Youth Fellowship Guideline
For Starting Groups
OVERVIEW
A youth fellowship gathers in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to pursue spiritual edification and
growth through means of fellowship with fellow Christians of the same age group.
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’
doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
(Acts 2:41-42)
Fellowship is an important element of one's spiritual growth and maturity. Just as the newly
baptized members in the book of Acts often gathered to study the word of the Lord, pray in the
Spirit, and bear witness of the love of Jesus Christ, a youth fellowship provides opportunities for
members to gather in His name and mutually edify and encourage one another in faith,
strengthening each other in the Spirit and the Word.
For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the
same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to
us, let us use them.
(Rom 12:4-6)
The youth play a critical role in the holy work of the church. Along with fostering spiritual growth, a
youth fellowship also focuses on the retention of the youth membership of a given church or
geographical area. Another focus for a youth fellowship is to encourage and facilitate its
members’ involvement in serving the local church.
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
(Heb 10:24-25)
Because the foundation of a youth fellowship is the power of the Holy Spirit and of God’s word, it is
important for all members to be rooted in a life of prayer and Bible study. A youth fellowship can
edify and nurture its members as they strive toward fulfilling their individual functions and
completing a successful journey of faith.
OBJECTIVES OF A YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
1. Provide spiritual edification for youth fellowship members
2. Foster spiritual growth
3. Testify of the love and joy found in Jesus Christ
ESSENCE OF A YOUTH FELLOWSHIP
Five aspects listed in Acts 2:41-47 are essential to the growth of a youth fellowship -- namely the
Word, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, and evangelism.
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THE WORD
“And they continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…”
BIBLE STUDY CURRICULUM
 Studying the Word of God.
o Bible study is the most effective way of understanding the Scriptures because
multilateral communication can bring mutual understanding.
o Through Bible study, members of the fellowship can encourage one another and
equip one another for serving the Lord.
o The most common methods of Bible Study are:
 Book by book: studying individual books of the Bible (Genesis, Mark, Acts,
etc.)to get a contextual understanding of the Word
 Thematic: choosing particular themes (servitude, evangelism,
parables/miracles of Jesus, etc.) to address the needs of the group or
study biblical teachings in depth
 Character studies: studying particular character(s) from the Bible and
their development, positive and negative traits, etc. in order to learn from
their relationship with God
 Determining the curriculum
o At the beginning of the term (quarter, half-year, year), church council members,
ministers, fellowship coordinator(s) or members should decide on the Bible
study’s topics or themes.
o The main considerations in determining the Bible study curriculum are the
fellowship’s objectives.
For example:
 If a youth fellowship seeks to improve its evangelical outreach, it can
study the Acts of the Apostles.
 If a given fellowship has a small percentage participating in holy work,
topics about serving the Lord may be useful in encouraging more
participation.
 If there are members undergoing trials, character studies may encourage
all the members of the fellowship.
o Members should rely on the Holy Spirit to understand the fellowship’s needs. If
other church gatherings for the same target audience (such as Religious
Education) cover a certain curriculum, the youth fellowship may choose to study
a different curriculum.
 Life application
o It is essential that each Bible study leader fully relies on the Holy Spirit for
guidance in applying the teachings of the Bible. This leads the members to see
that the word of God is pertinent to their lives.
o Prior to and after the Bible study session, the youth fellowship should pray in Spirit
that the Holy Spirit may work in and through each member.
TOPICAL CURRICULUM
 In addition to Bible Study, periodic special topics or workshops may provide youth fellowship
members with other perspectives on how the Word can be applied to one’s life.
 Guest speakers (i.e. ministers, church council, or experienced members) can share their
experiences on specific issues in a youth fellowship member’s spiritual, family, work or school
life.
