2023 was a phenomenal year. We saw several highlights through the year. We continue to see numerical growth. We have more and more adults who are volunteering to invest in the lives of students. We had several students make decisions at camp, and are seeing fruit from many others.

 

And the best is yet to come.

 

I’m constantly amazed by the newness of God’s working in our lives. No matter how often we think we’ve seen Him do something we couldn’t imagine, he moves in an “only God” kind of way again. And, for that, I am perpetually grateful.

 

I’m looking forward to what 2024 has to offer as we host a Disciple Now weekend, take an even larger group to the Dominican Republic, celebrate a great group of Seniors (again!), continue to build relationships and get to know new faces, and watch as God works in a way only He can work. It’s going to be a great year!

 

As we kickoff the New Year, join me in praying for God to continue to move, and for our students to learn what it means to respond to God’s working in our lives. Pray for our adults as they seek to build relationships that point students to Christ.

 

by Wes Henson

 

December may be one of my favorite seasons around TSM. For the Christmas season we intentionally shift gears, aiming to help build connections.

 

Our Circles have gone great so far this semester, but during December they take a break and we get to gather everyone together for a few weeks.

 

This year we have our 3rd Annual Christma-lympics on Wednesday, December 13, and it’s going to be even better than the first two! Plus, it will be our first Christmas Party in the Refinery

 

!I’m excited to announce we have scheduled a Disciple Now for February 9-11, 2024. For those who may not know, Disciple Now is a local weekend retreat. I’m excited for the opportunity to include members of the church in the weekend through hosting, feeding, and praying. If you’re an adult and interested in serving, let me know.

 

To help kick-off Disciple Now registration, we are having a Special Edition of TSM Live on Wednesday, December 6. On this night, we will have a very special guest, and you will not want to miss out!

 

 

 

The start of school always brings a renewed sense of energy and excitement, as well as its fair share of grumblings from students who enjoyed summer.

 

As we look ahead at the Fall, I would like to take a moment to share some of the wins we’ve seen over the past month. 

 

We took 63 kids and 16 adults to camp and have enjoyed the excitement that follows camp. The connections we were able to make continue to grow as we look at what it means to continue to “respond” to God.

 

The new 6^th graders joined us in August and have brought an excitement and energy, and it’s been a joy watching our older kids connect with them along the way. One thing I love seeing is when a high school student reaches out to a middle schooler to help them find where they belong. I think this is a beautiful picture of the church at large, as well.

 

We were excited to baptize Jackson, Wesley and Hudson and on the same day we had our Student Worship Team lead worship. 

 

Looking ahead, we are praying for God to continue to work in and through us as we kickoff Circles on September 6 and September 10. Through Circles we hope to build new relationships and build on existing relationships to help us grow in our relationship with God.

 

Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of the adults who have volunteered to step up to serve with Students. We could not do what we do without the support of adults who love God and like students at least a little. It’s going to be a great year!

 

 

 

July was an incredible month! We were able to take a total of 79 people to camp. Our word for the week was “respond”, and our group did a great job responding to how God was leading them. Thank you to everyone who got a prayer card and prayed for a camper. I truly believe we could not have had the week we had without our Trinity family praying for us.Next, I would like to take a moment to brag on the adult sponsors we took with us.

 

Our female sponsors were: Sharron Hawk, Mica Henson, Marilyn Johnson, Melissa Morris, Shelby Peschel, Abbey Elliston, Lauren Tripp, Cailin Powell and Ryia Neuman. Our male sponsors were: Rick Boles, Clark Elliston, Riley Gordon, James Tripp, Caleb Boone and JD Templeton. These fifteen adults went above and beyond all week in so many ways. They were such a blessing as they endured the heat, poured into our students, and continually pointed our group to Christ. If you see one of these incredible adults around, please be sure to say thank you.

 

Finally, as we look at the beginning of school and Incoming 6th Grade Promotion, if you are interested in serving in the Student Ministry, please let me know. We have needs in a variety of areas, and some areas we don’t even know yet! I would love to sit down with you and have a conversation about what role you might could play in the Student Ministry of Trinity Baptist Church.

 

 

 

February means three things for TSM: Family Lunch, Spring Break signup, and Camp VIP!

 

On Sunday, February 12 we will have a TSM Family Lunch. This is open for students in 6^th – 12^th grade and their parents. At this lunch and meeting, we will cover information about Spring Break, Camp signups, and share an encouraging word or two with our parents as they seek to help their teenagers grow in their relationships with God.

 

Our Spring Break “Reset” will be at Alto Frio on March 13-15. You can signup online at tbck.org/students. This year will include work projects, rec time, and a worship service each evening.

 

Finally, summer will be here before we are ready, which means it’s time for our Youth Camp VIP signups. We will open signups on Monday, February 6 and anyone who signs up between February 6 and March 1 will receive VIP perks at camp. Go to tbck.org/students to sign up, or click through the TSM app [Apple/Android].

 

 

Wow, it’s difficult to believe we are already in the month of November. October flew by. We were so incredibly fortunate for our Student Worship Team to have the opportunity to lead worship for Tivy’s Fields of Faith. It was a great night as the Gospel was shared and students were given an opportunity to respond.

We followed Fields of Faith with our 4th Glo Games. 90 students showed up to participate in the games with us, and we had a blast. Add to it, we had over 25 adults who showed up to help, and I cannot thank Shelby Peschel enough for all the hard work she put into recruiting adults to help.
As we continue to grow, it’s the willingness of Trinity members to serve in the student ministry that plays the biggest part of our success. If you’re reading this and not serving anywhere, and are interested in helping with the students, please reach out to Marlene or myself so we can visit. We’d love to have you join us.

As we look at November, we have three key events: Operation Christmas Child Shoebox packing on Wednesday, November 2nd; CAM Thanksgiving Box packing on Saturday, November 5th; and Fall Retreat on November 20 & 21. Sign ups for Fall Retreat can be done at tbck.org/students or through the TSM App.

Finally, I’m beyond excited about the new space as the building nears completion. We are excitedly looking forward to welcoming new students and families into the Trinity Family, and helping make connections along the way.

 

 

 

The beginning of school is always a busy time of year in Student Ministry. New routines start to get established and new experiences start to take root as teenagers return to school.

 

We have some exciting things happening in the Student Ministry here at Trinity. One of the things I love is seeing how students who connected at camp have come home and are experiencing a new level of encouragement on Sundays and Wednesdays. Even better than that, seeing students take next steps of faith is a remarkable sight as well.

 

I say this often, but not nearly often enough: Thank you, Trinity family, for all of your support. I often find myself speechless in the willingness of our body to serve with what they have—time or resources or both. I cannot express how grateful I am to be part of this church.

 

Finally, please be in prayer for students and families as most schools are already 2-3 weeks into the new school year. For students, pray they will have the courage to take a stand for their faith, the boldness to start (or even simply make the most of) spiritual conversations, and a growth in their own faith. For parents, pray for the time spent driving to and from school and practices, and those parents who are grieving the loss of car time with their newly licensed drivers.