The Youth Ministry at Swart First Baptist Church exists to reach students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also exist to provide an environment where students can grow in their faith and put their faith into action. We do this through Sunday morning small groups; Sunday Night “Refuge”; student outreach; and special events, including summer camps, mission trips, Disciple Now Weekends, and other exciting, high-energy events throughout the year. 

We strive to accomplish 3 things in the lives of the Teenagers that we minister to:
1. Students who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Death 2 Life)
    a. We want to introduce students to Jesus
    b. We want to create attractive environments that give us the best opportunity to present the Gospel.
2. Students who have a vibrant, active walk with Jesus Christ (Life 2 the Fullest)
    a. We want to teach students the Word of God (information)
    b. We want to teach students to live out the Word of God everyday (application)
    c. Information + application = discipleship
3. Students who see their walk as a mission to rescue others (More Life)
    a. We want to equip students to be rescuers locally (schools, homes, relationships)
    b. We want to give students the opportunity to be engaged in mission Globally (by going, by giving, by knowing, by praying)

What’s a typical week look like in Student Ministry?
Sunday Morning
We begin in the Sanctuary at 9:00 am for worship. Our worship service is an energetic time of musical worship and an engaging message from our pastor. After worship, we head over to the youth house at 10:30 am, for grade or gender specific small groups where we study the Word of God and discuss its meaning for our everyday lives. These groups are great places to connect with others and work through life together.

Sunday Night Junior High "Refuge” ~ 5:00-7:00 pm
This time is designed specifically for our 7th and 8th grade students. We gather in the youth house at 5pm for some food, drinks, Bible Study and just some time to hang out. At 5:30 we have a large group time of Bible Study and interaction. At 6:15 pm, students move into gender separated groups to discuss that night’s message. We want this to be a time where our junior high students can really dig into their faith and study the Scriptures in an environment that is non-threatening, but challenging for them. We wrap up the night at 7:00 pm.

Sunday Night High School “Serve” ~ 5:00-7:00 pm
One of the missing elements for most teenagers when it comes to church is an opportunity to serve as a vital part of the overall ministry. The statistics for what happens to our High School students after graduation are heartbreaking. We have found that if we can get students to serve, the chance of them “sticking” after graduation increases dramatically. For that reason, our 9th thru 12 graders will be given opportunities to serve alongside of some of our other ministries on Sunday nights. Some of the different areas they can serve in are: FLYTe (5th/6th grade ministry), AWANA, GROW Teams (visitation teams), and other mission opportunities throughout the year. This will be a commitment from the students to plug into a specific ministry as a weekly commitment. We will not be offering a “class” for High School students on Sunday nights. Any High School student, who wants to serve, will need to see Ben about where they could serve

Senior High Bible Study on Monday Nights ~ 6:00 p.m.
This is a great time of walking through Scripture together and seeing how it applies to our lives. We will be working through different books of the Bible with plenty of time to discuss and ask questions about what they mean and challenge us to do. This is a great opportunity to invite friends and introduce them to our ministry. We will meet at the Youth House.