When I was at my second youth ministry job, I thought I knew it all. Here I was, this Southern gal who moved to the great, white Northeast where on my third day, the blizzard of the century (at least, ...
Alumni Spotlight- Jose Suarez During my time at CYMT I learned more about who I am--what my gifts are and how to use them effectively in ministry. My gifts are compassion and helping youth be seen and heard. I also ...
The Need for Innovation At some point in this history of the modern church, the terms “youth group” and “youth ministry” became indistinguishable from one another. Although we’ve all seen a variety of programs and models for ministering to young ...
by the Center for Youth Ministry Training What makes your community unique or special? What are the real needs (not the perceived needs) of not only the youth and families in your congregation but the community surrounding your church? Are ...
by Maria Ghianni-Wilkinson During my time as a Graduate Resident in CYMT, I learned so much that helped me grow as a youth minister; I also often found that I had to adapt some of what I was learning to ...
by Paige Bach In my first year serving at a small church, there were fifteen youth regularly attending programming. In my second year, the number dropped to ten. By my third and final year, I had a core group of ...
by Dwight Johnson I enjoy playing basketball and have enjoyed playing since I was about seven years old. I have always enjoyed all the moving pieces of the game both from the physical standpoint and also from the strategic one. ...
by Abby Johnson From Part of the Suburbs to Serving the Suburbs I live in a large city, but the church I serve cannot be classified as urban. It is on the edge of the city, far from its urban ...
Texas Methodist Foundation funded grant, the CYMT Youth Ministry Innovation Lab, announces new cohort of churches NASHVILLE, TENN. (August, 2019) - The Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT) is proud to announce a new advancement for the CYMT Innovation Laboratory ...
How to Lead Effective Small Groups by Jeremiah Stone 8/13/19 Establishing small groups can be one of the most challenging, yet fruitful aspects of your ministry. Whether you are at a very large church or a small church, small groups ...
Why Leading Discussion Groups Matters in Youth Ministry by Dietrich Kirk 8/13/19 As youth workers, we find ourselves leading discussion groups regularly. Some discussions happen over coffee, some after significant life events, and some are a part of our regular ...
CYMT has something spectacular to celebrate: we have a new class of residents! We know God is at work in each of our new graduate residents. As they begin their journeys as youth ministers at partner churches throughout the southeast ...
By Andrew Davis 7/30/19 As youth pastors, we must be intentional about how we welcome our new 6th or 7th graders into the youth ministry. Church involvement can be a very positive aspect of the lives of new middle schoolers. ...
Announcing the CYMT Youth Ministry Job Board A Place for Churches and Ministry Professionals to Connect In its over thirteen years of existence, the Center for Youth Ministry training has solidified its position as the launchpad of over 100 high ...
By Ryan Nordon 6/25/19 The task of ministry is inviting everyone to the table to experience the good news of the Gospel and God’s grace. It is critical to uphold the invitation to everyone when we are working with a ...
Innovation Lab Spotlight- Courtney Blacksten Participating in the Innovation Lab has been a breath of fresh air for my ministry. I have become more creative and have begun to think deeply--academically--about my ministry. I’ve started to ask more questions. As ...
By Kat Bair 6/10/19 Youth ministers have all been taught that when the struggles of a teenager seem like more than you’re equipped to handle, to refer, refer, refer. But to who? And how do you build a mental health referral ...
Dear CYMT Fellows, I call on all of your wisdom as all people who have stood exactly where I am now – at the very last semester of one of the strangest, most transformative, most unlikely periods of your life. ...
9-1-1 Youth Trips and Hospital Visits By: Kelly Soifer “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” Most Americans will recognize those words from the opening of Dickens’ The Tale of Two Cities, a classic in Western ...
By Karen Jones The Big Trip Question- To Send Him Home or Not to Send Him Home? I was just completing my first year at the large, affluent, urban church. As is often the case when following a much-loved former youth ...
