Our Mission
"Building up to reach out"
God has called us to develop High School and Middle School students into reproducing followers of Christ who are used of Him to carry His good news to their classmates at school, to their community, and around the world.
Inside our walls, we are building up the body of Christ. Our focus is to equip our students to live as faithful and fruitful followers of Christ. This we do by teaching and modeling the Christ-like, Spirit-empowered life in the context of loving relationships.
Our Purposes
In pursuit of our mission, we believe God would have us to:
Train students to be followers of Christ and to assist and support parents as the primary disciplers of their teens.
Tell unbelievers the gospel of Christ locally and globally.
Teach students obedience to Christ with an emphasis on biblical theology and a life lived in dependence on God.
Together share in prayer, singing, testimonies and practicing the "one another" principles of Scripture.
Our Passion
Our overriding passion is that God would be glorified in all we do.
We desire that our students make the commitment to say no to selfish living, to take up their cross, being willing to endure whatever shame, rejection, persecution, or suffering that is required as Christ’s disciple, and to follow after Christ as the characteristic habit of their lives.
Our Program:
Route 66 Ministries
Sunday night, from 5:45-7:30 p.m., students meet in the Youth Center adjacent to our main church building. Our program has been named "Route 66" because we are committed to teaching and putting into practice the whole counsel of God, all 66 books of the Bible.
What students can expect at Route 66:
Ice BreakerS & Games
Refreshments
Praise & Worship
Prayer
Bible Teaching
Small Group Discussion Time
What our students will be learning:
We implement the Word of Life Bible Study Curriculum for our Route 66 Ministry. This material takes the students through the major teachings of Scripture, following a six-year cycle:
Year #1-God the Father and the Bible
Year #2-Jesus Christ and His Church
Year #3-The Holy Spirit
Year #4-Angels and Satan
Year #5-Man, Sin and Salvation
Year #6-Future Events
Along with the doctrinal material each year, the students have lessons focused on practical Christian living, and pertinent issues teens face.
In addition to our Sunday night gathering, we have Sunday School classes for both Middle School and High School students on Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:30.
During the summer months, our primary meeting time is moved to Wednesday nights. We meet at the Youth Center from 6:30-8:30 for prayer, singing, Bible study, and games or other fun activities. We also meet on Sunday nights from 7:00-8:15 for a less formal meeting with many of the same activities as our other meeting times.
Our small group ministry:
Each year, we separate the guys and gals into groups of 4-8 students who are close to each other in age, and we assign one or two adult leaders to each group. These small groups meet each Sunday night for 25-30 minutes as part of "Route 66." Each group is encouraged to plan their own activities outside of our regularly scheduled youth events. These groups are designed as a tool for discipleship, accountability, encouragement, and more personal care of our students. The goal is that through these smaller groups, our students will be able to form closer friendships with other committed believers their own age who will encourage them in their walk with God.
Creative Discipleship
To assist us in the discipleship ministry of our students, we have implemented the Creative Discipleship program of Word of Life. This program is designed to:
 | Emphasize the student’s need for spending daily, personal time communing with God through prayer and the study of His Word |
| Promote Scripture memorization |
| Challenge students to faithfully attend and be involved in the ministries of their local church |
| Encourage the students to be faithful witnesses of the Gospel |
| Encourage the reading of wholesome, Christian books that will be of spiritual benefit to the students |
Special Events
Each year we plan monthly ministry events for our students. Generally all of our activities are designed to combine some element of ministry or outreach along with an element of fun. Some of our annual events include guys and girls all nighters, the Jalopy Raid, the all night Word of Life Super Bowl, a Rake-n-Run, small group Christmas ministry projects and party, our Winter Retreat, our evangelistic NFL Super Bowl party, a community Pop Blitz, and more. We also have periodic ministries at rescue missions, jails, or nursing homes. A complete calendar of all of the activities for the year is available in the Youth Center.
Leadership Opportunities
For those interested in leadership opportunities and training, we have a group we call S.A.L.T. (Servanthood & Leadership Training). S.A.L.T. is reserved for students in 10th-12th grade who show evidence of faithfulness and spiritual maturity. This group meets twice each month with Pastor Mike for prayer, leadership training, planning for upcoming youth events, and to discuss ways to improve our effectiveness as a youth group.
Teens Involved
At Pleasant View, we do not think of our students as merely a part of the future church, but as an important part of the church today. We are committed to encouraging our teens to have meaningful involvement in Christian ministry by helping them to identify their God-given gifts and talents, equipping them for works of service, and by giving them opportunities to serve. Therefore, we encourage our students to be a part of Teens Involved (T.I.), a Word of Life program designed to help students accomplish the goals described above. In March, our youth group attends a competition with other youth groups who participate in the Word of Life "Teens Involved" program. This gives the students something to work towards and it provides them an opportunity to get feedback from other Christian leaders as to how they can improve their various ministry gifts. Students are encouraged to be involved in any combination of the following "Teens Involved" categories for ministry:
|
Vocal Solos/Groups Instrumental Solos/Groups Web-based Gospel Presentations Gospel Tract Design |
Preaching (Guys only) Teaching Children Drama Puppets Christian Video Introductions |
We currently have teen Praise Teams, Drama Teams, and Puppet Teams that practice and minister regularly throughout the year.
CAMP
Each summer (usually in June), we take a trip to Camp Lake Ann, located in Lake Ann, MI. The camp experience provides the opportunity to receive great Bible teaching, to make new Christian friends, and to be involved in a range of fun activities. Two different scholarships for camp are provided for those who choose to complete all of the requirements associated with the Creative Discipleship program. For students who choose to take full advantage of this opportunity, approximately 75% of the total cost of their camp can be earned, making it very affordable.
Missions Opportunities
Inner City Impact: During Spring Break, we take High School students to Inner City Impact (I.C.I.) located in inner city Chicago. I.C.I. is a ministry that reaches inner-city children and youth with the gospel of Christ and works to disciple them through weekly after-school programs. While at I.C.I., our teens are involved in tutoring elementary students in the local public school during the day. They also help with after-school ministry programs, participate in work projects around the facility, and are involved in various other ministry-related activities. This trip has been a highlight for many of our teens.