October 23, 2024
DULUTH, Ga. – The "Next Gen" team at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, aware of concerning research into the spiritual struggles that teens face, is committed to helping churches develop strong student ministries to reach the next generation.
Chris Trent, the Next Gen catalyst on the Mission Board’s Church Strengthening team, said it’s crucial that churches across Georgia develop prayerful strategies to reach and disciple students. That’s why, under Trent’s leadership, Next Gen has positioned staff in three separate regions across the state so they’re closer to the churches they’re working with.
Todd Jones, who has served more than 20 years as student pastor, family pastor and outreach pastor at churches in Duluth, Grayson and Marietta, is covering central Georgia. Timothy Kilgore, the longtime family pastor at Central Baptist Church in Waycross, is covering the southern region. And Billy Christol, the long-tenured minister to students at Burning Bush Baptist Church in Ringgold, is covering the northern third of the state.
“We are excited about the fact that we have three reps now who will help us engage with churches for Next Gen ministry opportunities,” Trent said. “These guys are working to engage, equip and empower churches to reach the next generation.”
LifeWay Research studies show the importance of student ministry. In one recent report, the Nashville-based organization said 60% of teens and 30% of committed Christian teens struggle with depression while 35% of teens and 12% of committed Christian teens struggle with suicidal thoughts.
“We want to help our churches minister well to students,” Trent said. “We want our churches to be able to show students who are stressed by this modern world that there is hope, and that that hope is found in Jesus.”
The Mission Board’s Church Strengthening team helps churches engage with students of all ages, whether children, teens or collegians. Jones, Kilgore and Christol are integral to that work.
Jones received his bachelor’s degree from the University of West Georgia and his Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He was minister of students and community outreach at Legacy Church in Marietta from 2001-2004, minister to students at First Baptist Church of Grayson from 2004-2013, and has been family and student pastor at First Baptist Church of Duluth since 2014.
Kilgore received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and is finising his Master of Divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was pastor of students at Crossroads Church of Belforest in Daphne, Ala. from 2002-2004, interim pastor at Central Baptist Church in Waycross from 2011- 2012, and has been family pastor at Central Baptist in Waycross since 2004.
Christol studied marketing and mass communications at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala. He was minister and youth at New Armuchee Baptist Church in Armuchee from 2001-2005 and has been associate pastor/minister to students at Burning Bush Baptist Church since 2005.
“All three are especially gifted for this work,” Trent said. “I am confident the Lord will use of them mightily to equip our churches to better reach Georgia and the world for Christ. When we were looking to fill these three positions, we were looking for people with longevity in the churches they were serving and who were already networking with other churches in their areas. Todd, Tim and Billy fit that description perfectly.”
