Update from South Student Pastor, Ricky Echeona
Our student program is moving online for the foreseeable future. Even though we are socially isolated right now, we are so fortunate to live in a time where we have tools to be able to meet and interact online. Our teens have grown up with social media all around them, so we know this won’t be a difficult transition for them to begin moving their spiritual life online as well. During this time, the student programs on our various campuses will be combining together as one. Students from all campuses will be connecting with our online program in the following three ways:
Daily Devotional – Instagram
Bible devotions will be presented each weekday on Instagram (@gatewaystudents). The reading plan for each week will be posted by Monday. We will use a variety of methods within Instagram to provide content. Sometimes there may be a brief video of one of our student pastors speaking, sometimes it might be a post with a thought about the daily reading, and other times it might be an Instagram Story where students can react with questions or thoughts about the daily reading.
Devotional content will be released later in the day toward evening. Check-in each weekday to see what’s offered. The devotional reading plan will also be posted in the Student App for those who want to read along but don’t want to use Instagram.
Students Live – Instagram
Sunday nights at 6:30 p.m. we live stream a student program via Instagram Live. Create an Instagram account and follow @gatewaystudents to join the fun. The program lasts about 30 minutes and is a time to gather all students together for some interactive fun and hype before we send them to their Zoom Groups. We’ve had a lot of fun with interactive games where students have won things like Chick-Fil-A delivered to their door, and gift cards from Amazon, Target, and more. Students interact in real-time with the Students Live hosts by commenting on what life is like for them during quarantine.
Small Group Time – Zoom
Small group time is offered via Zoom (called Zoom Groups) at 7:00 p.m. every Sunday. Small group leaders will connect with their group on Zoom to share how their week went, watch a pre-recorded teaching message by one of our student pastoral staff, and discuss what they learned from the message and from the devotionals throughout the week.
Your student will continue to connect with the small group leader(s) they’ve been with on their home campus. If your student doesn’t know who their small group leader is, contact us to be connected with a group.
If you missed one of the past messages presented during Zoom Groups, you may watch them here:
6/7 Message
6/28 Message
7/12 Message
7/19 Message
7/26 Message
We look forward to being able to continue to serve our students during this time when so much has been uprooted for them. Above all, God is good, and He is still in control. We can trust Him, and lean into Him when we are afraid.
