Dear Parent and Caregiver,
Thank you for entrusting your growing child to us. We are blessed to come alongside your family to help your student walk in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Our goal is simple:
Reach students with the gospel, build them up to be the church, and send them out into the world.
We believe this will be accomplished when:
Our students are spiritually trained among their peers by trained leaders, and connected with adults in our multigenerational, multiethnic church community.
Our student activities are distinctly and intentionally planned for both evangelism and discipleship.
The Biblical instruction includes short and longterm goals for student application and growth.
We believe that only the good news of Jesus Christ can change youth, families, neighborhoods, and schools. As we minister the gospel to students we are participating in Sojourn’s larger vision of reaching people with the gospel, building up the church, and sending the church into to the world.
If you have questions, please feel free to connect with Kevin Hippolyte, Director of Students or any S2 leader at anytime.
Yours in Christ,
The S2 Leadership Team
Sojourn Church Midtown
How will S2 assist parents?
According to the Bible, Christian parents have the primary responsibility for teaching children about God. God’s word must be prominent in our conversation and daily life with kids of all ages. Training our children in godliness is something that happens in an on-going manner throughout the rhythms of daily life. In Deuteronomy 6:4–9, we read:
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
The call to training our children is comprehensive. According to Deuteronomy 6, parents have the responsibility to teach their children during mealtime, drive time, bedtime, and in the morning.
The church has the responsibility to walk alongside its families as you train your growing children. We want to equip you to pray, counsel, and continue shepherding your child’s heart as he or she becomes an adult. We hope that our regular ministry reinforces what you are teaching at home as well as provides you with resources. For more about our resources for teaching kids at home, check out our Resource Page.
Our desire is to partner with both Christian and non-Christian parents and caregivers who want to raise children who will grow up to love and trust Jesus. Parents deliberately search for the church that provides the most opportunities for their kids. We want Sojourn Midtown to be that church! Yet, as we continue to build our student ministry, we are committed to maintaining the focus on believers living the gospel at home first. We know this becomes more difficult with teens and we are here to support you every step of the way. If we can assist you at any time in this process, please connect with us.
Parent communication
A weekly email will be sent out every Wednesday called Midweek at Home. These emails will highlight our Sunday gathering lessons and Bible study. We hope this will serve as a resource for your families to cultivate gospel-centered discussions. Please feel no pressure in trying to answer all the questions. This is just a resource to cultivate conversation. These emails will also include upcoming events to keep parents and guardians informed. Families may also be contacted by phone or text as needed.
We’ve also created private GroupMe chats for you and your student’s leaders. These groups are meant for you to keep in touch with their leaders with questions, share prayer requests, share ways we can support your kids (e.g. upcoming games, school functions), and ways we can support you! This also a great way to connect with other parents. You all are welcome (not required) to join!
Why is the gospel so important?
We believe the Bible reveals God’s plan to save people from sin and the world from injustice through Jesus. The Bible is a book about Jesus. We are in the process of designing a curriculum specifically for the context of Sojourn Midtown’s youth. When we teach our youth about God’s plan to save humanity, we teach them their personal need for a Savior. We do not flatter or deceive them; rather, tenderly draw attention to each individual’s own failures—pointing out specific sins to which youth are prone (deception, not honoring parents, trustworthiness when no one is around, etc.). Our goal is to be tender but true. We pray that the Holy Spirit will use the truth to bring conviction to each heart and conscience, and ultimately to give the gift of repentance and faith.
Student baptism
By the middle and high school years, if a student has not already been baptized, he or she may begin feeling called to this act of Christlike obedience. During our gatherings, students are led to respond to the gospel by repenting of their sin and walking in obedience to Christ. The first act of Christian obedience is to publicly profess Jesus Christ as Lord and to be symbolically buried and resurrected with Him through complete immersion in water.
Sojourn Midtown has an excellent family baptism class that further explores the necessity, symbolism, and reasoning for baptism by immersion. This class is offered once each semester, on Sunday afternoons, and is taught by our Director of Kids & Families and Director of Students. You can learn more about baptism and see upcoming classes here.
We encourage students to discuss baptism with their parents and ministry leaders individually. Pressure is never put on students to make this decision, but multiple invitations to be baptized are offered throughout the year. Further information is available upon request.
What do you expect of me as a parent?
The tween and teen years can be challenging as more and more responsibility shifts to the growing child. For the student’s safety, we ask that parents ensure that necessary communication happens. Whether the parent delivers the information or ensures that the student has done so will vary by family.
Please notify the Director of Students or your student’s leader of any allergy, special needs, or circumstances your student may have.
Ensuring a safe, healthy environment is crucial to our mission. The remainder of this handbook includes policies for the safety and security of all children and volunteers. S2 volunteers are trained on these procedures and methods throughout each year.
Sunday gathered structure
4:15–4:30pm - Leader Meeting
4:45pm - Students arrive
4:50–5:10pm - Games/Activities
5:15–5:30pm - Worship in Music
5:30–6:30pm - Lesson & Groups
6:30pm - Student pick up
S2 leader requirements
- All S2 leaders are current Sojourn members in good standing or actively completing the membership process.
- S2 application has been completed, accepted, background check and references completed, and interview with leadership conducted.
- Each S2 leader has been redeemed by Jesus, is living under His sanctifying Lordship, growing as his disciple, and seeking to make disciples.
- Each leader will prayerfully and intentionally lead students in both word and deed.
- He or she will attend leader trainings, orientations, weekly meetings before S2, and actively participate in all S2 gatherings.
- Anyone convicted of child abuse or a related offense may not serve with Sojourn Students.
Disqualifications for S2 leadership
Circumstances that disqualify any individual from serving with S2 include (but are not limited to):
- Any person who is currently under investigation by Child Protection Services (CPS), Department of Social Services (DOSS), Department of Justice (DOJ) or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for or has been convicted of criminal sexual misconduct, neglect, endangerment of a minor or physical abuse will NOT be permitted to work or volunteer at the church.
- Prior incident/s of sexual misconduct or other forms of abuse
- Felony and/or misdemeanor convictions involving crimes that resulted in harm to another person.
- Criminal convictions related to the sale of drugs or controlled substances within the past 10 years.
- Criminal convictions related to illegal use, sale or possession of firearms within the past 10 years.
S2 Sunday Gathered expectations
All students are welcome! Rules and expectations for an orderly gathering are presented to students and upheld by leaders.
- Respect for leadership. Students must recognize the leaders’ position of authority, and show a willingness to listen and follow instructions. Youth are expected to participate and not be purposefully distracting or disruptive. Leaders will also respect students as image bearers of God.
- Respect for environment. Students are to remain in the vicinity of an S2 leader at all times. They should not be in areas of the church building that are not designated for S2 use. This includes avoiding activities that could harm church property.
- Respect for themselves and others. This pertains to relationships, attire, and health. Kindness and consideration are expected in relationships both in word and deed. Clothing must be modest and appropriate for our gathering or parents will be called to bring an alternative. God-honoring care of the body will be expected or addressed in love first by the student’s leader, then Director of Students, pastors, parents, and elders as is fitting for the circumstance.
The following are not permitted at S2:
- Fighting
- Weapons
- Bullying
- Coarse language, cursing, or joking
- Sexual conduct or public displays of affection
- Recreational drugs or alcohol
- Repeated disrespect or disobedience
What should students bring to Sunday Gathered?
Every S2 gathering will focus on growing our understanding of the gospel of Jesus in knowledge, comprehension, and application for heart transformation. Ideally, students will come prepared weekly with:
- Bible
- Journal & pen
- Prepared heart
- Water bottle if desired
These are not requirements, mere suggestions.