Bereans
We are a very distinct group in the Upstream Youth Ministry. In fact, we are one of a kind among all the groups in Word of Grace Bible Church (WGBC). We happen to fall in that age bracket where many quite suddenly start agreeing with God. They realize that what He said in Genesis 2:18 is authoritative, inspired, inerrant, and relevant. Many Bereans then remember Psalm 119:60 and it leads them to act upon the Word of God. This phenomenon is known as “the Cessation of the Bereans”.
There is another important distinction between the Bereans and all other Upstream groups. Since WGBC is predominantly a Russian-speaking church, many Bereans represent that section of our youth ministry that still prefers the Russian language over English. We acknowledge that this is a fleeting preference with the quick turnover in our group, therefore we welcome anyone who is tolerant to a mix of both languages.
Why Bereans? We have noted already that we treat the Scriptures seriously. This in fact is where we get our name (please read about our origin in Acts 17:10-11). We are committed to bringing every area of our lives under the obedience of the Word.
Why do we exist? There is a greater goal than the anticipation of our “cessation”. Our goal is very precisely summarized in Colossians 1:28. We want every member of our group to be in the process of having their character molded into that of Christ. In other words, we want every “Berean” to learn to be a responsible adult, who uses the numerous opportunities available for the building up of the Church.
We use a number of avenues to reach our goal. Our favorite – to take a passage or topic already preached and ask ourselves a variety of questions to help us stimulate application of truths unpacked. Another method is having discussions in smaller groups that challenge us to “walk in the light” (I John 1:7) and “encourage each other” (Hebrews 3:13).
If you think that it is time for you to become a “Berean” or have further questions, please reach us at: mail@upstreamyouth.org