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A.M.P.E.D. Amps up Church’s Youth Ministry

By August 24, 2014October 17th, 2014No Comments

BayShoreNY_inlineBAY SHORE, N.Y.—Calvary Baptist Church is aiming to better reach its teens for Christ. In the past the church “has had a hit-or-miss youth group,” says Pastor Zac Sandiford. “Depending on the size and interest, there were times that the youth group seemed to take off and other periods where there were no youth at all. But no matter how big or small, discipling young men and women is imperative, especially in the days of bombardment of multiple worldviews!”

Sandiford points to Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands believers to “go therefore and make disciples.” “We go into our community, workplace, schools, towns, cities, and the world making disciples. As young people come into the Body of Christ, how is it we are discipling them?”

In the fall of 2013, Calvary Baptist Church realized it needed a structured youth group. After much prayer and meetings with the teens, their parents, deacons, and Sandiford, Calvary Baptist launched its youth group. At its first meeting the teens were tasked with coming up with a group name and theme verse. “And what a great job they did,” Sandiford says.

They came up with the name A.M.P.E.D., meaning A Ministry Preparing Early Disciples. And they chose 1 Timothy 4:12 for the theme verse: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

A.M.P.E.D. now meets on Sunday mornings during Sunday School, where students participate in Bible studies that have relevant applications to their lives. On Wednesday nights the group meets for singing, a devotional, games, and snacks. And the group meets monthly for outings, ranging from a pizza and game night, to Sonic dollar chili dogs, to a Six Flags Christian concert day.

Calvary Baptist’s youth group has been meeting for almost a year now, and it has produced friendships, fellowship, and spiritual growth. Sandiford cites an example: In August, two teens, along with six adults, participated in Calvary Baptist Church’s first international missions trip, to Ecuador. “What a joy it is to see teenagers sharing Jesus Christ on the streets of Quito,” he says. “Paul prepared Timothy, and we must prepare our young people also!”