Lakeview Baptist Church

Being a youth pastor/director, I am asked often, "What do you do for the young people?" I think it is a great question, though sometimes the motive may be misplaced... A youth group should not exist so that kids or teens will have something to do at church. We already have that - worshiping Jesus, growing in God's Word and being an encouragment to other believers. (That's not just for the "old people"; that's for the youth as well!)

So what does Lakeview Baptist Church offer our young people?

Yeah, we have games and activities... but almost every church these days has that! In a seeker-driven church era, it seems that the entertainment value of worship is more meaningful than the One we are actually there to worship!

What we offer to our youth group, the young people at Lakeview, is this: The Gospel. If a young person is faithful to church through out the year they will hear God's Word preached at least 156 times (52 weeks X 3 services a week). That's not including special meetings or YIELD fellowships. I figure it would be best to give a little sway, since we all take vacation or are sometimes ill.

Out of the 156 times you will hear preaching at Lakeview, I think it would be fair to say that the Gospel is present at least (again, a conservative estimate) 1/3 of the time. Over 50 times a young person will hear the Gospel while faithfully attending Lakeview Baptist Church!!!

"What do y'all do for the youth?" - We give them The Gospel. Nothing added, nothing taken away - Just Jesus Christ.

I'd rather have an eternity with Jesus... and our young people, than anything else in this world.