The gospel is the good news of God’s grace to sinners in Jesus Christ. It is news which comes to us in context: the narrative of God’s relation to his image-bearing creatures. That narrative began at creation, but God’s loving relation with humanity was severed at the fall, when our first parents made themselves and us enemies of God. In redemption God reconciles sinful creatures to himself, and in the consummation, God brings the world to its fullness, delivering his people from sin and death while consigning the rest of humanity to judgment.
The gospel has objective content: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (1 Cor 15:3-8). Christ died on the cross for sinners, taking the curse of the law owed to lawbreakers (Gal 3:13), and was raised from the dead for the justification of all those who turn to him in faith (Rom 4:25).
For believers, the gospel also produces subjective effects. In the personal sphere, the gospel, by the power of the Spirit, penetrates every part of one’s life and being. The grace of God really transforms people, so we expect visible fruit from those who are genuinely converted.
The gospel is the central message of the Christian faith. By it, Jesus himself is offered to sinners. A message of such weight and consequence should serve as the orienting center of all Christian ministry. So we treasure the gospel, teach it regularly, and pray that each of our students embrace it, so that they can have Christ himself, and through him, God.
Our ministry "methods" are those explicitly commanded by Scripture, including biblical instruction, fellowship, and prayer.
The gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Rom 1:16). The word of the cross saves (1 Cor 1:18). The word of Christ creates hearing and faith in the hearts of dead sinners (Rom 10:14-17). The word of God brings forth new creatures (Jas 1:17). “Life transformation” (that is, salvation and sanctification) is accomplished by the Holy Spirit working with the word of God – even among teens. We therefore center our ministry on the gospel.
As our treasure, the gospel is what we uniquely have to give. It sets us apart from our students’ sports teams, favorite camps, therapists, music lessons, college preparatory courses, etc. We won’t neglect fun and fellowship, but we maintain these as subordinate to and supportive of the ministry of the gospel.
Gospel doctrine should produce gospel culture, one marked especially by organic hospitality and Bible-driven discipleship.
The gospel is not itself life transformation. The gospel is the good news of Christ’s all-sufficient, substitutionary death and resurrection. Nonetheless, the gospel has transformative effects. So, as students embrace the gospel and receive the Holy Spirit, we expect to see them practicing the kind of hospitality (Rom 15:7) and discipleship (Eph 4:11-16) that should mark every Christian. We endeavor to teach them to do these things by our example and explicit instruction.
