Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Psalm 127:3
raising disciples
Our aim with our youth, from infancy to college, is the same as it is with our adults: to raise up disciples of Jesus Christ through the ministry of the word. Since we’re Baptists, however, some may think that this is strange. “You believe discipleship is only reserved for baptized believers, don’t you?” In some respect, yes, but we must not forget that all of God’s creatures, believer and unbeliever alike, baptized and unbaptized alike, are obligated to worship and serve the God who created them. Therefore, though we do not baptize our infants, we are nevertheless adamant about training and teaching our children in the ways of the Lord as creatures of God, so that one day (and we pray sooner than later) they will confess faith in and joyfully follow the Christ they have been so diligently taught. As a church, we believe this responsibility of discipleship is predominantly the parents’, which is why we teach and promote family discipleship, but we also think this is done best when partnered with the church, who has been likewise commissioned to make disciples of the nations (see Matt. 28:18-20).
corporate worship
One way the church seeks to minister to our children is through the corporate gathering of the church. This cannot be overlooked in our discipleship of the youth. It is essential that our youth do not grow up believing that church is somehow an “adult thing.” Rather, the worship of God with the gathered saints is a thing for all ages. We want our children with us as we come into the presence of God on Sunday morning. We want them in the place where God showers his people with grace, strengthens their faith, and refreshes their love for the Lord. Therefore, as a church, we invite the children to join us and participate during our gathering, so that they may be trained for and grow in their delight in the worship of God.
sunday school and kids’ bible hour
It is also our desire to see our children equipped educationally by the word. In Sunday school, youth of all ages get the opportunity to engage the Bible at more grade-specific levels. And during the Sunday morning sermon, pre-K to 1st graders are taught an extension of that lesson, which we call Kids’ Bible Hour. In whichever ministry though, we aim to give our pre-K to 5th graders an overview of the Scriptures and acquaint them with the most common biblical themes and events/stories. Sunday school for grades 6th to 8th is more geared to covering core theological categories of the faith, while the 9th to 12th grade class provides high schoolers with an apologetic defense of the Christian worldview. Our goal is to have no child leave here without his or her mind and heart adequately equipped by the word of God.
For more details on Sunday school and Kids’ Bible Hour, please click here and here.
youth group (6th - 12th)
EBC’s 6th to 12th graders gather every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, from 7:00 - 8:15 pm, to study the Scriptures and build godly friendships with their peers. Youth group is one of the church’s ways of helping parents train and disciple their children to love and cherish Christ, his word, and his church.