Watauga Students

Students devoted to the Word, prayer, and fellowship.

Where faith comes alive, leaders are made, and purpose is found.

Got a teen in 7th-12th grade? First Baptist Watauga Student Ministry is where real friendships are formed, faith is strengthened, and students are equipped to live boldly for Jesus. Through worship, prayer, and deep discussions in God’s Word, youth will discover their identity in Christ and step confidently into His purpose for their lives. With Sunday morning growth groups, Midweek worship, camps, special events, and service opportunities, we create a fun, safe, and encouraging space where the next generation can grow in their faith and impact the world for Christ.

Midweek

Midweek is our Wednesday night fellowship & service for our student ministry (7th - 12th Grade). Every Wednesday at 6:30 PM, we give students the opportunity to fellowship together, serve the local community through our Snack-Packs for Backpacks ministry, and study God's Word together.

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DiscipleNow 2027

Sign-ups for DNOW 2027 are open!

DiscipleNow is January 22nd–24th, 2027.

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Student Ministry Newsletter

Updates, events, and resources from Pastor Mathew for students, their parents, and ministry supporters.

September 16, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
The weekend that changed everything
It was eighteen years ago. “Some of you in here think that God is not big enough–that your failures are too big, that your burdens are too big, that your sin is too great for you to be accepted by the Father.” The room had a little over one hundred students standing shoulder to shoulder, but it was as if he was speaking directly to me. “Some of you think you’re too broken, too bitter, too far gone for Christ to change your life.” I was too far gone. My life wasn’t hard, per se. But I was bitter. I was broken. I was angry about all the brokenness in my life I could do nothing about, the hate and distrust that plagued my thoughts, and the pure emptiness that I felt with each passing day. “But here is the truth of the Gospel: Our God is bigger than the nails that crucified Him, and He is far, far greater than the sin that covers your heart. He loves you and can save you. You need only call out to Him.” I was in 7th grade and had probably heard the gospel hundreds of times up to that point, but that was the instant when Christ opened my eyes. I was a sinner, and I needed a Savior. The guest pastor speaking that weekend hadn’t even gotten up to preach yet. I ran to my leader, desperately saying, “I need to be saved. I need Jesus.” He spoke with me and simply told me to cry out to Jesus (Romans 10:13). So I did. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, I was made into a new creation that night at a DiscipleNow weekend. I surrendered my life to Him, and I have never been the same since. Every year, our church hosts a DiscipleNow weekend, where we invite 7th–12th grade students to come together for a weekend of fun, fellowship, and diving deep into God’s Word. As you can imagine, this is one of my favorite events we do for students. I want to invite your kids to be a part of ours. Our DiscipleNow Weekend will be on January 22nd–24th. That could be the weekend that changes your child’s life forever, as it was for me. Sign-ups are now open, with more info to come.Learn more and sign up Coming Up The next several weeks should be pretty normal, with Midweek every Wednesday and Growth Groups on Sunday mornings. Go ahead and mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 14th, as we will have a special Fall Fellowship night that evening (Hint: there may be s’mores involved...). Resources As I do more research and reading, I will be sure to plug good resources for students, parents, and leaders here for your benefit. In the meantime, the best thing I can give you is ways to get in touch with me. I have emailed all the parents with my phone number, but if you don’t have my number, you can contact me either at my email (mathew@fbcwatauga.org) or by tapping the button below.Contact Us To God be the glory! In Christ, Mathew Hurst P.S.—This is the song that we sang together as I surrendered my life to Jesus:

Mathew Hurst

Associate Pastor

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September 1, 2026 - September 30, 2026

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