We believe in the vital roles of parents and teachers in laying the foundations for salvation and spiritual transformation in the lives of young people.

The Generations Group of SCBaptist seeks to connect people of all ages to God’s Word, leading them to know Christ and grow in a meaningful relationship with Him. To achieve this, they developed the Discipleship Dashboard, a comprehensive framework designed to guide children, students, and adults to fully understand, be transformed by, and apply biblical principles as they become dedicated followers of Christ. The following material is adapted from the Discipleship Dashboard.

Principles of Discipleship:

1. Scripture as Authority: The Bible is the ultimate guide by which everything is taught in Bible study and in the development of all teaching practices. 
2. Parents as Primary Spiritual Teachers: The primary responsibility of spiritual instruction belongs to the parents of students. The church will support the parents as spiritual leaders by equipping them and teaching their children. The Holy Spirit works through all teachers as they share biblical truth and live out their faith. 
3. Active Student Learning: When working with students, consider the age, needs, and interests of the child in determining how to approach and develop Bible content. No matter the age, ability, or previous experience, Bible study resources must engage the head, the heart, and the hands of the student to create life-changing experiences. 
4. Teachers as Guides: The teacher is a guide in student learning and will provide activities that will guide students to learn Biblical content and truths. Teachers will model these truths in the way they live out the Gospel in front of children and parents. 
5. Disciples Advancing the Kingdom: Every disciple has the opportunity to share the Gospel where they work, live, and go to school. Healthy ministries center around people who are committed to seeing every life saturated and transformed by the hope of the Gospel. 

Guidelines for Discipling Middle School Students:

1. Build Relationships: Today’s teenagers feel “judged” by older generations. It’s important that as we teach, we are more interested in the relationship with the student than we are in simply being correct. 
2. Promote Scripture Over Technology: Today’s teenagers are digital natives. Helping them to seek truth from God’s Word and not from Siri or Alexa is a pattern most teenagers don’t realize they need to change. 
3. Address Contemporary Issues: Atheism and teenagers that don’t identify with any religion are at its highest percentages ever. Be careful to not assume any aspects of the Gospel doctrine that may be natural for most believing Christians. 
4. Navigate Gender and Identity: Today’s teenagers are more open to different gender identities and same sex attraction than previous generations. Discussing the implications of biblical identity will test the views of most teenagers. Be prepared to be challenged and respond in a loving way. 
5. Mental Health Awareness: Today’s teenagers are significantly more likely to rate their mental health as fair or poor compared to previous generations. Guiding this generation to see God’s purpose for their lives will help them develop a Biblical worldview that should give them the meaning they are searching for. 
6. Available Time: More than 74% of today’s teenagers admit to spending their free time online. Showing Gen Z how to use their available time to pursue Christ through God’s word will help them develop daily transformational time with God. 
7. Education and Choices: Today’s teenagers are on track to become the most educated generation ever. Help students understand that being educated doesn’t inoculate them from making poor choices. Show them that their heart condition toward Christ will shape the decisions they make.