The teen years were a significant time for both of us. They were "identity-shaping" times. No wonder we absolutely love working with young people today! We consider youth ministry to be both a responsibility and a joy. Whether we are hiking, studying the Bible, hanging out at retreats, or going to monster truck races with youth; we believe that spending time with them and challenging them in their faith makes a real difference in each of their lives.

SLAC! (Student Lunch After Church)
Several times each month students are invited to a lip-smacking meal where they can hang-out and be challenged in their faith.

Winter Retreat
Students head up to Yellowstone Alliance Adventure for the weekend for incredible winter fun and for times of teaching and reflection on the magnificence and relevance of Christ.

Peacemaker Clubs
As a service to the community GVPC puts on a week-long, five-day club called Peacemaker Clubs. The goal is to reaching children and families with the gospel of peacemaking through five-day clubs which teach alternative conflict resulotion principles. The best part of this ministry is our students are the ones who put it on! They teach peacemaking through puppets, songs, crafts, and games. Each summer there is a week of training and then students put the clubs on for a week in Billings and a week in Bozeman.

One-on-one discipleship
There are lots of opportunities for students to connect with and be mentored adults who care, who are relevent, and who have a passion for Christ.

Savoring the Savior: Lots of students know about God. They might even say that they believe in God or have faith in God. Yet they cannot relate to the Apostle Paul when he says, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8). We want young people to experience the joy of being in relationship with Christ their Savior.

Connected in the Church: Many people refer to this generation of young people as "the church of tomorrow" since they will be the leaders of the church for the next 50 years. Yet, it is also true that this generation of young people is "the church of today." We want our young people to see themselves as vital members of and contributors to God's household, to use their gifts to serve in the church, and to form relationships with people of all ages in the congregation.

Skilled with Scripture: People who grow up in the church learn all about the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and David and Goliath. Unfortunately, many of them never learn the significance of these teachings and how they apply to their lives. We want our young people to be skilled in their reading and study of God's Word so that they can have a biblical worldview in which they properly apply Scripture to every area of their lives.

Harmony in the Home: One of the best ways the church can minister to its young people is by coming along-side of parents and encouraging them in their parenting task. As a church, we strive to help parents in this endeavor. Further, we want to equip families to respond to conflict in a biblical way as we seek to teach the gospel-truths of peacemaking.

Mobilized for Ministry: Many people think of youth ministry as entertainment. However, our goal at GVPC is not to entertain our young people. Instead, we want to equip them to be engaged in ministry. We call on our young people to serve the church and the community by using their God-given gifts. Young people are attracted to this kind of authentic ministry verses superficial entertainment.