rbcstudents
We heart 7th-12th graders.
Because of this, our mission is for students to know Christ and to make Him known. Period.
In living out our mission, we have sermons, worship, studies, events, mission projects and activities in place that we hope will draw students to choose Christ, to grow in Him and to share our Savior with others.
Sundays.
We have Bible study small groups at 9 and 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Grades 7-12 meet in the Fellowship Center at 9 a.m. and in Room 101 at 10:30 a.m.
Please click
here to learn about Sunday morning worship services at Ridgecrest Baptist Church. To find other Small Groups for family, friends, neighbors and store clerks, please click
here.
Wednesdays.
midweek is our Wednesday night worship and teaching time, from 6:30-8:00pm. We meet in the FC.
Church to Go.
Are you going to be out of town one week? Don't fret! Check out Church to Go, the source for staying connected to all things rbcstudents. Find our
podcast,
twitter,
facebook, and
YouTube!
Meet and Greet
James Copeland, Interim student pastor - jcopeland@ridgecrestbaptist.org
Q: What drives you in teaching teenagers how to worship Jesus?
A: I love to see teenagers worshiping God, but it is more than just songs. I love to see teenagers make worship a lifestyle and grasp that worship is something that can permeate every part of a life. I desire to teach students that true worship will change the way we talk, think and act and that true worship will shape us into faithful followers of Jesus. I love to see that happen in students!
Q: Why should worship at church be a priority for teenagers? How does worship at church increase your love for Jesus?
A: Our times of worship at church give us a very practical way to connect with God alongside other believers. Those times of connecting with God can then spill over into the rest of our lives. For me, worship at church is a way to express my love for Jesus, as well as pour out my heart to Him.
Q: Ultimate mode of transportation? Limitless resources, of course.
A: Definitely a jet pack. You could fly anywhere at anytime, and you could land wherever you needed to.
Kate Ford, Associate student pastor - kate@ridgecrestbaptist.org
Q: What do you like about working with teenagers?
A: First of all, for those of you who have never had
the opportunity to work with teenagers, one of the greatest things about it is
just how incredibly entertaining it is. With that said, if you would have
told me a few months before I started working at Ridgecrest that I would soon
be working with students, I probably would have laughed at you. I took
this job about 3 weeks after moving to Springfield from Los Angeles. I
worked at a church in Los Angeles, but definitely nowhere near the student
ministry. I led my church’s community outreach program, ServeLA.
When the opportunity came up for me to work with students, I could really feel
God telling me that it was something I needed to pursue. I can now tell you
that I absolutely LOVE working with this age group! They are so much fun and
are so eager to learn. As someone who is also still fairly young, I can
easily relate to them; my time in the student ministry really wasn’t that long
ago. While being young enough to be able to relate to them, I still feel
that I’ve experienced enough life to leave me well equipped to guide and
counsel these students. With all of that said, there are many things I
like about working with teenagers, but I would say my favorite thing is seeing
the work that we, as the student ministry team, have done come to fruition and
actually affect the students lives. Being on the student ministry team is
an incredibly beautiful blessing.
Q: Is it important for the church to be artistic? Why?
A: Absolutely! This is something I am EXTREMELY passionate
about. When interviewing for my job here at Ridgecrest, part of the
hiring process was giving a message at one of the student ministry
services. I was blessed enough to get to speak at rbcstudents Creative
Night. I was so relieved, as this is right up my alley. Before
Ridgecrest, I was on staff at a church in Hollywood, CA. As you can
imagine, this church was very "artsy”. As an artist, this was something
that I greatly appreciated and cherished while being on staff there. To join
their staff you had to go through a mentoring process called "Life in
Christ”. You basically study all of the core values of the church with a
mentor and discuss them (it’s more exciting than it sounds). One of the
core values of the church was "Creativity is the natural result of
spirituality”. This idea is what I based my message off of when I got to
speak at rbcstudents Creative Night. I fully believe that creativity
is the natural result of spirituality. I think often times people
only see creativity as painting or dancing or acting… this is where I think
people get stuck when they are told to express their faith creatively.
Being artistic is not necessarily limited to "the arts”; your art is what you
devote your life to and how you do it. There are so many different ways
to be creative or artistic. The things we devote our life to will turn
out far greater if they revolve around God and His glory… that is what true
creativity and art is.
Q: What is your dream vacation?
A: I suppose I’ve never intentionally thought about
this. There are a lot of places around the world that I have visited and
lived… but there are certainly still MANY places I’d love to visit. I
would say my top three passions are ministry, art, and adventure. If I
were to create an outline for my dream vacation, it would have to involve my
passions… and it would probably all take place overseas. I LOVE Europe; I
lived in England when I was little and had the opportunity to travel all over
Europe. With all of that said, my dream vacation would probably be a
European tour, but definitely not a "guided tour”… more of an adventure.
I’d start in England since I have so many memories there, then probably move on
towards France—most likely visiting countless museums and art galleries.
After France, I’d travel to Italy to admire their beautiful architecture and
art (and if I’m being honest, their food). After Italy, I’d definitely go
to Greece… I’ve never been to Greece and have always wanted to go. I’d
probably find somewhere to rock climb… and then most likely relax by the
water. Along the way I’m sure there are other stops I’d make… but those
are the main ones. I’d spend time wandering, painting, taking pictures,
hiking, climbing, finding different mission opportunities, etc. ... That is my
dream vacation. Just typing that makes me want to go hop on a plane right
now.
Jessica Stone, Associate student pastor - jstone@ridgecrestbaptist.org
Q:
What excites you about student ministry?
A: What excites me most about
student ministry is seeing students encounter Truth. I love seeing the
light
bulbs go off in their heads and hearts, and seeing Truth inspire them to
make life changes. Students have so
much energy and passion; I love when
they begin to funnel it in a productive, world-changing way. That all starts with encounters with Truth.
Q: What role can students play in the world today?
A: Wow. This is a tough
question. I think the role that students can play in the world today is
really limitless. It sounds cliche to say, but really, students are the
future--the future politicians, pastors, psychologists, parents, etc.
What many people don't realize, though, is that even though students are the
future, they are also the present. They have so much knowledge, passion,
and creativity, that they can and do play a huge role in shaping the world
around them even as we speak. Students have the power to be a catalyst
for change in their current and daily lives. They have the power to
change the world around them, either for the better or the worse. It's
just a matter of choosing to take a stand and live out their faith so that they
do make a positive impact.
Q: What would make up the perfect weekend?
A: The perfect weekend... For me, it would
include a good workout session or two, a Stone family dinner, some quality
time on Netflix, plenty of Starbucks, laughs with friends, and a sunny
afternoon at the park. Oh, maybe I'd throw in some baking too.
Contact Us
Call us at 417.885.5275, or email kate@ridgecrestbaptist.org