by Hank Hilliard I was one day graduated from college when I started my first youth ministry job. I was confident but clueless. There were several committed volunteers, but less than a week after I started, they all quit. They ...
Youth and adults from 11 churches came to Fisk University in downtown Nashville where their world would Collide with God. Throughout the week their preconceived notions of people would Collide with God's love for those people. The questions that they ...
The Center for Youth Ministry Training's Graduate Residency is off to a great start this fall with first academic retreat of the year taking place August 3-6. This retreat laid the foundation for our community and training for the rest ...
We are excited to 12 new graduate residents to the CYMT graduate residency this Fall.
COURSES OFFERED FALL 2015 The following courses will be offered by Memphis Theological Seminary for students enrolled in the Master of Arts in Youth Ministry degree program (this includes all CYMT graduate residents) during the Fall 2015 semester. They are ...
The following article is reprinted with permission as a slightly edited version from Rev. Steven Meriwether, pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church, from the church's May newsletter. Three years ago I devoted my space in the June issue of the newsletter ...
Dwight Johnson (above, far right, back row) and Neal Wilkinson (far left, front row), alumni of the Center for Youth Ministry Training, participated in a week-long immersion class entitled Engaging the City—Urban Theology After Ferguson: The Ferguson Fiasco, taught by ...
In a nearby coffee shop, a pastor told Kim*, a youth minister, that he hoped she enjoyed her "summer break." Kim promptly pulled out her phone and texted her outrage at such a comment to Sam*, another youth minister. Sam ...
CYMT Graduates on their last retreat: L to R (standing) Taylor Young, David Thompson, Robert Sturdivant, Maria Ghianni, Daniel Bradley, Abby Prevost, Philip Galyon, Dwight Johnson, Jenn Parrish, Samantha Hassell, Phil Rogers (seated), Tina Boyd, Carlisle Jones (kneeling) On May ...
May is the busiest month at the Center for Youth Ministry Training. Graduate Residents are finishing up final papers for classes while finalizing summer plans. Our coaches have been traveling to each of our 13 graduates churches to commission them ...
Heather Kauffmann, seated, fourth from right, with her youth group members at Dyersburg FUMC. Heather Kauffman had always wanted to live in the South. Being from Glenn Mills, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Heather had dreams of new adventures and ...
by Andrew Mochrie Growing up Polish Catholic I was not really exposed to contemporary Christian worship. It’s not that we never had guitars in worship, it was mostly about the tradition (which isn’t a bad thing) and the rituals (again, ...
by Tony Akers Youth ministry trips can be a major catalyst of growth in our youth and they are worth the effort. As good shepherds we must plan smart, pray often, and be aware of ongoing group dynamics. Hopefully, our ...
by Jason Sansbury Recently, I shared some ideas on using young adult (or YA) fiction in your youth ministry and some of the ways that can be beneficial to your ministry and outreach. Click here to read "6 Tips for ...
Pictured above are CYMT's second-year graduate residents. Ever wonder what happens in a youth ministry classroom? We want to give you a peek inside the course Youth Minister as Pastor and Leader, which is an introduction to the various roles ...
Every year, the Center for Youth Ministry Training welcomes 12 to 15 new graduate residents to the program. Most of the residents are beginning their first job in youth ministry. They are diving head first into the deep waters of ...
by Jason Sansbury If you haven’t been paying attention to pop culture, you may be missing one of the most significant trends happening in films (after superhero movies): Young Adult Fiction. Commonly called "YA," these stories are all over the ...
Pictured above L to R are CYMT graduate residents Derek Walker, Leigh DeVries (alumna), Dwight Johnson, and Connor McCracken. Connor McCracken, CYMT graduate resident from Northern Ireland, is completing his second year in the CYMT program. We sat down with ...
Pictured above L to R are class of 2017 CYMT graduate residents Chelsi Warren, FUMC Murfreesboro (Tenn.); Kayla Bartosch, Calvary Episcopal, Memphis; Emily Mastin, FUMC Franklin (Tenn.); Dea Brandon, FUMC Fayetteville (Tenn.); Keli Shipley, First Presbyterian Knoxville; (front) Anna Wheeler, ...
Recently, I was talking with one of our graduate residents about the Easter Sunrise Service at her church. She and the youth group are in charge of planning and execution, and we discussed what the message of the service should ...
