OUR MISSION:
The youth ministry exists to come alongside families in reaching teens for Jesus Christ, helping them wrestle through the doubting periods necessary for ownership of their faith, and equipping them for ministry to others in the context of Christian community.

CHRIST-CENTERED: The youth ministry is all about Jesus - who He is, and what He's done. We want all that we do to be a grateful response to his sacrificial love for us at the cross, and for His glory alone.

BIBLE-BASED: We believe that Scripture is where God has definitively revealed Himself to us, and therefore the Bible - not any human system or philosophy - is our final authority and guide.

RELATIONALLY-GEARED: God created us for relationships, and youth ministry must be relational to be effective. Programs and events serve a purpose, but our ultimate desire is to be a spiritual community, bound together by love for our Savior and love for one another.

SERVANT-FOCUSED: If you entertain teens, you create spectators. If you equip teens, you create servant leaders. Our ultimate goal is not to attract crowds, but raise up disciples of Christ.

TEAM-ORIENTED: We have a quality team of adult volunteers and small group leaders who love Jesus and love our teens. We believe that a successful youth group experience connects teens not only with each other and the youth staff, but older, godly followers of Christ who can mentor others in the faith.

FAMILY-FIXATED: We believe the family is the most important context for a teen to learn what it means to know and walk with Jesus. Our role as a youth ministry is to come alongside - rather than compete with - parents and other adult figures in a teen's life to work together for their spiritual development.

CHURCH-CONNECTED: We are a part of Sierra Madre Congregational Church and committed to the vision and doctrine of this church. We strive to model for our teens the importance of belonging to the greater church body of SMCC outside of the youth ministry. We also strive to model for SMCC the importance of involvement in the lives of the youth at our church.