"The Underground" (our youth group)
Mission Statement
The purpose of Trinity Evangelical Church’s ministry to teens may be
expressed in three objectives. First is the goal of partnership with
parents. Youth group is not a substitute for parents’ discipleship
efforts with their teenagers. Youth group is a supplement. Thus, we
encourage parents to communicate with us any special goals, challenges,
or concerns they have with respect to their children.
Second, Trinity Evangelical Church’s ministry to teens is serious about
biblical training and equipping. We study the Bible along with
apologetics and theology. We are intentional about giving teens the
tools to answer objections like "Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself?"
or "Hasn’t science disproved God?" or "Isn’t it narrow-minded for Jesus
to claim to be the only way to heaven?" Too many teenagers grow up in
the church, are entertained in youth group, and then go off to college
and throw away their faith. Some studies indicate that as many as 8 out
of 10 incoming freshmen who identify themselves as Christians abandon
their faith by the time they graduate. This is because many churches
simply are not training their young people. We recognize the problem and
are working hard to train our teens. Learning God’s truth trumps fun and
games in our youth group.
We also place great priority on the overall body of our group. This is
our third objective: to build a community of young believers seeking to
honor God and serve together. The projects we pursue have not only the
goal of service in mind—such as defending the unborn or reaching out to
the neglected—but also allow for teens to fortify their relationships
with each other as a unit. Priority is always given to the group. We
have a wide range of ages—some of our members are thirteen years old
while others are preparing for college—yet we strive to bring all
together. We learn together and we serve together. Because of this
priority to the group, we do not officially recognize dating or
courtship relationships at youth group meetings or events. The question
of whether or not teens may date is an issue for parents—not for the
youth minister or sponsors. However, dating/courtship interaction, such
as physical affection or exclusivity, is not permitted at youth group
events. We seek to make this a community in which all teens are welcome,
and thus we prohibit behavior which would harm or be distracting to the
overall goals of the group.
If there be peer pressure here, we want it to be the positive pressure
which influences teens to submit to the Holy Spirit and live in a manner
consistent with the Bible. Therefore, teens should be prepared not only
to be encouraged but also challenged by what they learn and experience
as a part of our youth group. We live in a society which expects very
little of our youth. We seek to dispose of that mentality and call our
teens to rise to the challenge in a culture growing in hostility to the
gospel.
FAQ
When and where do you meet?
We meet at 7:00 P.M. every Wednesday evening at Trinity
Evangelical Church (2715 American Way, Ft Wayne IN). Our meetings
usually last until approximately 9:00 P.M.
What activities do you do as a youth group?
Our activites are varied. We usually have one large trip per
year, such as our trek to Colorado for Summit Ministries’ worldview
training/leadership camp or a mission trip. We take part in a variety of
service-oriented and pro-life projects throughout the year. Other
activities for fun and fellowship often include game nights, trips to
Cedar Point, concerts, themed evenings (e.g., “Nerdy T-Shirt Night”),
etc.
Who runs the youth program?
Nate Elkington is our youth minister. He is
assisted by a team of volunteer adult sponsors and works under the
direction of the Trinity Evangelical Church pastor and elders.
Who is eligible to participate?
All teenagers are welcome. Teens who have attended youth group prior to
their high school graduation are invited to continue their involvement
until they turn twenty years old.