2024-2025 Annual Parent Meeting and Handbook
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HEY THERE!
So, you’re the parent of a student, huh? Congratulations! You have one of the most important (and sometimes the most difficult) jobs on the planet.
We know your job isn’t always easy, but we’re here to help, in any way we can. Sure, we’re a “student” ministry, but students aren’t the only people we care about. We care about you too!
No matter how connected (or not connected) you are with our church, this Parent Handbook will show you some of the ways we’re trying to care for your student and serve you at the same time.
Thanks for letting us be another voice in the life of your student. Your trust and partnership mean a lot to us.
We can’t wait to see what this year has in store!
Cam Boothe
Pastor of Students
Chets Creek Church
MEET OUR STAFF
WEEKLY PROGRAMS
OUR ENVIRONMENTS
Each environment is designed to strategically invite students on a journey into deeper relationships with their peers, leaders, and Jesus. Each environment is designed with every student in mind from the kid who’s grown up in church to the first-time visitor.
EVENTS:
Throughout the year we’ll host several big events designed to help students connect with other students and adult leaders. Events are often the first experience students have with our ministry.
THRIVE 2025
Epworth By the Sea Conference & Retreat Center
MARCH 21-23, 2025
WEEKLY PROGRAMS:
These programs happen every week and are designed to help students grow in four key areas.
LIFEGROUPS: LifeGroups happen every Sunday, but our desire is that the relationships built in these groups extend outside of Sundays. They’re designed to connect every student with a few consistent trustworthy adults and a community of their peers. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING YOUR STUDENT PLUGGED INTO A LIFEGROUP!
REFUEL: Each Wednesday REFUEL is our midweek time designed to connect students around relevant topics and circumstances happening in their lives. It’s the perfect time for students to invite friends. REFUEL (on some campuses has worship), games and fun, teaching of the Bible, laughter, and is a safe space for students to learn how God’s word connects with their everyday lives.
WORSHIP: At our North, Southside, and Palm Valley campuses all students – middle and high school - worship along with the adults each Sunday in the main worship service. At our Hodges campus, our middle and high school students have student worship at 9:00am in the student ministry building.
OUR BIG WIN
Sometimes it’s hard to know when you’re winning in student ministry. Like, is anything we’re teaching actually sinking in? Are students really growing in their faith? That’s why we decided to define the big win for our ministry. It’s what motivates and guides everything we do.
WE WIN WHEN A STUDENT IS TAKING STEPS TO KNOW GOD, GROW IN THEIR FAITH, AND SHOW JESUS TO THEIR WORLD.
TAKING STEPS
We say “taking steps” because there’s no finish line or certificate of completion when it comes to spiritual growth. Spiritual growth is a life-long journey and no two journeys are identical. We consider it a win anytime we see a student take any step in their faith.
Our big win is based on Luke 2:52. It’s one of the few verses that talks about Jesus’ adolescent steps of faith.
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and
in favor with God and all the people. – Luke 2:52
… grew in favor with God – KNOW God
… grew in wisdom and stature – GROW in faith
… grew in favor with all the people – SHOW Jesus
Our big win directly relates to Chets Creek’s mission statement:
“To know God and be changed by Him
in a way that will change the world.”
KNOW GOD
If a student doesn’t know Christ, we want to help them know Jesus through faith in Him. We believe the student ministry years are a critical time. The percentage of students making a decision to follow Jesus decreases greatly after graduation. In fact, research shows that whatever faith/lack of faith a student has by age 13, they will most likely have the rest of their life. That’s why one of our main purposes is helping students know God personally. We want to change that statistic!
GROW IN THEIR FAITH
What exactly does it look like for a student to grow in their faith? We believe there are four things that lead to and are a result of spiritual growth. We call these things our four spiritual habits (or disciplines). Everything we learn and discuss in lifegroups centers around these habits:
GROW IN COMMUNITY - Spending Time with Others
We want students to engage in healthy community and grow in Christlike relationships with each other.GROW SERVING OTHERS - Using Their Gifts
We want students to know that God made them unique and special, with specific gifts, talents, passions, and resources. And that they need to use those gifts to love God, love others, and influence the world around them.GROW IN YOUR PERSONAL FAITH - Spending Time with God If students are going to make their faith their own, they’ve got to start spending time with God on their own. That means we want to help them connect with God through opening their Bible, having conversations with, and worshipping God on their own.
