Berean Students Vision and Philosophy

We GATHER together to enjoy God together, GROW in grace and truth through the study of God’s Word and small-group time, and GO into the world to be a light in the heart of Ohio and beyond.

Student ministry is not merely about programs or events. Our desire is to develop faithful disciples of Christ who:

• Know Christ
• Love and serve one another
• Live on mission
• Make Him known

Every gathering, small group, retreat, conference, camp, and mission opportunity exists to move students toward greater faithfulness to Jesus.

Know Christ. Be formed. Live sent. Make disciples.

Programming With a Purpose

Programs are not the destination. They are vehicles for discipleship.

Each part of Berean Students is intentionally designed to help students move from an initial point of connection into deeper community, biblical formation, service, and mission.

Wednesday Night Gathering

The front door of Berean Students

Wednesday nights provide an energetic, welcoming environment where students can bring friends, worship together, hear biblical teaching, and build relationships with those in a similar life context.

Special Wednesday gatherings include:

• Bring-a-Friend Nights
• Worship and Prayer Nights
• Small Group Nights
• Celebrations

Unashamed Student Conference

Equipping students to confidently live and share their faith

Unashamed challenges students to understand what they believe, know why they believe it, and boldly represent Christ in their schools, relationships, and communities.

Retreats and Camp

Deeper community and discipleship

Retreats and summer camp remove students from their everyday routines and create intentional space for worship, biblical teaching, spiritual conversations, community, and life-changing decisions.

Student Study

Growing in God’s Word

Student Study provides students with age-specific biblical training and deeper study. Junior High and High School students meet in separate environments so teaching and application can be tailored to their stage of life.

Missions Trip and Gospel Community

Living sent and making disciples

Our mission model provides long-term preparation, mentorship, biblical training, service, outreach, and hands-on ministry experience. The goal is not simply to take students on a trip. The goal is to form students who live missionally wherever God places them.

Our teaching and programming are organized around seven core competencies. These represent the areas in which we want students to grow throughout their time in Berean Students.

Core Doctrine

Students will know the essential truths of the Christian faith and understand how those truths shape their lives.

Spiritual Disciplines

Students will develop consistent rhythms of prayer, Scripture reading, worship, repentance, service, and dependence upon God.

Biblical Interpretation

Students will learn how to read, understand, interpret, and apply God’s Word faithfully.

Biblical Relationships

Students will learn to pursue friendships, family relationships, dating relationships, and Christian community according to biblical wisdom.

Apologetics

Students will understand why they believe the Christian faith and learn to respond to difficult questions with truth, confidence, and grace.

Missions and Evangelism

Students will understand that every Christian is called to live on mission and will be equipped to share the gospel in everyday life.

Biblical Worldview and Ethics

Students will learn to evaluate culture, ideas, decisions, and moral questions through the truth of Scripture.

Our Wednesday teaching plan intentionally addresses different aspects of spiritual formation. Each series connects with one or more of our seven core competencies.

Culture Shift

Primary Focus: Biblical Relationships

Culture Shift establishes the kind of ministry culture we want to build together. Students will learn what it means to pursue genuine community, welcome others, participate in small groups, encourage one another, and take steps toward leadership through serving those around them.

Built Different

Primary Focus: Biblical Worldview and Ethics

Following Jesus means living differently from the world around us. Built Different will help students understand how their identity in Christ affects their choices, values, relationships, and priorities.

Everyday Mission — High School

Primary Focus: Missions and Evangelism

Mission is not limited to an overseas trip or special church event. High School students will learn how to recognize everyday gospel opportunities and faithfully represent Christ at school, at work, on their teams, and in their relationships.

Jonah — Junior High

Primary Focus: Missions and Evangelism

Junior High students will study the story of Jonah and discover God’s heart for people who are far from Him. They will also focus on repentance and dependence on God.

Winter Blues

Primary Focus: Biblical Worldview and Ethics

Winter Blues will address the danger of isolation in the Christian life. We exist to serve one another and, therefore, show our love for God. We grow in community and, in many ways, exist to encourage and edify one another in our walks with the Lord.

