Student Spotlight
Ordinary Means of Grace By Seth Philbrick
grace—Word, sacraments, and prayer—are good enough for the church in general, then surely they must be good enough for youth ministry as well. Here’s my story. family attended church every Sunday. And it was in the eighth grade when I dis- tinctly realized that I was a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace. So, I made a profession of faith and was baptized. Yet while I was involved in our church’s youth group and, as a high school student, volunteered with the middle school youth, I still remember being on the fence in my Christian commitment. It wasn’t as if I acted immorally. But I tended to hide my Christianity from friends at my high school to serving two masters. Well, that seemed to hit me right in the heart. I was convicted, When it came time to attend college, my former youth pastor, Bob Whittet, was teaching at Gordon College, and so I studied Youth Ministry and Biblical Studies with him there. The emphasis in my education was on a relational model of youth ministry as being most effective. And I’ve learned over time that these relationships need to revolve around the greater body of the church. That way, youth are formed by witnessing the whole body of Christ living out the gospel message regularly. During college, I also had the opportunity to intern at a church in Houston, Tex-
W
as, where I was introduced to the Presbyterian church. I grew to love it, and that’s where I’ve been ever since. After graduation, I took a youth director position at “Come on. It’s the Bible belt! They don’t need you,” they said. But I knew that not everyone was called to be a missionary in a truly unevangelized location. And I
hen I stop to think about it, I’m kind of ordinary. And I’m more than gimmicks in ministry. I guess I just believe that if the ordinary means of
also knew that all churches need the gospel. Every single church needs the gospel preached, taught, and lived out regularly. If the church doesn’t have the gospel then the world doesn’t have the gospel.
So, I spent several years in youth ministry in both Georgia and South Car- olina before heading back up north to Silver Spring, Maryland, where I’m now at Church of the Atonement. I’ve been involved in ministry in small towns, cities, and suburbs. And my philoso- phy of youth ministry hasn’t changed much over time. The ordinary means of grace in the context of intergenera- tional discipleship sums it up. God’s Word, sacraments, and prayer are the best means to nurture Christians. And youth ministry is not some separate entity from the local church but should be a part of that church and in line with its other ministries. Sure, we have dis- tinct youth gatherings that are geared the men’s ministry is having an event, I encourage fathers to take their sons and participate. The same goes for mothers and daughters. That way youth become well-rounded in the body of believers. That way they are less likely to say, “I have no need of you” (1 Cor. 12:21) and more likely to say, “If one member suf- fers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together” (1 Cor. 12:26). It may not look glamorous, it may not draw crowds, but I’m more that the way I work is ordinary because I also know the way my Savior works is extraordinary.
Seth Philbrick is Director of Youth Minis- tries at Church of the Atonement (ARP) in Silver Spring, Md., and is pursuing a Master of Divinity at Erskine Theological Seminary. He previously served in youth ministry at churches in Thomson, Ga., and Columbia, S.C. Seth and his wife Rachel live in Silver Spring, Md., with their son.
Erskine Theological Seminary 12 The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Erskine Seminary
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
