Student Ministry

FLOURISHING IN STUDENT MINISTRY

SM2 is the student ministry of Signal Pres, serving students in grades 6-12 and their families. Our mission is to present every student with the transforming gospel of Jesus – and equip each of them personally to live in his love and serve in his name. We strive to be a safe place for all students to explore faith in Jesus Christ, ask questions, and grow in the context of trusted relationships. We have a tremendous team of volunteers who work with our staff to carry out ministry to hundreds of students each week. Come join us!

D-Groups

D-Groups [Discipleship Groups] are the core of SM2’s ministry with students. A D-Group is a community of students (same grade and gender) and adult leaders that meet on Wednesday nights during the school year, and each group and their leaders stick together from 6th grade to 12th grade. D-Groups exist to be a place where students:

Ask questions, share honestly, and are known and encouraged

Experience the beauty and necessity of fellowship in the church

Are led (and lead others) into a growing relationship with Jesus

Each and every student is invited to join a D-Group, no matter what stage of the journey he or she is in.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT SM2

MEET OUR D-GROUP LEADERS

PARTNERING WITH FAMILIES

We believe that every phase of a student’s development matters, and as students grow, their parents are growing, too. We love to come alongside parents as they navigate how to raise faith-filled students by providing community, offering opportunities for education, and encouraging specific ways for families to grow in their love for Jesus together in their daily lives. Keep an eye out for Adult Discipleship classes intended for families with teens, attend Rush & Relax events in the Fall for families with rising 6th and 9th grade students, and stay tuned for key Parent Follow-Ups for major events like FISH and Middle School & High School retreats.

CELEBRATING MILE MARKERS

Few things rock our world more than the mile markers we experience as children and with our children. From the first day of middle school to heading off to college and beyond, we want a front-row seat to the joys you celebrate as a family, and we’re here to cheer you on through each phase! Mile markers can be bittersweet and hard-earned – but each is worth celebrating. As you roll up your sleeves and dig in to the more challenging aspects of parenting, we want to be a resource and support system, helping you to discover beauty and truth even when parenting gets tough. After all, it’s just a phase, so don’t miss it.

SAFETY & SECURITY

Welcoming students into a space where they can flourish requires our utmost care for safety and security. Measures we have taken to provide for the safety of students include a secure facility, a check-in system for knowing who is present at all times, security teams at each event, background checks for all staff and volunteers, and more. Upon arriving, students will be checked in with a volunteer on our check-in app and middle school students are not permitted to leave an event early without permission.

WHAT’S MY NEXT STEP?

Check out what’s coming up below or get a sense of where to connect, or join us for Wednesday Nights at SM2 any Wednesday during the school year, 6-8 PM.

If your student has special needs or would benefit from additional support in the Student Ministry setting, please contact Cara Rock, Director of Embrace Ministry.

Campus Map

FISH

FISH is a powerful weekend gathering at the end of February created especially for any and every middle and high school student. FISH is designed to provoke a new perspective, spark spiritual growth, and inspire all middle & high school students to embrace Jesus through his transforming love.

NEXT FISH: February 23-25, 2024

For more info contact Bridget.

SUMMER TRIPS

SM2 students have an amazing opportunity to reach out beyond the limits of Signal Mountain to places all over the world. Each summer we give students the chance to live out their faith and our mission. Students begin signing up for these life-changing trips in mid-December, and trips close at the end of January.

For more info contact Bridget.

LEARN MORE

RETREATS

Each fall SM2 hosts two retreats, one for middle school and one for high school. These weekends, spent at one of several nearby camps, are nothing short of EPIC! Bring a friend and come enjoy outdoor adventures, games, good food, great time with your D-Groups, and gospel-centered teaching and worship.

MIDDLE SCHOOL RETREAT – September 15-17, 2023
HIGH SCHOOL RETREAT – November 10-12, 2023

LEARN MORE

RUSH & RELAX

Transitioning into 6th grade and 9th grade is a big deal – for students as well as their families – and we desire to equip, educate, and encourage you through this change. On two different nights in early Fall we welcome all 6th graders and then all 9th graders and their parents to get to know each other, sit in on a seminar, and enjoy a s’more or two as we learn together about what this change means for you. We love celebrating mile markers and count it a honor to partner with you as guides for this next big adventure.

For 6th grade & 9th grade + parents.
Next Rush & Relax: Fall 2022

Learn More

MISSIONS

In addition to our mission trips during the summer we also have short-term mission trips that fall during school breaks and one-off serve days throughout the year! These are fantastic opportunities that enable and allow us to carry out our mission of being the faithful presence of Jesus’ love as we go out and serve in his name – both locally and to the ends of the earth!

For more info contact Bridget.