YOUTH ON
THE
By Andrea Skeene
“Remember
now thy Creator in the days of thy youth,…”
(Ecclesiastes 12:1)
is the theme
scripture for the Third Baptist Church Youth Ministry where, every Friday
night, over 40 youth gather to fellowship and study the Bible. Third Baptist,
located at
The mission of this ministry emphasizes
ministering to youth for the purpose of encouraging, equipping and evangelizing
youth within the congregation and in the local community. Sis.
Jackson says there are four main
purposes for the ministry: “(1) To provide youth with a spiritual foundation
and appreciation for the word of God that will prepare them to make better decisions
for their lives; (2) To assist them in building a personal relationship with
God; (3) To equip them to handle life’s
problems from a spiritual standpoint; and (4)
To help them understand their purpose on earth and learn how their gifts
and talents can be used for the building up of the kingdom of God.”
Through activities such as bible study,
group discussions, drill team, praise dance and praise and worship services,
the ministry strives to lead the youth to a deeper spiritual commitment and love
for the work of God. The youth directors and youth leaders, along with other
volunteers from the congregation, create a family-type atmosphere for the
participants. Volunteers include parents, grandparents, teachers, business
people and community leaders who bring experience from many different areas.
The activities provided create a fun learning atmosphere while the youth are learning about God, the Bible and life. Religious
presentations have included topics such as “Understanding the Meaning of Communion”
and “The Whole Armour of God.” Various guest speakers
also share information with the youth about life topics, such as financial
information/stewardship, the prison system and scholarships.
“We are excited about the youth programs
here at the church because the youth are the future. By having these programs
and providing the youth with spiritual guidance, we can look towards a brighter
future,” says
Pastor Smith. The benefits of having a Youth Ministry are consistently
displayed at Third Baptist, as well as in the community. On the second Sunday
of every month, the youth are responsible for leading the morning worship
service. The Youth Usher Board and Youth Choir serve and the responsive
reading, scripture and prayer are provided by the youth. Even the deacon’s pew
is full with young men who become deacons for the day. Service begins with
shouts of Hallelujah, devotion and songs of praise from the Youth Praise &
Worship Team. During the worship service, the drill team gives special
presentations as they chant and march to bible verses that were learned during
their Friday night bible study and the praise dancers do their liturgical dance
to spiritual songs.
The youth have also been on the move in
the community sharing the love of God by fellowshipping with youth groups from
other churches and canvassing the neighborhood with flyers inviting others to
join them on Friday nights. This past Christmas, they created a “Shoebox
Ministry” for the children who reside at Brightside in
Youth basketball teams are another youth
program sponsored by Third Baptist. Youth teams were formed in February to
participate in an inter-church basketball league. Pastor Smith, Deacon Richard
Griffin, Bro. Richard Griffin, Jr., Bro. Thomas Wiseman and Mike Bruce, Jr.
coach teams of youth from ages 5 to 17 drawn from members of the congregation
and from the community. Not only does the basketball program provide
recreational activity, but it is also focuses on helping the youth develop
spiritually and improve their grades, self-esteem and character.