GROW SHARING YOUR FAITH – Sharing Their Story
We want students to learn how to talk about God and make their faith an everyday go-to topic of conversation in their lives.
SHOW JESUS TO THE WORLD
We win when a student’s heart begins to break for the brokenness and lostness around them and they begin to live out their faith by showing it to the world. We win when a student takes steps to pray that friends and family would follow Jesus. We win when a student shares their faith story with a friend or volunteers their time to serve others. Anytime a student takes any steps to make Jesus known to others in their world is a huge win!
DISCIPLESHIP & STUDENTS
WE BELIEVE DISCIPLESHIP IS ABOUT LIVING OUT FAITH, NOT JUST LEARNING ABOUT FAITH
Rather than asking, “What can we teach a student about God?” we ask, “How can we help a student live out their faith?” That’s why we encourage our groups to spend time together outside of church. Discipleship isn’t taught in a classroom it’s modeled in everyday life.WE BELIEVE DISCIPLESHIP HAPPENS IN COMMUNITY
It’s why we focus so much energy on getting students plugged into consistent LifeGroups EVERY SUNDAY! It’s also why your role as a parent is so important to your student and family. It’s why we try to surround students with as many Jesus-followers as we can.WE BELIEVE DISCIPLESHIP IS A PROCESS
Discipleship is never really complete because learning to live out our faith is a life-long process. We know it takes time, so we connect students with adults who are in it for the long-haul. That’s why our volunteers don’t bail on their students after a few months, they stick with them because it’s a process.
CONNECTING WITH VOLUNTEER LEADERS
As a parent, YOU are the most important voice in your kid’s life, both now and for a lifetime.
But in all of our time caring for students, we’ve learned something really important. We drew a picture to help you remember it. We believe that your best chance at influencing your student’s faith and future is to have other adults to influence them with you.
Especially during these years, when your student could start to pull away from you in their search for independence, we want to come alongside you by creating a group of trustworthy adults who can help you influence your student.
That’s why we are so committed to LifeGroups. These groups are about more than Sunday morning Bible study discussions. They exist to connect your kid with adults you can trust so you can better influence their faith and future.
So, this year, connect with your student’s lifegroup leaders. TAP THE BUTTON BELOW and get their cell phone number and email and start building a relationship with them! You won’t regret it!
GET CONNECTED!
BE AN INFORMED PARENT!
Your student stays connected when you stay connected! We don’t want your family to miss out on everything we have planned this year! Take advantage of ALL the ways we communicate to know the latest in Chets Students! Subscribe to any campus communication list at:
EMAIL
We send an email for parents every month. It’s packed with everything that is happening in Chets Students: important events and registration deadlines, resources, and even how to be a more awesome parent of a student. TAP THE BUTTON BELOW, SCROLL DOWN TO YOUR CAMPUS EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION BUTTON AND GET SUBSCRIBED TODAY!
TEXT LISTS (the quickest way to get info!)
Chets Students. Text the @group code below to the number 81010:
HODGES HSM PARENTS: @hsmparentz (yes, with a “z”)
HODGES MSM PARENTS: @msmparents
NORTH PARENTS: @norparent
SOUTHSIDE PARENTS: @souparent
PALM VALLEY PARENTS: @pavparent
SOCIAL MEDIA
CHETS STUDENTS FACEBOOK GROUP: facebook.com/groups/chetsstudents
INSTAGRAM: @chetsstudents
MAJOR EVENTS
TAP THE BUTTON BELOW TO REGISTER FOR ANY OR ALL OF OUR MAJOR EVENTS OR DOWNLOAD OUR EVENTS CALENDAR TO SAVE:
PUNKIN’ CHUNKIN’
OCTOBER 30, 2024
AT THE HODGES CAMPUS
THRIVE WEEKEND
MARCH 21-23, 2025
Epworth By the Sea Retreat Center, St. Simons, GA (SPRING RETREAT)
COST: $300
FUGE CAMP
JUNE 29-JULY 3, 2025
Ridgecrest Conference Center, Ridgecrest, NC (SUMMER CAMP)
COST: $500
MISSION JAX
JUNE 15-19, 2025
Here at Chets! Jacksonville, FL! (SUMMER MISSION EXPERIENCE)
COST: $200
OTHER MISSION TRIP POSSIBILITIES:
DATES & LOCATIONS TBD (Possibly Roatan, Honduras, etc.)
