedprimarilyfordiscipleship.OurhighviewofsmallgroupsreflectstheContextoftheFamily‐Drivenmodel.Inoursmallgroups,studentsconnectwithotherstudentsandwithadultleadersinanintentionalrelationalenvironment.Summersmallgroupsmeetafewtimesinthesummermonthsandaredesignedforrelationshipbuilding.DoxaII(Level3­4).DoxaIIisdesignedspecificallyforhighschoolstudents.Itwillmeet4

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timesayear,usuallyFridaynightsfor4hours,foranextendednightofworshipandteaching.Itisanencouraging,equippinganddevelopmentaltimeforourstudents.TheSummit(Level3).TheSummitisdesignedforstudentsenteringintothe9thgrade.Itisa3‐weekclassattheendofJuly,inplaceofsummersmallgroups,thatboththemenandwomenpartakein.Themenaretaughttheessentialsofbiblicalmanhoodandthewomenaretaughttheessentialsofbiblicalwomanhood.Itisalsoheldforstudentsenteringintocollegeeachyear.Inthisclasswetalkaboutwhattoexpectwhenleavinghome,discussafewapologeticoverviews(whichwehavebeendiscussingforthelast4years),andhaveatimeofcelebrationandreflectionforwhatGodhasdoneinthelivesofourstudentsoverthelast7‐8years.MissionTrips&LovetheCity(Level5).MissionTripsarespecificallydesignedforourstudentstodoministry,andoftentimeswiththeirfamilies.Wedodomesticandinternationaltripseachyear,oreveryotheryear.LovetheCityisourcity‐widemissionalendeavorinwhichwedevelopevents,almosteverymonth,wherefamiliescandooutreachandserviceprojectsinourcommunitytogether.LeadershipTeams(Level5).Leadershipteamsconsistofstudentswhoareparticipatingindifferentareasofministry(i.e.,worshipteam,LovetheCityteam,Doxateam,etc).Eachteamconsistsofanadultleaderandanapplicationprocess.

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SomeFurtherInformation…1.TheFamily‐DrivenModeldoesnotmarginalize:

~Thesingleparenthome~Thepublicschoolsystem~Itprovidesasolidbalancebetweennuclearfamilies,singleparenthomes,andprivate,public,andhomeschoolfamilies

2.Howarewenotgoingtomarginalizethem?

~WednesdayNightactivities‐‐DoxaStudentGathering~SmallGroupsonSundayNights~Thisallowsforspiritualdevelopmentanddiscipleshipfromayouthleader,aswellasaparent~SmallGroupactivities~Camps,MissionTrips,andRetreatsforstudents

3.WhatwillourWednesdayNightsLookLike?~RelevantTeaching~HighEnergyWorship~AuthenticCommunity~FunGamesandOtherActivities

4.WhatwillourSundayNightSmallGroupsLookLike? ~AgeGradedandGenderSpecific ~InHostHomes ~2LeadersoftheSameSex

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Top5GoalsforourStudentMinistry:1.Wewanttoseestudentssavedandbaptized.2.Wewanttoseediscipleshiprelationshipsbegintotakeplacebetweenleadersandstudents.3.WewanttoseestudentsgetpassionateaboutJesusandhisWord,andbegintostudyScriptureontheirown.4.Wewanttoseesmallgroupsgrowandbranch.5.Wewanttoseefamiliescontinuetobeequippedtobetheprimarydisciple‐makersoftheirchildren.**Asyoucansee,westructureeverythingwedoaroundthesegoals.Everyyearthesegoalsallowustoevaluateandmeasurethesuccessofourstudentministry.