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Possible special topics:
 Spiritual issues: developing a steadfast faith, overcoming trials and
tribulations, finding one’s calling
 School/career issues: choosing a major, graduate school, or job
 Church issues: balancing serving God with school/career/ family
responsibilities, outreach to visitors and inactive members
 Family issues: dealing with a non-TJC-baptized parent, quarrelling parents,
difficult siblings, baptized parents who do not come to church
 Life issues: dealing with serious illness, interpersonal relationships,
dating/marriage, stress and time management, maintaining a balanced life
Periodic workshop sessions equip the members with the tools, skills, and direction to
participate in serving the Lord.
o Possible workshop sessions:
 Personal evangelism
 Survey of local church ministries
 Holy work training
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FELLOWSHIP
“And they continued steadfastly in the… apostles’ fellowship…”
FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS
 In addition to the study of the Word, fellowship meetings provide a good avenue for
members to spiritually cultivate:
o Hymnal/Praise Sessions
 Hymn singing is a time to meditate upon God’s love, grace, and mercy
through singing hymns or praise songs.
 Fellowship leaders can choose hymns focusing on a particular
theme/topic and share their reflections.
 Another effective method is to have a few members choose a hymn or
praise song and share why they like that particular piece.
o Personal Sharing
 Time should be set aside during each fellowship meeting for each
member to have the opportunity to share prayer requests and give
updates about occurrences in his/her life.
 Personal sharing may also include testimonies of grace or blessings
received from God.
o Discussion
 Discussion provides an excellent opportunity for members of the
fellowship to share their personal views and experiences of a particular
topic as well as practically apply the concepts to their own lives.
 An effective method for discussion sessions is to have the facilitator
prepare questions beforehand and be ready to initiate the sharing
session by sharing devotionals, personal testimonies, or reflections.
MUTUAL CARING
 As the members of the fellowship are one body in Christ, it is critical that members
continually care for one another’s needs. Any problem of an individual member is also
the problem of the fellowship.
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Whether it is caring for inactive members or members who have distanced themselves
from the fellowship and church, the Bible teaches us that the strong must help the weak
and needy.
Spiritual accountability allows members in the fellowship to individually feel the love that
compels them to care for and pray for each other.
The following are some ways to demonstrate mutual caring:
o Prayer buddy system
o Praying that the love of our Lord Jesus Christ may touch the hearts of inactive
members
o Forming care groups in which two to three active members focus their care on
particular “lost sheep” or friends.
o Visitations to all members
 Visitation does not need to be limited only to inactive members or
friends; coordinators can arrange for local ministers and church
council members to visit youth fellowship members.
 In addition, the youth coordinator(s) can arrange for a few (two
to four) brothers and sisters from the fellowship to periodically visit
members of the fellowship.
o Meals with members
o Invite members to functions that help strengthen the internal bond. Some
activities that promote teamwork, friendship, and Christian bonding include:
 Camping
 Team sports
 Cooking
 Games
In summary, a youth fellowship should bear in mind that the activities and functions it
participates in should glorify the name of God and promote the development of the
bond in Christ.
BREAKING OF BREAD
“And they continued steadfastly…in the breaking of bread.”
 During Jesus’ ministry, many times He fed the multitude before sending them away. He
showed us that our basic needs are important and should not be overlooked.
 The apostles and early believers shared in the receipt of both spiritual blessings and life
necessities. The Apostolic Church shared in the breaking of bread regardless of members’
background or status, highlighting that we all should treat each other equally.
 In Acts 6, the Hellenist widows were neglected in the daily supply of food. Likewise, a youth
fellowship can miss the daily needs of its members, especially of those who are less
fortunate, if not proactively and carefully paying attention.
 Some areas of life necessities are food, clothing, and shelter.
PRAYER
“And they continued steadfastly… in prayers.”
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This aspect of a fellowship is crucial to the spiritual growth of the fellowship and each
member. Just like the apostles, members of the fellowship must also rely on the Holy
Spirit for guidance and power.
The Holy Spirit can unify the fellowship so that all members will work together in one Spirit
and one mind to edify one another, spread the gospel, and serve the Lord.
