Kairos was started predominantly by young adults who were not yet married. Now, a decade later we are a church full of young families. There are so many elementary kids running around church on a Sunday morning that you must keep your head on a swivel! It is now looking like our church is ready to head into another exciting season of transition as we look toward welcoming and encouraging middle and high school students in the way of Jesus.
Anticipating our growth and the emerging spiritual needs of middle and high school students, a Student and Family Ministry Committee was formed in January with the task of thinking through the beginning phases of developing a Student Ministry at Kairos. I am truly excited about the steps we will be taking to begin a Student Ministry.
Personally, I came to know Christ in a real and meaningful way when I was in seventh grade, so I know the opportunity that exists to pour into the lives and cultivate the faith of adolescents. My first 20 years of ministry were focused on sharing the love of Christ with teenagers, and some of my favorite ministry moments revolve around time I spent with students seeing them develop a thirst for knowing and following Jesus. This is going to happen here at Kairos too!
The Student and Family Ministry Committee met several times to discuss the vision frame provided by Drew and discussed strategy and next steps for moving forward. I would like to share with you the summary statement from this group which is the driving force behind their recommendations moving forward:
Student Ministries at Kairos Church is intended to be an extension of the church community and a place where students can learn what it means to follow the way of Jesus in a real and personal way. We desire for students to encounter the living God, have a faith grounded in the scriptures, experience authentic Christian community, and discover the Lord’s calling upon their lives. Student & Family ministry Committee
They concluded that the time is now to begin taking steps towards the launch of a Student Ministry beginning at the start of the upcoming school year this August/September. As a result, the committee made a recommendation to our Leadership Team that we allocate funds within the new fiscal year budget for Student Ministry programs and resources. Included in their report was the recommendation to hire a youth pastor.
I am happy to report that members from our Leadership Team and staff have already had the opportunity to conduct interviews with three possible candidates. We will continue our conversations with these individuals, but the hiring process remains open, and we would encourage you to share with us anyone you believe would be an excellent fit and candidate for our youth pastor position.
Lastly, I encourage you to join us in a season of prayer and discernment as we begin cultivating the beginning of a Student and Family ministry that will assist our teenagers in becoming devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
If you have questions or a possible candidate to share with us, please send me an email to joe@kairosatlanta.org.
– Joe