DBCYM Core Values
The Supremacy of Jesus Christ
John 1:1-5, 14; I Corinthians 3:10-15; Colossians 1:15-20, 2:9-10; 1 John 5:11
Jesus Christ is the singular most important figure in our lives, and we exist to serve Him, know Him, and partake in the life that He freely offers us. A saving relationship with Jesus Christ is our primary focus, for only in Him is there forgiveness of sins, saving grace, and abundant, eternal life. Apart from Him and His cross, we are completely lost.
The Centrality of Scripture, and Biblical Theology and Doctrine
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12, 1 Timothy 4:16; Titus 2:1
We believe that the Bible is the very Word of God and contains God’s will for the life of the believer. Scripture is at the core of every area of our ministry. We celebrate and engage in the personal and corporate study and delivery of Scripture on Sunday mornings, in our small groups, and in mentoring relationships. We are firmly committed to sound, biblical theology and doctrine in our in every aspect of our ministry. Our staff and adult leaders are committed to accurate interpretation of the Scriptures and modeling a high esteem for sound doctrine to teenagers.
A Strong Team of Adult Leaders
1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 1 Timothy 4:12
The success of our youth ministry is not based on a singular individual, but rather on a strong team of committed adult leaders. Our ministry does not have a single “youth pastor”, but a team of “youth pastors” from our church body who lead and shepherd our students in small groups.
The Making Of Disciples
Matthew 28:19-20
The Great Commission commands the church to “make disciples”. Our purpose is to make disciples of Jesus Christ from today’s teenagers by engaging them in their culture and teaching them of the truth of Jesus Christ. This includes our leaders who disciple students in a 1-on-1 setting.
Engaging and Meeting Teenagers Where They Are
Romans 5:6-8; 1 Timothy 1:15-6
In the same way that Jesus loves and meets the lost “where they are”, we are committed to meeting teenagers on their level and loving them despite their faults and their sins. We are committed to not being “reactive” about their life situation, but being “proactive” in loving them for who they are, preaching the grace of the Gospel through our words and actions.
Authentic and Relational Youth Ministry
1 Thessalonians 2:6-9; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
As a youth ministry, we value authentic and intentional relationships more than programs. Our leaders are committed to engaging in purposeful, intentional relationships with teenagers that celebrate God’s grace and forgiveness. These relationships are active and growing outside of the physical church building. Our leaders share with our students more than just the Bible and their time on Wednesday nights; rather, they share their lives.
Spiritual Growth and Maturity
Ephesians 4:11-16
We are committed to students not remaining stagnant or satisfied in their spiritual growth and development, but helping them grow in their knowledge of God and Scripture while pursuing a lifestyle of holiness and spiritual maturity.
Celebrating and Embracing Youthfulness
2 Timothy 4:12
While we are committed to pursing spiritual maturity, we will celebrate youthfulness and adolescence and will not lose sight of the fact that teenagers are young, full of life and vigor, and have a need and desire for a fun and active church environment. We are committed to facilitating a church environment that encourages them to be young men and women who love Jesus and love having fun.
Student Service
1 Corinthians 12
We believe that as members of the body, young believers are gifted and should be given the opportunity to discover their gifts and use them to serve the body of Christ. We encourage Student Service among our teenagers and provide them with various venues to employ their gifts and passions.
Outreach and Reaching the Lost
John 20:21
We are committed to being a youth ministry that keeps a sharp perspective on looking outside the church building to reach today’s teenagers. We equip both leaders and students to evangelize and share the gospel simply, biblically, and effectively, and we encourage our students to live out their faith in order to reach their friends who do not know Jesus. We are also active partners with outreach ministries such as Young Life and are dedicated to reaching “non-churched” teenagers with the gospel.
Equipping Parents
Deuteronomy 6
We affirm that parents are commanded to raise their children in the Lord and to teach them in the ways of Christianity. We desire to partner with parents and equip them with resources, tools, and methods on how to best parent their adolescents children. We are committed to reinforcing the message of the priority of family life to parents and to remind them of their Scriptural duty, and we desire to help them in this task.