One of the most interesting images of Jesus in the Bible is a glimpse we get of him as a teenager: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).  As a middle schooler and high schooler, this verse explains where you are in life too. The City Church’s focus with teenagers is to equip you in the gospel, to know and love God and to BE the church, wherever you go in life. We strongly believe that parents are the primary equippers, and that the church family partners with parents so that teens can leave home prepared to live your lives on God’s mission.

We don’t believe in giving you a flashy, over-produced, and watered-down program, removed from the rest of the church family. Instead, we believe that as a teenager, you are a vital, valuable member of God’s family, and our goal is to exhort you and “spur you on” toward all kinds of growth, whether it’s spiritual, school, friends, work, sports, or otherwise.

We want to help you live in real, authentic relationships with folks who will love you no matter what, will help guide you and answer your questions, and will be there for you as a “second family” of sorts, regardless of your actual family situation. Following Titus 2:2-6, we envision each teenage guy paired with an “older men,” to pour into and disciple you, and each teenage lady coupled with an “older women” to love and train you, in gospel-centered living and mission.

The image that the Bible most commonly uses to describe the church is that of “family.” So in everything we do, we ask how we can look as much like an actual family as possible.  Traditional families are not made up of one gender, one specific age group, or any one stage of life.  Instead, there is more depth, growth, perspective, and balance as we do life in intergenerational gatherings with single and married folks; men and women; teenagers and grandparents, and everyone in between. So in The City Church’s Villages and other regular gatherings, we encourage people of all ages and life stages, and both genders, to do life together. In this way, we truly live as the family of God, and find unity in diversity occur as you interact with folks who are perhaps a little unlike yourself. So our primary encouragement is to find a Village near you, to join us for All-Church Gatherings and Scattered Sundays (links), and to dive into doing life with others, in a community on mission.

Finally, because we do want to help you plug in and engage with other teens in The City Church family, we host gatherings and events just for high school and middle school students a few times each semester, and beginning soon, we will hold an annual student retreat.

> Click here for a schedule of upcoming City Church events, including those specific to teenagers.