Equip them . . .

. . . through resource recommendations in the monthly Peine Post.
. . . through regular Parent Communication Sheets
. . . through detailed Curriculum Letters

Encourage them . . .

. . . by sharing with a parent about their student’s growth.
. . . by finding opportunities to encourage parents as they learn to disciple their students or grow in their discipling abilities.

Assist them . . .

. . . by providing regular RIDGE Gatherings.
. . . by providing RIDGE Discipleship Groups.
. . . by providing other fellowship and service opportunities.
. . . by regularly interacting with families to know if they need help.

Hold them accountable . . .

. . . by supporting, reminding, and exhorting them to disciple their students.
. . . by regularly putting the missional strategy of The RIDGE Student Ministry before them in a variety of ways.

Pray for them . . .

. . . by regularly asking them what they, their students, and their families need prayer for.
. . . by praying with them for their students, asking for the Holy Spirit to empower their discipling efforts.
. . . by praying for wisdom about how best to partner with them.

Counsel them . . .

. . . by giving godly, Biblical counsel when able and necessary.

Relational

We believe that face-to-face relationships are the primary biblical method of discipleship. When Jesus called the first disciples, He called them into a relationship with Himself. Likewise, our aim is to foster healthy, God-honoring student–Christ, student–parent, student–church, student–student, and student–world relationships.

Integrated

Since parents have the God-given responsibility and are in the most effective position for overall training and development of their children, we advocate for the integration of families. Parents are always invited, encouraged, and expected at any and all of our student gatherings. Even more than that, they are urged to take an active role in The RIDGE by helping to lead a Discipleship Group, organize fellowship gatherings for students and families, etc. Additionally, we desire for students to be integrated into the life of the church as a whole. Student ministry should never be viewed as a separate, or alternate, “church” for youth. We believe the Holy Spirit gives all believers, including youth-age believers, gifts for building up the Body of Christ. Therefore, it weakens the church when we frequently segregate believers by age. So, an important part of our ministry is to encourage, equip, and invite believing students to participate fully in worship, in service, and in discipleship in the church at every level according to their capability.

Discipleship-Focused

From the moment students join The RIDGE, we place them in small discipleship communities called Discipleship Groups. In these Discipleship Groups, they are paired with one or two RIDGE Leaders and three or four other students of the same gender and age group. These groups meet monthly to study the Bible and learn how to apply the gospel in everyday life.

God-Glorifying

Student ministries have the unfortunate reputation of being light on truth and heavy on silliness. While we certainly don’t have anything against fun (and even believe that we can and should have fun to the glory of God), we also firmly believe that what students most desperately need is a vision of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ that will anchor their faith firmly through all the storms they will encounter in life. There is plenty of distraction and "fun" to be found outside the church, but an overwhelming Christ-centered vision of God’s gracious majesty is something that the world will never give our students. This is our responsibility.

Therefore, The RIDGE Student Ministry seeks to clearly exalt God in all that we do. We treat with joyful seriousness all of the eternal, glorious truths of Scripture that humble us as sinful creatures and exalt God as gracious Creator, Lord, and Savior. Since God communicates these truths to us most plainly through His written Word, all of our discipleship activities are clearly focused and completely dependent on teaching and applying the Bible.

Equipping

We believe that effective discipleship will lead a disciple to become a disciple maker; that is, to begin discipling others. Therefore, The RIDGE Student Ministry will work hard at training students to be about discipleship in their homes, schools, teams, church, jobs, and everywhere God leads them to participate in society. We pray that our ministry will help equip students to solidify a lifelong commitment to helping others follow Jesus. Our aim is for students to become adults who are committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ in our city and throughout the world, all for the glory of God.

Student–Christ relationships that are spiritually real and happy

Instead of merely assuming that students have faith in and love for Christ, and because this relationship can easily be theologically shallow, spiritually superficial, and/or religiously moralistic, we want to actively promote and protect spiritually real and happy student–Christ relationships by:

• Praying fervently and frequently for this for every RIDGE student.
• Making the Good News of great joy about Jesus Christ our explicit foundation and focus.
• Being committed to speaking from and living in accordance with the Word of God in all of our gatherings and interactions with students.

Student–Parent relationships that are healthy

Instead of unwittingly subverting these relationships, since they are already challenging enough, we want to promote and protect healthy student–parent relationships by:

• Praying fervently and frequently for this for every RIDGE student and parent.
• Constantly stating, believing, structuring, and acting in accordance with one of our core values: we are to partner with parents since they are the primary disciplers of their students.
• Always encouraging, urging, and expecting parental attendance and participation in our RIDGE gatherings and events.
• Requiring parental leadership (with strong pastoral support) in many RIDGE gatherings, events, and activities.

Student–Church relationships that are helpful

Instead of creating a short-lived substitution for these relationships, since they are often naturally disconnected/segregated, we want to promote and protect helpful student–church relationships by:

• Praying fervently and frequently for this for every RIDGE student and our congregation.
• Carefully selecting the amount and kinds of semi-segregated gatherings and events, and maximizing our whole-church gatherings and events.
• Encouraging, urging, and providing opportunities for students to serve in our church.
• Encouraging and urging Christian students to pursue membership in our congregation.

Student–Student relationships that are God-honoring

Instead of merely hoping for these relationships to form naturally, since they do not always and since they have such potential to either be good and beneficial or sinful and damaging, we want to promote and protect God-honoring student–student relationships by:

• Praying fervently and frequently for this for every RIDGE student.
• Fostering safe, focused, fun, and relationally-engaging events and service opportunities.
• Teaching and modeling God-honoring peer relationships ourselves.

Student–World relationships that are holy

Instead of being naive about unrighteous assimilation into the world or being calloused about unloving retreat from those in the world, since both of these temptations are always a clear and present danger, we want to promote and protect holy student–world relationships by:

• Praying fervently and frequently for this for every RIDGE student.
• Sincerely inviting and welcoming in unbelieving/unchurched students at our RIDGE gatherings and events.
• Praying with our RIDGE students for their unbelieving friends and family members.
• Critically evaluating the culture around us as well as the hearts within our RIDGE students with the unchanging and holy Word of God.
• Encouraging, urging, and equipping our RIDGE students to love and connect with unbelievers in their lives.