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For the sake of one’s own spiritual growth, each member should set aside personal
prayer time each day.
o Intercession for other fellowship members cultivates the love of God in the
individual.
o Coordinators of the fellowship need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and devote
time each day to prayer.
Both in and out of fellowship meetings, members should pray in the Spirit as a group at
every opportunity.
o Sharing prayer requests with the fellowship group before prayer focuses the
prayer on those requests. Such sharing promotes mutual caring and the bond
between the fellowship members.
o It is also beneficial to establish a specific time to pray together at the same
location (or, if more convenient, at their own respective locations) in the Spirit.
o Another method for establishing the fellowship’s prayer foundation is creating a
prayer network. In a prayer network, each person is assigned to pray and care
for another person or group and to help keep one another in check.
EVANGELISM
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
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Reinforce and participate in the mission of the church
o Jesus entrusted all of us, young and old, with the Great Commission:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-20)
o The youth fellowship group should emphasize evangelical outreach as one of its
primary aspects and work with the church to carry out this precious and
important task.
Methods of evangelism
o Personal evangelism
 Historically, the most effective method of evangelism.
 Members can share about the Scriptures and personal experiences.
 When speaking to believers of other denominations, members can
discuss our church’s basic beliefs.
o Flyer distribution
 Flyers can be distributed in residential or public areas, such as shopping
centers and public transportation areas.
o Community service/outreach
 Although the Apostolic Church was a very close-knit community in and of
itself, it also served the community it was in, either through evangelism,
praying for those with illnesses, or outreach to the needy.
 Community service is a unique opportunity for fellowship members to
participate as a team and at the same time, introduce the church to the
people they meet.
 Community clean-up
 Soup kitchen
 Homeless ministry
 Nursing home visits
o Evangelical service
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Members can invite friends to attend an informal or formal evangelical
service organized by the fellowship. Regardless of format, its focus should
be on biblical truth and life application.
ADMINISTRATION
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Coordinator(s)
o Choosing coordinator(s):
 The church council may appoint one or more members to serve as the youth
fellowship coordinator(s).
 Alternatively, the church council may choose to let the members of the
fellowship vote on their own coordinator(s).
o Relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word for spiritual direction, the
coordinator(s) have the following responsibilities:
 General coordinator:
 With input from the fellowship members, develop the goals and
objectives of the fellowship.
 With input from the fellowship members, plan for the upcoming term
and schedule fellowship meetings.
 Mobilize members to assist in holy work.
 Be aware of the special needs of the members
o The youth fellowship coordinator can ask a more experienced
member or minister to provide individual counseling to a
particular member when necessary.
 Compile contact information.
 Provide general support to the fellowship.
 Treasurer:
 With input from fellowship members, prepare a budget for the year
and submit it to the church council for review.
 Manage financial contributions and expenditures.
 For fellowship groups with a larger membership, it may be necessary to have
additional coordinators responsible for:
 Fellowship meetings
 Bible study and special topic scheduling
 Pastoral needs
 Prayer network (maintaining an updated prayer list)
 Evangelism
 For fellowship groups with a smaller membership, the general coordinator
can take the lead, while delegating tasks to other members as necessary.
Fellowship Meeting Frequency and Locale
o Throughout the book of Acts, it is evident that the apostles constantly met to pray,
sing hymns, and encourage one another. It is integral for a youth fellowship to meet
regularly. A youth fellowship should meet at least once a month, or more frequently
as necessary.
o The coordinators and the church council can work together to establish a consistent
time and frequency for youth fellowship meetings.
o The locale of the fellowship can vary from the church premises to a member’s
home. Determine which locale is more conducive to carrying out goals and
objectives of the fellowship.
Working with the Church Council
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Maintain open lines of communication with the church council. In doing so, the
council can support the fellowship members, who are usually between ages 18-40,
as well as provide additional direction or insight.
Work with the church council to train members to serve the Lord.
Website
o A website can be utilized to provide the most up-to-date information such as the
fellowship schedule; members’ contact information; edifying testimonies, sharing or
devotionals; fellowship photographs; and links to the local church website.
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