COST: $TBD
THE FINE PRINT
SAFETY GUIDELINES
The safety of your student is a priority for our ministry. We want to get you in the loop on how we plan to care for and protect them.
WE SCREEN VOLUNTEERS
Before any volunteer is permitted to serve with us, they complete an application process as well as a full criminal background check.
WE SET BOUNDARIES
We have set a number of guidelines for our student ministry staff and volunteers.
No staff member or volunteer should initiate a one-on-one alone meeting with a student without your knowledge and consent.
No staff member or volunteer should transport a student in a vehicle alone. If a student needs a ride, we must arrange to have another adult or student ride accompany them.
All staff members and volunteers must maintain appropriate physical boundaries with students at all times.
WE ASK LEADERS TO LOG IMPORTANT ELECTRONIC CONVERSATIONS
If your student engages with a volunteer or staff member in a sensitive conversation, we want you to keep in mind that words and intentions can be misconstrued. Anytime a serious conversation with a student takes place via text/email, social media messaging, we ask all volunteers to take screen shots of these messages and save them and report them to our campus ministry staff. This may seem excessive, but we always want to be above reproach when it comes to these types of conversations.
WE REPORT DANGEROUS SITUATIONS
Every staff member and volunteer in our ministry is a mandated reporter which means we are required to report any dangerous or potentially dangerous situations immediately, including...
If a student is being harmed, neglected, or abused.
If a student is harming or abusing someone else.
If a student is harming or at risk of harming themselves.
WE REQUIRE PERMISSION SLIPS & MEDICAL RELEASES
We will ask for your consent in order for your student to attend certain events, retreat/camps, or gathering outside of our regular weekly programs. (These will be online/digital forms during event registration.)
WE ARE AVAILABLE
If you ever have a concern about your student’s care or safety, please reach out to us. We’re just a phone call or email away!
SCHOLARSHIPS
FINANCIAL HELP
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR CAMP
All scholarship families will be asked to make at least the $75 camp deposit. Typically scholarship recipients will be asked to pay a minimum of HALF OF THE COST of camp (your deposit goes toward this cost).
Scholarship applicants must apply BEFORE FEB. 1, of the year of the camp.
The maximum scholarship amount given can be up to ½ the cost of camp.
Scholarship students will be expected to participate in a minimum of at least ONE fundraiser offered by the church and asked to do any personal fundraising on their own.
Any scholarship candidate that cancels after February 1 will forfeit their non-refundable $75 camp deposit.
Email michelle@chetscreek.com to request an online Jon Moody Memorial Camp Scholarship application.
VERY LIMITED SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR THRIVE WEEKEND
The maximum scholarship amount given toward Thrive Weekend are typically $50 to offset the cost.
ALL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ARE REQUIRED TO PAY THE REMAINING BALANCE.
Email michelle@chetscreek.com to request an online Thrive Weekend Scholarship application.
PARENT RESOURCES!
HELPFUL ARTICLES AND TONS OF INFO!
WE WANT TO RESOURCE YOU AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO HELP YOU RAISE UP A GENERATION OF WORLD CHANGERS!
CHECK OUT THE TONS AND TONS OF RESOURCES WE HAVE ON OUR PARENT PAGE @ chetsstudents.com/parents! (Then scroll down to see all of our resources.) We update this page regularly with new resources! Each block has several links to helpful parenting resources!