Teens...

We want to be a community where you can connect with other teens, caring adults, and God. We are not perfect, but we try to be real and authentic as we seek to be more and more like Jesus. We value love, peace, and unity. No one is an outsider. We spend a lot of time discovering what God has said and done in the Bible and how He works in our lives today. We ask questions like 'what is God’s purpose for my life?' and 'what gifts and abilities has God given me?'

While we plan lots of activities (Cookouts, Summer Camp, Retreats, Six Flags, Predators games, Hiking), our goal is not to just hang out. Since our faith is centered on a selfless cross, we believe our purpose is to sacrificially love and serve our community, world, and each other. Currently, we are forming our Sunday night small group ministry around ministry passions of our teens. We will have high school small groups focused on Homelessness, Domestic Violence, Helping our Schools, Special Kids (ministry for children with special needs), and Spanish Speaking.

Parents...

We seek to be a ministry that serves, equips, and supports families. We have no desire to replace the parent as the primary spiritual mentor of a child. We have many different types of families (nuclear, blended, and teens coming without parents), and we are flexible and sensitive to the needs of each. We value safety and clear expectations. We desire to pass on the 'faith of our fathers' in a way that connects with teens. We seek to network our parents together so they can encourage one another and unite together to raise up another generation of believers. All of our parents have a role in shaping the vision of our ministry.

Purpose...

The Smyrna Student Ministry is a group of students and parents committed to: