Video Transcript: Lesson 3 Section 3

In the second stage of discipleship, relationships play an even greater role in a teen's spiritual journey. Teenagers are relationship driven. While parents continue to be influential in their  lives. Teenagers are increasingly strengthening relationships with others their age, their peer  group helps form their identity and shape their values. A teen who has made the decision to  follow Jesus will need the support of his or her peers, as well as mature believers to grow in  their newfound faith. This makes clear what the role of the youth leader is in this stage of  discipleship the goal of stage two is to develop a spiritual community that will encourage and  challenge students. The community should help teens be spiritually faithful, and fruitful.  There are three important practices that will help you do this. First, you should continue the  small group model teens are already familiar with. If possible, teens should stay with the  group leader with whom they have built a trusted relationship. In this stage of discipleship,  students will be asking questions about their newfound faith and processing the Bible's  claims. They will rely on the relationships developed in their small group to help them  understand and apply the Bible's teachings as their faith develops. Small groups should  include a mix of students across different stages of discipleship. Those who are still exploring  will be encouraged to see the faith decisions of their peers and new believers will be able to  deepen their spiritual conviction as they help others work through their questions. The small  group leader not only demonstrates what a mature Christian life looks like, but helps new  disciples connect more deeply with the body of Christ. Connecting the teenager to the larger  family of God is the second important step in developing their spiritual community. It's vital  that they have the support of their peers. But teenagers will also need people older and wiser  to help them grow. There is a wealth of spiritual resources in the older generation so have  lived their faith for longer invite them to be involved in the spiritual development of teens,  and also encourage teens to seek out older mentors. Their relationships go both ways. teens  need at least five significant relationships to help them continue to live out their faith  decision. One of those key relationships is a parent. The second is a youth pastor or youth  leader who knows them very well. And then they need an additional three adults who know  their name and story. People who will approach them to ask about life in school, and who will  speak blessings and encouragement over them as they grow and pursue a vocation and  family. Because of this, it's important to get youth involved in worshiping with the main  church body. The intergenerational worship gathering is an opportunity for the teenager to  see what adult faith expression looks like. This might be very different from what they've  experienced in the youth ministry program. The teenager will grow in age and eventually  graduate from the youth ministry into the main church body. It's vital that teens are rooted in  spiritual community, even outside the youth program that will allow them to make a smooth  transition. The final ministry practice to work into your planning is discussing the significance  of baptism. The Bible models baptism as one of the first acts done by new believers to  publicly declare their faith. Once a teenager has made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, the youth leader should make a point of discussing the next step of baptism. Of course, a believer could be baptized immediately, as is the case in some Bible passages. But in general, the  event should follow a season of preparation so that a teenager truly understands what it is  and what it means. No one should ever feel forced or pressured into baptism, but it's a natural next step for a new believer. Think about the approach that will work best for your ministry.  Some churches hold a class for new believers that teenagers can attend. Others provide  written materials that can be discussed one on one with students as they make the decision.  Once you are confident the student has a biblical understanding of the practice, and their  desire for baptism is genuine. Schedule a date for the event. Baptism is a celebration of new  life in Christ, invite the whole church to be witness as the student spiritual community. These  three ministry practices, small groups, intergenerational worship and baptism will help foster  a supportive spiritual community for new teen believers. But remember, these are only  suggestions. Every person's faith journey is their own. And it's important to listen and pay  attention to what they need to grow in Christ.