Student Ministries Letter | July 2026
Dear Student Ministry Families,
One of the great gifts of student ministry is watching relationships grow over time. Meaningful connection rarely happens all at once. More often, it is built slowly through repeated presence, shared experiences, and the simple faithfulness of showing up.
This is especially true for students. After a first visit, many are still figuring out the room, the people, and whether they truly belong. It usually takes time for a student to move from feeling like a visitor to becoming an active participant in the life of the ministry. As they return week after week, familiar faces become friendships, trust begins to form, and rhythms of belonging start to take root.
That is one reason consistent involvement matters so much. Over the course of several weeks, students begin to recognize staff members, grow more comfortable with their peers, and settle into the routines of our ministry. What may feel unfamiliar at first often becomes a place of genuine connection through steady participation.
Retreats can play a particularly important role in that process. While weekly gatherings are essential, retreats often accelerate relational and spiritual growth in a unique way. Time away together creates space for shared memories, deeper conversations, moments of vulnerability, and opportunities to see one another beyond the usual pace of church life. Again and again, retreats become the setting where casual connections deepen into meaningful friendships.
We have three opportunities this year for our students: Aloha (High School – Labor Day Weekend), Fall Retreat (Middle School – October 2-4), and Surge (7th/8th graders – January). The fruit of this is significant. When students are known, connected, and spiritually invested, they are far more likely to experience a true sense of belonging within the body of Christ and to remain meaningfully engaged in the life of the church.
As we look ahead, we want to encourage your students not only to attend occasionally, but to commit to being present regularly and to take advantage of opportunities like retreats that foster deeper community. God often uses ordinary consistency, along with special moments of shared experience, to draw students more fully into Christian fellowship!
Thank you for the ways you support and encourage your students in this. It is a joy to partner with you as we pray that our young people would not only attend ministry events, but truly find a place among God’s people where they are known, loved, and built up in Christ.
In Christ,
Anna Park
Director of Middle School Ministry
