Spiritual Growth
Adult Mentoring
Our high school youth meet weekly in small groups
with adult mentors. All small groups come together for worship once a
month. We rotate between quiet, reflective prayer stations and upbeat
camp-style worship once a month, followed by games and hanging out with
Christian friends. Our middle school students meet on Wednesday evenings
for Confirmation learning events. These evenings begin with a meal provided
by parents and include music, games, teaching, skits, and small group
discussions with an adult mentor.
Family Ministry
A study of Christian adults sought to identify
which practices were most likely to have the greatest long-term impact
on children. While they didn’t come up with a sure-fire formula,
one thing was obvious: Those who stuck with their faith had a half-dozen “mentors” present
during their growing up years. At Ascension, we try not to separate the
youth from the rest of the congregation, instead including them in our
overall church body. An extended Christian family is defined as a community
of believers who affirm and encourage growth toward Christian maturity
. . . and the church can and should be the primary vehicle through which
teenagers are exposed to the adults who make up their extended family
in Christ. For this reason, we plan events and activities with the aim
of connecting all ages, for both immediate families and extended Christian
families.
