Rez Youth
We're not babysitting teenagers. We're raising up the next generation of Jesus-followers.
At Rez Youth, middle school and high school students don't get a watered-down version of church—they get the real deal. We gather on Wednesday nights to dive deep into God's Word, build authentic friendships, and figure out what it actually looks like to follow Jesus in the middle of lockers, group chats, and everything else that comes with being a teenager.
What Is Rez Youth?
Rez Youth is our midweek gathering for students in 6th-12th grade. We meet every Wednesday at 6:15 PM for a night of games, worship, teaching, and small group discussion. But more than that, we're a community of students learning to live out their identity as God's treasured possessions in a world that's constantly trying to tell them who they should be.
And here's something important: On Sunday mornings, our students aren't separated into their own service. They worship alongside the rest of the church family. We don't believe in siloing off youth—we believe students grow best when they're integrated into the full life of the church, learning from believers of all ages and backgrounds.
Why Youth Ministry Matters
Adolescence is messy. It's a season of major identity formation, intense pressure, and big questions about faith, purpose, and belonging. We're convinced that students need more than pizza parties and pep talks—they need the Gospel.
The same Gospel Culture we pursue as a church—Identity, Growth, Community, Impact—shapes everything we do in Youth Ministry:
Identity – Students discover who they are in Christ, not who Instagram or their peers say they should be. They learn what it means to live as sons and daughters of the King with entirely new priorities and standards.
Growth – We're urgent about helping students become more like Jesus—growing in gentleness, love, and obedience to God's Word. We're not interested in keeping them spiritually stagnant; we want to see them on fire for Christ.
Community – Students experience genuine Christian relationships where they can be real about their struggles, doubts, and questions. They learn to love people who are different from them in ways that point to Jesus.
Impact – We equip students to vulnerably live out the Gospel in their everyday circles—at school, on their sports teams, in their neighborhoods, and with their families. They're not the church of tomorrow; they're the church right now.
What Happens on Wednesday Nights?
Every Wednesday at 6:15 PM, students can expect:
Games & Hangout Time – We kick off the night with high-energy games and time to connect. Building relationships isn't just a nice addition to ministry; it's essential.
Worship – Students engage in authentic worship, learning to treasure Jesus more through music and prayer.
Teaching – We open God's Word and teach it faithfully. No gimmicks, no entertainment-driven messages—just solid biblical teaching that challenges students to follow Jesus.
Small Groups – Students break into gender-specific small groups with adult leaders who know them, pray for them, and walk with them over time. This is where real conversations happen and authentic community forms.
Prayer – We practice bringing our needs, struggles, and celebrations before God together.
Sunday Mornings: Worshiping Together
On Sundays at 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM, our students worship with the entire church family. They're not in a separate youth service—they're sitting alongside adults, seniors, families, and people from all walks of life.
Why does this matter? Because we believe diversity in age, cultures, and perspectives reflects the body of Christ. Students need to see faith lived out by believers in different seasons of life. They need mentors, not just youth workers. They need to be known by the whole church, not just their peer group.
This approach is harder. It's often slower. But we believe it's what God has called us to do.
Small Groups: Where Life Change Happens
We're convinced that real spiritual transformation happens in small groups, in intimate settings, over long periods of time. That's why small groups are at the heart of Rez Youth.
Our small groups are led by trained adult leaders who are committed to:
Knowing students by name and story
Creating safe spaces for honest questions and struggles
Modeling what it looks like to follow Jesus in real life
Praying for students throughout the week
Holding students accountable with gentleness and love
Walking with students through trials, celebrations, and everything in between
Small groups aren't an add-on; they're where Wednesday nights come to life. They're where students move from just showing up to actually being known.
What We Believe About Students
At Rez, we don't believe students are "the church of tomorrow." They're the church today.
We take them seriously. We expect them to grow. We give them real opportunities to serve, lead, and make an impact. We don't lower the bar because they're young—we model what spiritual maturity looks like and invite them to pursue it with urgency.
We also believe students can handle the truth. They don't need us to shelter them from hard questions or difficult passages of Scripture. They need us to equip them to wrestle with God's Word, think critically, and stand firm in their faith when the world tells them Christianity is irrelevant.
The Hard Truth
Here's what we've learned: Following Jesus as a teenager is countercultural.
Everything in our culture tells students to define themselves by their achievements, their appearance, their friend group, or their online presence. The Gospel says something radically different: you are God's treasured possession, bought with the blood of Jesus, and your identity is secure in Him.
Living that out at school, on social media, and in relationships won't always be easy. But we're committed to walking with students as they figure out what it means to be salt and light in their generation.
Parents: You're Not Alone
We believe parents are the primary disciple-makers in their students' lives. Youth Ministry isn't designed to replace you—it's designed to partner with you.
We want to equip you with resources, encourage you in your discipleship efforts, and create a community where you can connect with other parents who are navigating the same challenges. We're in this together.
If you have questions, need support, or want to get involved, reach out. We'd love to walk alongside you.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Students: Join Us on Wednesday Nights – Show up at 6:15 PM and see what Rez Youth is all about. Bring a friend. Come ready to have fun, dig into God's Word, and meet people who actually care about you.
Parents: Get Involved – We're always looking for adult leaders who want to invest in the next generation. If you're interested in serving with Youth Ministry, contact us at Hello@resurrect.church or call 661-616-3399.
Everyone: Pray for Our Students – Pray that they would know their identity in Christ, grow urgently in their faith, experience authentic community, and make a Gospel impact in their schools and neighborhoods.
"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." – 1 Timothy 4:12