What will Sundays look like for High School students?

• 9:15 a.m. — High School LifeGroup Bible Study in the Student Ministry Building
• 11:00 a.m. — Corporate Worship in the Worship Center
• 12:15 p.m. – Lunch
• 2:00 p.m. – High School Student Choir – Click here to learn more about the Student Worship Choir

We believe this rhythm helps students experience both meaningful biblical community and regular corporate worship, two essential habits for lifelong spiritual growth.

What will Sundays look like for Junior High Students? 

• 9:15 a.m. – LifeGroup Bible Studies or Corporate Worship
• 11:00 a.m. – Corporate Worship or LifeGroup Bible Studies
• 12:15 p.m. – Lunch
• 1:00 p.m. – Junior High Student Choir – Click here to learn more about the Student Worship Choir.

Our desire is to provide every Junior High student with meaningful biblical community while recognizing that Junior High is a unique season of spiritual development for both students and their families.

Why are we making this change, and what do we hope to accomplish?

Our goal is to strengthen the discipleship of our High School students. By bringing them together during one dedicated LifeGroup hour (9:15 a.m.), we can build stronger relationships, provide age-specific biblical teaching in their own dedicated space, and encourage consistent participation in corporate worship during the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service. Our prayer is that this change will help students develop deeper biblical community, grow in their walk with Christ, establish lifelong habits of worship and discipleship, and graduate with a lasting connection to both Christ and His Church.

Does this mean Prestonwood no longer values families worshipping together?

Absolutely not. We value both family worship and preparing students for lifelong involvement in the local church. We believe this new Sunday morning rhythm helps accomplish both while encouraging parents to remain the primary spiritual influence in their student’s life. We will still have the Student Section of seating in the Worship Center, and the whole family is welcome to sit together in this special section (as many families do now).

How should I talk to my student about this change?

Encourage your student to approach this change with excitement and an open heart. While the schedule is changing, our mission isn’t. This is an opportunity for students to build stronger friendships, grow in their faith, and lead by example by making LifeGroup and corporate worship a priority. Their faithfulness can encourage others while strengthening their own walk with Christ.

What if this schedule doesn’t work well for our family?

We understand every family’s schedule is different. If this shift affects your current Sunday morning rhythm, our adult team would love to help you explore LifeGroup Bible Study options that allow your family to stay connected to both LifeGroups and worship.

We are exploring various options to better serve and accommodate our families. This includes potentially launching new adult LifeGroups at 9:15 a.m., transitioning existing groups from 11:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., and other strategic adjustments.

For a complete listing of current LifeGroup Bible Studies, click here.

How will this help students after graduation?

One of our goals is to prepare students not just for graduation, but for a lifetime of faithfully following Christ. We believe the rhythm of LifeGroup and corporate worship will help students transition more naturally into active involvement in a local church during college and beyond.

Do other churches have models similar to this?

Yes. Many churches gather their high school students for one hour of dedicated Bible study and an hour of corporate worship. Prestonwood followed a similar model for many years before moving to fully graded LifeGroups at both hours. However, as we’ve seen more High School students attend only the 11:00 a.m. LifeGroup Bible Study hour (and skip the Worship Service), we believe this adjustment will strengthen biblical community while encouraging students to develop the lifelong habit of participating in corporate worship.

How can I learn more about the new schedule?

We’re inviting parents to join us for a meeting on Sunday, August 2, immediately following the 11:00 a.m. Worship Service. We’ll meet in the Student Ministry Building to review the entire fall schedule.