Convictions and Values

The young adult ministry at GCF includes all those in 7th-12th grade. We strategically refer to this age group as Young Adults because of the conviction to raise them into adulthood. Listed below are some "pillars" or convictions and values that shape our ministry to teens and their parents at GCF:

• God-Centered Teaching
• Partnering with Parents
• "Raising the Bar" of Expectation
• Discipleship
• Christian Community/Relationships
• Service Projects

Mission

The mission of Family Discipleship at GCF:

This mission statement is the same as the one that governs GCF as a whole, it simply targets the role of the family, both in the home and the family of God (which is the church) as the contexts that God has given us to effectively make disciples. Thus, Family Discipleship seeks to strengthen families and strengthen the church to function like a family so that we can fulfill our calling of making disciples. When it comes to teens, we recognize that providing a context outside of their home to develop Christ exalting relationships is beneficial for their development as a follower of Jesus. Yet, we as a church do not want to usurp the influence of the parents, rather, we would like to equip them and empower them to disciple their teen.

Thus, the young adult ministry is committed to strengthening the communication between church and home so that both contexts can be leveraged for effective discipleship of the teens that God has given us.

Vision

Our understanding of vision at GCF is what we envision happening by engaging in the mission. Our mission is to unite church and home to make disciples of Jesus, here is what we envision happening as we engage in that mission:

• Parents and church leaders working together to make disciples
• Teens equipped to stand for their faith in a hostile world
• Teens who are in a discipleship relationship with parents/mentor
• Teens who discover their spiritual gifts and implement them in service to the church
• Teens who are strengthened in their walk with Christ by developing Godly relationships

Midweek Gatherings

The midweek agenda is divided into two different categories with the focus overall being a little less focused on theological study and more focused on practical application of theology.

Corporate Gatherings: Meets on 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the Sheppard's home in Elk River. These gatherings are focused on Bible Study and fellowship. Each of these studies are led and taught by Pastor Kevin Feder

Small Groups: Meets on the alternating Wednesdays (including 5th Wednesdays of the month) and they are gender specific. The ladies meet at the Handren's home in Otsego and the gentlemen meet at the Sheppard's home in Elk River. The purpose for this is to offer a more intimate environment that is free of distractions, allowing for more honest discussion. After a year of trial we are pleased with the positive response from both groups.