GSM is the student ministry of Grace Church. We minister to students in 7-12th grade. Our desire is to be a place where students are taught the gospel, encouraged to live in community, and given opportunities to be involved in mission.

Three ways we aim to cultivate in our students a love for the Word of God and (ultimately) the God of the Word are through weekly gatherings, our leadership development pipeline, and missional opportunities.  

Gatherings 

Wednesdays (6:30-8pm) 

GSM gathers weekly in an environment designed for 7-12th grade students who are curious about faith and eager to discover how a relationship with Jesus could change their lives, their schools, their neighborhoods, and our city. 

Each Wednesday we gather to celebrate the gospel through song, Christ-centered teaching, and guided discussion. Our growth groups (divided up by grade and gender) are led by adults committed to equipping students to navigate the teen years and develop a faith of their own. 

Sundays (9:00-10am) 

Our junior high students (7-8th) are growing in their understanding of how all of Scripture points to Jesus through a three-year journey called the Gospel Project.

Our high school students have recently studied through series called, “How Would You Answer?”, “Why We’re Protestant,” and “Holy Sexuality.” The purpose of these series was to prepare them for the tough questions against Christianity and how they can stand confidently on solid ground amidst the common backlash against their religion. The aim is to help students identify underlying worldviews and to engage in gospel conversations with clarity, compassion, humility and grace. We are currently in a series on “Creation.”

Retreats & Other Events 

Each fall and spring we take about 40 students to Hidden Acres to get them away from all of the distractions of their normal weeks and experience God’s nature, God’s Word, and God’s people. 

Other events that fit into our scope and mission include Winter Blast & BLITZ (7-8th Graders), Young Men’s/Women’s Night, and other opportunities that arise throughout the year. See calendar for details.

Equipping Leaders 

Students are often viewed primarily as objects of mission. But when Jesus claims us as His own, we become agents of mission — stewards of his redemptive love to the world around us (2 Cor. 5:11-21).

That’s the Great Commission impulse we want to nurture and cultivate in our students. Here are a few ways we seek to equip the rising generation to be disciples who make disciples.

Discipleship Group Leader Training

D Group Leader Training is a leadership development pipeline for high school students who want to grow in their faith. Youth Ministry has most often been about relevance and cool culture. We will not help students be lifelong lovers of God if we don’t teach them how to love God’s Word and give them a guide on how to study it. D Group Leaders Training meets for 6 weeks at the beginning of each fall. Any student who is willing to commit to the 6-week training is eligible. Students read and teach each other through the book “Bible Study: A Student’s Guide” by Jon Nielson. The best way to learn is to teach!

Discipleship Groups (“D-Groups)

GSM Discipleship Groups (“d-groups”) are weekly Bible studies led, launched, and hosted by our D Group Leaders. Students are in charge of preparing and leading the Bible Study, inviting students, and hosting. We have 3 different D Groups working through James on Sunday nights right now. Connect with us if you want to plug in! 

Timothy Initiative 

The Timothy Initiative offers select high school leaders an opportunity for in-the-field ministry training in our local ministry context. We desire to train and encourage students to move beyond “doing missions” to living missionally. 

Learn more

Missions  

Each year, our students have dozens of opportunities to engage in missions work on a local, regional, and global level. Summer teams engage in extensive training on how the gospel shapes our view of cross-cultural engagement, poverty alleviation, financial stewardship, and more. Over the last few years, we’ve had the incredible privilege of serving alongside and learning from ministry partners in Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, Louisville, Honduras, Mexico, and Sierra Leone. Time and time again we see God use these focused seasons of ministry to ignite a passion in our students for Kingdom work — both abroad and in our own backyard!