OCYouth



Purpose

The purpose of OC Student Ministries is to glorify God as we REACH students not yet trusting Jesus and CONNECT them with others following Him, helping each to GROW in their faith, SERVE in their ministry and HONOR God with their lives. These five action words help keep us “on track” in all we do.

Vision

The vision of OC Student Ministries helps to communicate what we desire students to look like when they leave the ministry. This is the realistic life change that we would like to see happening in the students’ lives. We desire to produce students who:

  • Publicly profess faith in Jesus Christ.
  • Are dedicated to the local church.
  • Are constant examples of genuine Christianity.
  • Are consistently growing spiritually and are dedicated to studying Scripture.
  • Are active in Christian service.
  • Understand the importance of evangelism and discipleship and practice both.

Planned Values

We use the word “TRANSFORM” to illustrate our planned values. These are the things we feel so strongly about that they influence the way we think and act as we operate in ministry:


Teenage leaders (Indicating student involvement, support and ownership)
Relationships (Healthy and positive Adult/Student and Student/Student relationships)
Acceptance (A place where everyone is warmly welcomed and embraced)
New people (Wanting to impact the lives of more and more students)
Spiritual growth (Becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus)
Fun (Laughter, celebration, excitement, a positive and enthusiastic environment)
Outstanding effort (Not perfection, but important enough to be done very well)
Real care (Genuine and sincere respect, love and intimacy)
Making improvements (Devoted to continual review, evaluation and positive change).

Youth Programs

The information below is the schedule for onsite programming.  Currently, we currently not meeting onsite due to the virus.  We encourage you to check out the weekly youth message online or join us for our youth gathering at the Otterbein Park on Welty Road which begins at 10:20 (weather permitting).  For more information about our current youth program schedule, please contact Pastor Dwight Karkan.


ENCOUNTER (Sundays. 9:30–10:40 a.m., doors open at 9 a.m., OC Youth Building)

Weekly large group meeting for middle & high school students (grades 6–12) that’s designed to shatter the “church is boring” stereotype! There’s food. There’s fellowship & games. There’s meaningful worship, challenging teaching, & relevant small group discussions.


CREW

Crews are mid-week small group Bible studies. These are quite possibly the best opportunity students have to connect deeply with Christ and with others in our youth ministry! It’s in this context—the small group—that students can know others and be known. We now have two high school crews & two middle school crews that are meeting at various places & times throughout the week. If you’d like more information about joining a crew, please email Pastor Dwight Karkan.


YOUTH CHOIR (Sundays, 6–8 p.m., through the school year, church worship center)

This group is for students in middle & high school & exists to develop & appreciate the instrumental & vocal talents God has given them. They sing occasionally during morning worship & occasionally present musical productions through the year.


YOUTH PRAISE TEAM

One of the goals of OC Student Ministries is to enable teens to genuinely worship God. We do this through student-led contemporary worship. The praise team is for teens who desire to lead their peers in worship. Please email Pastor Dwight Karkan for more information about getting involved in the Youth Praise Team.


EVENTS

In addition to our regularly scheduled programs, students can also participate in multiple events—large and small—held throughout the calendar year. It is our desire to create events that students genuinely enjoy & provide an environment where teens can connect with others, grow spiritually & engage in ministry. You can keep up with our events on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OCStudentMinistries/