A Message from Lauren
What's in a name? That which we call Believers Kids or 4REAL by any other name would be just as awesome. While that isn't the exact quote William Shakespeare penned in his Romeo and Juliet play, I'll borrow it to let you all know that NextGen has rebranded! Our beloved kids' and students' ministries have been known as Believers Kids and 4REAL for many years, but Jesus has been prompting our hearts to change. Believers Kids is now known as NextGen Kids, and 4REAL is now known as NextGen Students!
The decision to rebrand our kid and student ministries is exciting and purposeful. I would love to share some of the vision behind this change. NextGen is moving toward truly embodying a family ministry. Our prayer is for our ministry to not just pour the love of Jesus into kids and students once a week; we desire to come alongside families through all of the phases of parenthood, as victories are celebrated and challenges are navigated, from birth to graduation. Both NextGen Kids and NextGen Students will fall under the umbrella of NextGen Families.
Secondly, we want to communicate unity, oneness, and family between our NextGen Kids and NextGen Student ministries. We are one ministry that operates on two different days in developmentally appropriate ways for each age group. Despite changing our name, we are not changing who we are! We have the same heart, the same leaders, and the same mission for our kids and students each and every week. If you're interested in becoming more involved and serving in NextGen families, Serve Day is coming up on Sunday, March 3rd, and Sunday, March 10th, for NextGen Kids, Wednesday, March 6th, and Wednesday, March 13th, for students. We would love to have you come out and see what all the excitement is about! Sign up here.
Last but certainly not least, by the time you're reading this, the NextGen staff will be in beautiful upstate New York, with fifteen of our NextGen Students experiencing a campus preview day and Snow Camp at Word of Life Bible Institute! To make it even more impressive, your generosity through The Gift made part of this trip possible. Thank you for answering the call to give and invest in the next generation by allowing our high schoolers to experience Jesus, explore their unique gifts, and create unforgettable memories. Pray for our safety and strongholds to break and for our students to draw closer to Jesus through their time at Snow Camp.
Blessings,
Lauren
NextGen Small Groups Director
Remember to join us this Sunday for either the auditorium worship experience or Nextgen Kids at our 9:00 or 10:45 service!
