We should all know Matthew 28:18-20 by now: “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

West Side Students has the same mission. To make, train, and send disciples. To reach, develop, and equip the students of Traverse City with the Gospel. To graduate young men and women who know and love the Lord.

Psalm 145:3-6 says “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness.” We are a generation who speaks to another about the goodness and glory of God.

We believe that God wants to reach, save, disciple, and send youth into our middle schools and high schools. We believe they are smarter, stronger, and more passionate about Jesus than we give them credit for and we hope to serve alongside a great church and a better God to see them flourish.

We serve in student ministry because the relationships that we build with students help them in building and growing in relationships with God and others. Groups are SO important to students because they build a community in what can be an overwhelmingly large ministry. When students feel welcomed and included, they are more likely to engage in conversations that challenge and grow their faith. Having time with a smaller group of fellow students gives ALL of them a space to contribute to conversations. Groups allow leaders to con- tribute, care for, disciple, and guide students in their faith. That’s what this is about: Making disciples who will make disciples.

This is about life transformation and gospel proclamation. This is about so much more than another fun thing to do on a Wednesday night. This is about discipling young men and women. This is about knowing, loving, and obeying God better.

Youth leaders are our strongest point of impact that we have with our students because they are the ones on ground level with students in groups and relationships with parents. Our leaders make a huge impact in the faith of our students by loving, encouraging, guiding, and supporting them.