Mission:
To equip students to live holistic lives for Christ; prostrate before the throne of God for His glory.(Isaiah 6:1-8)
Method:
Every event that is planned is intentional about equipping students to know and walk with God, building and edifying the body of Christ, and making disciples/ serving as we go along. Some events are more focused on one the these areas, but we try very hard to make sure that each one of these areas is attended to at every meeting and event.
Meeting Times:
Sunday mornings at 9:00 (Room 206) and Wednesday nights, doors open at 6 pm meeting starts at 7, in the Sanctuary. Sunday mornings are focused on equipping the young people how to handle their Bibles and about the legacy of the Body of Christ. Wednesday nights are focused on equipping the young people to become masters of their culture and how to build bridges from what they are learning in Scripture to what they are seeing in their daily lives. PLUS we do a variety of different events throughout the year.
The Staff:
God has assembled a diverse and seasoned staff to work with the kids here at Grace Church at Willow Valley. The youth workers vary in age from 20 to their late 50s. We have a balanced mix of men and women. Our events are supervised by anywhere from four to twelve adults. We thank God for the willingness and service of these individuals.
The Community:
We praise the Lord for the group of young people He has assembled here at Grace. They are a passionate and diverse group. We combine our age groups from 7th to 12th grade. We do not split Junior and Senior high because there are many valuable lessons to be learned from each other. In addition, it gives our older students the privilege and opportunity to lead. Students are present from Lampeter Strasburg, Penn Manor, Conestoga Valley, and Solanco School Districts. This group of young people bring great joy and energy to our halls.
Motto:
Soli Deo Gloria which is latin for To God alone be the glory. We exist to bring God the glory that He is due. Humanity exists for this one purpose, to bring God glory. The first commandment is to love the Lord your God (Duet. 6:4 and Mark 12:30) with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. This command demands a life lived with reckless abandon for God's characteristics through Christ Jesus our intercessor by the power of the Holy Spirit.
New Creations:
We hold 2 Corinthians 5:17 as an anchor in our reality as a community. Because of the work of Christ we have become new creations. We spend much time and prayer focusing on learning about what it means to be a new creation in Christ.
Get Outside your Own Story: We emphasize this because in order to live for God's glory alone we must allow Him to become greater and ourselves to become less as John the Baptist states in John 3:30. Living in a world full of consumerism and quick fixes we encourage students to realize that this life is not about themselves. In addition, the outflow of a life committed to Loving God with reckless abandon is loving our neighbors as Christ loves us (John 13:34).
You Mess With the Bean You Get the Burrito:
We are the body of Christ. Part of the universal body of saints. Together we make up the Bride of Christ. Through a beautiful array of skills and abilities God brings each person into our community to reflect Himself and build the Church for His own Glory. Jesus says that the world will know we are His disciples by our Love (13:35). Service is a powerful tool especially in the climate of our self absorbed culture. Nothing grabs the attention of someone else more powerfully than serving them expecting nothing in return; especially in the hustle and bustle of consumer culture.