Youth Ministries

Ministry Leaders: Ian Weeks, Tim and Nicki Beckett

We stress the importance of loving and knowing our kids. We hope to facilitate an environment that allows those teens who interact with us either on the church property, around town, at one of the local schools, or during one of our trips, to have the freedom to be themselves, and to be accepted for being that person.

Weekly on Property
We purposefully choose activities that help us engage with the students' lives, rather than simply inviting them to assimilate into our culture or way of doing things. Although we have structured weekly youth groups, we work to keep those meetings fluid enough, that if we get a group of students who aren't wired the same way as their predecessors, that we evaluate our program, and make the necessary adjustments.

Weekly off Property
We seek to engage with students outside of our property as well. Some of us substitute at their schools, others employ some of the students, and others just make it a point to text a teen, or invite them out to lunch. We place a heavy emphasis on supporting our teens through attending sporting events and public performances.

Special Events
While we plan one event a month that takes our students out of Ojai, (camping trips, trips to Hollywood, go cart racing, etc.), we put a heavy emphasis on two large events a year. One of these is our winter snowboarding trip, and the other is a summer lake trip.

Student Leadership
Over the last couple of years, we have developed a great tradition of creating amazing student leaders. Our student leaders are so intentional that at times it is difficult to see where the line between students and leaders are. Throughout the year our older students are given responsibilities and expectations that help them to serve others, make decisions for the program, and to truly lead their peers.