WHO WE ARE
NAME: The Student Ministry at Riva Trace is called “Vital Link.” The name originates from 1 Timothy 2:5 which says “For there is only one God and One Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.”
GOAL: Whether you’ve been in church your whole life, or have never been before, God wants to have a relationship with you through Christ. That’s the goal of Vital Link: To draw students, no matter where they are in their spiritual walk, near to God through
Worshiping, Gathering, Serving, and
Sharing.
WHAT WE DO (Sun. A.M.)
Our Church has 4 simple steps of every member, including Students!
WORSHIPING: The first step is Worshiping Weekly. Our goal is that every Student will be engage in worship on Sunday Mornings. Beginning at 9:15, both Middle School and High School enter the Student Worship Center for a time of worship led by Vital Link’s Student Worship Team. After the music, Pastor Joey comes and brings a message to the High School group, while Middle School goes into their small groups. Once Pastor Joey finishes his morning lesson with the High School, they move onto their small groups, while the Middle School comes in for their lesson.
The goal for worshiping weekly is for the students to learn more about God, being enabled through his word to go and be a more committed disciple; all the while having a time to respond to God through songs of worship.
GATHERING: The next step is Gathering in a Group. On Sunday Mornings, after worship and before or after the morning lesson, the students break up into age and gender specific small groups that are led by our adult leadership staff. Each group has anywhere between 6-12 students.
The goal for gathering in a group is for the students to respond to the message or the topic of the day by dialoguing over the scriptures Pastor Joey used in his message. It’s also a time where students bond and get to know one another. At the same time they have an opportunity to build a relationship with their Adult Leaders. The leaders are people who loves and cares for them and they desire to see the students grow and draw near to God.
SERVING: The third step in the path is Serving. At Vital Link there are multiple opportunities to serve, whether it is our Wednesday Night Small Groups that go out into the community and do a service projects, or joining with the church at large, and serving in other Projects like
Serve Annapolis, or
the Mission. Other opportunities of service can be joining the Student Worship Team (contact Pastor of Students, Joey Ruyter at
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), serving in the Children’s Wing (contact Pastor Bill at
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), or helping somewhere in the Student Ministry (contact Pastor of Students, Joey Ruyter at
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)
The goal for Serving is to enable students to minister to others as they respond to what they learn on Sunday Morning and on Wednesday Nights. Serving is an overflow of their relationship with Christ, loving and serving as He does. It trains the students to be responsible and to realize that being servants of Christ doesn’t start when “you’re older” but it starts now!
SHARING: The fourth and final stop on the path is Sharing Near and Far. Not only do students serve the local church, but they share “Near” by living a life worthy of their faith, by doing good deeds to others and being watchful how they talk and act in their everyday situations. They also serve “Far” by joining the Mission’s program here at Riva Trace. Each summer there are 3-4 trips that are open to the Students. Check out our
2012 “SHARING FAR” opportunities.
The goal for Sharing Near and Far is to get students out of their comfort zones and put their faith to practice. It’s one thing to have the knowledge, and it’s another to actually live it out. Through the training they receive on Sunday Mornings and Wednesday Nights, they will be able to share their faith in many practical ways. They also will have the opportunity to go on a variety of missions trips through their Middle School and High School years in Vital Link.
Worshipping 
