Ministry Teams

Student Ministry Team (SMT)

The Student Ministry Team (SMT) is a group of HYACKs students who want to love and serve other students within and outside of HYACKs. The SMTs’ primary role is to promote the four identity markers of HYACKs, modeled after the early church in Acts 2:42-47– teaching, corporate worship, fellowship and outreach.

• Teaching—Work closely with AMT to lead small group discussions. You are responsible for leading the discussion, not the AMT. Adults are in your group for oversight, wisdom, input and guidance. They are not there to do your job.
• Corporate Worship—Take the initiative to make your small group a community of prayer. You are responsible for structuring a time for prayer within the flow of the evening. You can pray as a large group, small groups, squares, triangles, pairs or something different each week. The format is up to you, but you need to have a format in mind before the small group begins.
• Fellowship—Become the social one who is always getting your group to hang out. You are responsible for creating an atmosphere similar to that of the early church as, “All who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” (Acts 2:44-45).
• Outreach—Get the word out to your school that small group is the place to be. You are responsible for keeping your small group from becoming like an ingrown toenail, always growing inwardly but never outwardly.

Why become an SMT? Grace and love. SMT should understand that they are saved by the grace of God, and that nothing they do for HYACKs will gain them favor with God. They serve out of an abundance of love for their King. They will not be able to keep all of these commitments throughout this school year, nor ever, as they are sinners saved by grace. They love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and mind. Thus, they desire to love their neighbors as themselves.

Those who are interested can apply each spring for the following school year. Students must be living in solid, growing relationship with Christ currently seeking to use their gifts to serve and lead within HYACKs.

Music Ministry Team (MMT)

The Music Team uses their musical abilities as a means of bringing the HYACKs community into theologically rich singing and adoration over what God has done in Jesus Christ.

The Music Team is made up of students who seek to live out the presence of Christ in everyday life. Why? Because all of life, not just singing, is worship. Their upfront ministry should come from out of an abundance of their own heart of worship. A.W. Tozer expressed it well, “If you do not worship God seven days a week, you do not worship Him one day a week. There is no such thing known in heaven as Sunday worship unless it is accompanied by Monday worship, Tuesday worship and so on.”

Those who are interested should talk to the HYACKs staff and AMT who oversee MMT. You can get involved at any point in the school year.

Disability Team (DMT)

The HYACKs Disability Ministry Team is designed to provide the student with an introduction to serving people with disabilities. A biblical foundation provides the student with God’s view of the disabled and enhances Christ-centered attitudes and motivations for fellowship and service. Students are given opportunities to interact with health care professionals and with families affected by disability within the framework of the STARS Disability Ministry at College Church in Wheaton.

Student leaders will be presented with opportunities to provide organizational leadership for Disability Ministry Team service activities and for HYACK-wide ministry events.

Goal: Students will understand that persons with disabilities are an indispensable part of the body of Christ and will help carry out Christ’s mandate to bring persons with disabilities into the body of Christ.

Objectives:

• Students will understand a Biblical foundation of Disability Ministry
• Students will increase their awareness of disabilities that affect how people hear, see, think, feel, walk, or talk.
• Students will identify health care professional disciplines that provide services for the disabled.
• Students will explore opportunities to minister to families affected by disability through STARS programs and activities.

Missions Prep Program (MPP)

I am interested in missions. What do I do next? The Missionary Preparation Program answers that question. It takes people at any time, at any stage in life, at any age, and gives them a plan–action steps–for what they can do to prepare themselves for cross-cultural ministry.

Why prepare missionaries? People are the means of carrying the good news of Christ to every nation. If we are going to send our best, we are responsible to train them well for the work of world evangelism.

It is our hope that the Missionary Preparation Program will develop God-centered, compassionate, well-prepared and highly motivated people to do the work of missions. It is designed for everyone who wants to grow as a world Christian, but the Missionary Preparation Program is especially for those considering short-term or career missions. Participants work through five dimensions of growth and preparation in the context of a mentoring relationship. Expect to grow in character, knowledge and ministry skills.

How do I get started? Contact Bruce Wilson, Missions Pastor or Abbey Collins, missions administrative assistant.