Walk Worthy

Primary Focus: Spiritual Disciplines

Walk Worthy will help students develop practical rhythms that strengthen their relationship with Christ. The emphasis will be on forming habits that posture individuals to be dependent on God for all fruit and spiritual growth.

Abide — High School

Primary Focus: Spiritual Disciplines

High School students will explore John 15 and what it means to remain in Christ and depend upon Him for spiritual life, growth, and fruitfulness.

Identity Crisis — Junior High

Primary Focus: Core Doctrine

Junior High students will examine what Scripture says about who they are, where their worth comes from, and how identity in Christ provides a foundation that cannot be taken away. This series will discuss the effects of sin and the importance of being rooted in Scripture.

Jesus, Only Jesus

Primary Focus: Core Doctrine

This series through Galatians will teach students that salvation is received by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned through religious works.

Summer Set Apart

Primary Focus: Biblical Worldview and Ethics

Summer Set Apart will challenge students to live distinctly for Christ during a season when routines change and spiritual disciplines are not as easily implemented into everyday life.

Special Wednesday Nights

Not every Wednesday follows a traditional teaching format. Throughout the year, students will participate in special environments designed to deepen relationships and create opportunities to respond to God.

Worship and Prayer Nights

Extended time for students to worship, pray, reflect upon Scripture, and respond by declaring that God is worthy of our whole life.

Small Group Nights

Intentional evenings devoted to deeper conversation, testimony, prayer, and community within grade- and gender-based groups.

More Than a Trip

The Berean Students mission trip is part of an in-depth discipleship process. We do not want students simply to attend an overseas experience and then return to normal life.

We want to prepare students before the trip, disciple them throughout the process, give them meaningful opportunities to serve, and help them continue living on mission when they return.

The trip is one week. The discipleship process lasts the entire year.

1. Gospel Community

Discipleship Before the Trip

Students selected for the mission team participate in a Gospel Community that meets regularly after the Sunday morning service.

These gatherings include:

• Biblical discipleship
• Prayer
• Evangelism training
• Cultural preparation
• Team development
• Local service
• Community outreach
• Trip preparation
• Spiritual accountability

Through Gospel Community, students learn that missions is not something that begins when they board an airplane. It begins by faithfully following Jesus and serving people where they already live.

2. Leadership and Mentorship

A Personal Discipleship Structure

Each student is placed in a smaller discipleship group with another student and an adult mission-team leader.

This structure gives every student:

• A consistent adult mentor
• Personal prayer and encouragement
• Spiritual accountability
• Space to ask questions
• Help preparing for ministry
• Support before, during, and after the trip

Mission-team leaders are more than chaperones. They serve as disciple-makers who intentionally invest in students throughout the process.

3. Local Mission

Living Sent Before Going Overseas

Students will participate in local service and outreach opportunities before the trip. These experiences help students practice serving others, sharing their faith, working as a team, and recognizing needs in their own community.

If we are not willing to live on mission in Mansfield, an international trip will not make us missional.

4. International Mission

Juan Tomás, Dominican Republic

The 2027 High School mission team will serve in Juan Tomás, Dominican Republic, through our partnership with Partners in Christ.

The trip will be primarily evangelistic and relational rather than construction-focused. Students will have opportunities to serve alongside local ministry partners, build relationships, share the gospel, and learn from believers in another cultural setting.

Trip Information

Learn More and Apply

5. Continued Discipleship

Bringing the Mission Home

The process does not end when students return from the Dominican Republic. Students will be challenged to apply what they learned through continued evangelism, service, leadership, and investment in the local church.

The desired outcome is not simply students who went on a mission trip. It is students who understand that they have been sent by Jesus into every part of their lives.

September 2
Fall Kickoff

October 23–25
Junior High Fall Retreat

December 16
Christmas Party

January 6
Winter Kickoff

January 15–17
High School Winter Retreat

February 27
Unashamed Student Conference

May 5
Senior Panel

June 26–July 3
Missions Trip

July 9–12
High School Leadership Retreat

July 18–23
Summer Camp

View Upcoming Events

Register for Berean Students

Contact the Student Ministry Team

Pastor Micah:

Braden Loose: