The Lakeway Church Student Ministry is a place where students can have fun, make Christian friends, and find a place to belong.  We exist to provide continual opportunities for students to encounter Christ and process Biblical truth in the context of relationships. We want to grow together as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ and to reach out to others so that they might follow Him too. Our student ministry prioritizes equipping students to grow in their faith while developing deeper friendships in a spiritual community. God did not create us to do life alone, and our small group experiences are designed to encourage the development of peer and mentoring relationships. Your middle and high school students are at a time in life where an active faith has the opportunity to shape who they are and who they will become in a positive, impactful way. It is our passion to help students navigate these challenging and uncertain years with the firm foundation of an intimate relationship with God.

5-5-5 Open House (5^th graders & parents) – January 28, 2021 at The Lakeway Church (Bldg. D, 2nd Floor). An event focusing on the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and social aspects that parents and their 5th grade students should prepare for before move into middle school. Come hear from guest speakers including a local middle school teacher, a licensed professional counselor with experience in the district, our student ministry team, and senior pastor Larry Coulter as they speak on this important transition!  There is no RSVP required. Just show up and bring a friend!

6th Grade Kick Off Retreat! (6^th graders & parents) – August 13-14, 2021. Entering into 6th grade is a big leap from elementary school. We want to help students make that transition well! Students will go on a one-night retreat at Highland Lakes Camp centered around the theme of spiritual and social influences in the progression into middle school: What kind of things and people do you allow to shape your life and your choices? After dropping students off at camp, parents are invited to a separate gathering discussing this transition from a parenting perspective.

Relationship Status (7^th graders) – Spring 2022. Middle school is a transitional time as many students begin to consider more and more the ideas of relationships, sex, and dating, asking questions like: Who should I date? How should I date? How far is too far? Relationship Status is a 4-week journey that challenges 7th graders to consider how God views them and what that means for how they should treat those of the opposite sex.

Faith 101 (8^th grade and above) – Spring 2022. Students need space to ask hard questions and wrestle with what they believe. We believe this is part of the process of taking ownership of their faith. Students will spend time learning and discussing what it means to follow Jesus in high school and beyond.

Discipleship (9th graders) — Fall 2021. The purpose of our discipleship milestone is to develop lifelong disciples of Jesus through developing strong intergenerational relationships between Godly adults and students. This is a 9-month commitment to walk alongside someone further along in their faith and pursue intentional, accelerated, spiritual growth. Students will be divided and meet regularly as a cluster with their discipler to grow in relationship, encourage one another, and grow spiritually. We will also host 3 gatherings or retreats throughout the program to celebrate the progress, to lift one another up as a group, and to look ahead to the next step in the process.

The Crucible (10^th graders) – Fall 2022. The Crucible is a program designed to walk with students in early high school as they go through the process of identity formation. When students get keys to their own cars and begin to drive themselves, there is a huge increase in independence. With this independence comes opportunities for both good and bad. The Crucible will focus on building relationships with other Christ followers through shared experiences as we tackle the concepts surrounding what it means to grow into being a man or woman of God.

College Prep (12^th graders) – Monday night after Spring Break.  The last thing a senior in high school wants is to be told what to do or how to think. In College Prep, we walk with students through a revelatory method of exploring the successes and failures of their own middle and high school journeys in order to best navigate their futures. We help students to see and articulate the lessons God has been teaching them that can guide them in the transition from life now into the increasing freedoms and opportunities that come after high school.