Wow! We have got a lot going on in the world right now - Bin Laden is dead, Tornadoes have devastated the South, and the Mississippi is so full that other rivers are running backwards! I guess the world always has a ...
Technology is a way of life for teens and most adults these days with social networking, databases, environment enhancing technology, media, and general communication. So many people seem to have transitioned into using technology in ministry seamlessly, while others are ...
by Deech Kirk I was reminded recently about how much technology is changing youth ministry. A friend had just returned from a youth trip and was dealing with the aftermath of a high school kid having shown inappropriate YouTube videos ...
Does the church take itself to seriously? Yes. Do we take our jobs to seriously? Yes. Don't get me wrong we are in the Kingdom business and our work is eternally important. Of course, we are God's instruments and sometimes ...
In my recent post 5 Things to make Church Work More Fun, I listed the following things as some ideas for how to overcome the mundane challenges that sometimes come with working on a church staff. Celebrate Play Together Laugh ...
A summary of research on religious change in emerging adulthood Editor's Note: This synopsis was written as part of a Lilly Foundation grant to the Center for Youth Ministry Training. The Research in a Nutshell What happens in the midst of transitioning ...
One of my firm beliefs is that youth ministers have an important task on church staffs … making working at the church fun! Working at a church can be difficult especially when the staff does not have fun and celebrate. ...
My wife used to work in the marketing department for a large construction company. This company did a great job of celebrating and affirming people and therefore people liked working there! The church on the other hand stinks at celebration ...
A summary of research on faith and adolescence around the world Editor's Note: This synopsis was written as part of a Lilly Foundation grant to the Center for Youth Ministry Training. The research in a nutshell This collaborative work was birthed from ...
Student leadership is a challenging part of youth ministry. Many churches regulate leadership to decision making or simply service. Youth serve on a council (see post on 5 Steps to Engage your Youth Ministry Team) and give their input into trips ...
I've got a secret. I've learned how to keep Juniors and Seniors, but I don't want it to be a secret anymore. My good friend Mark DeVries told me once that based on Brentwood UMC's youth ministry retention rate of ...
Monday—7:00 a.m. It was a Monday morning like every other Monday morning. I was half awake and tired from a long day at church the day before. I was climbing into the shower wondering why my senior pastor thought Monday ...
My Problem I can remember counting every hour I worked my first two years in youth ministry to justify a raise. I don't remember the exact number, but I went to the personnel committee averaging somewhere around 65 hours per ...
This is my third and final post on Intentional Discipleship. I am putting the finishing touches this fall on a book aptly named Intentional Discipleship that will be out next summer. The book is a theologically grounded how to book on developing ...
Watch this video while thinking about the question - how is training fleas similar to how we do youth ministry in the church? Training Fleas Yesterday, I looked at the Drivers License Myth and Flatline Youth Ministries. Today, I want to ...
In consulting with churches through Youth Ministry Architects and CYMT, I hear over and over again about how students become less active or drop out of youth ministry around the age of sixteen. I’m sure you are aware of the ...
I am a firm believer that an essential part of youth ministry is getting on students' turf. I find that school is an important place for us to strengthen our relationship with students while developing relationships with other students who ...
I used to coach soccer and one of the most valuable teaching tools I used was video of our games that was shot from the top of a stadium. This video was valuable because they could see the whole field. ...
Ministry implications from the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project Editor's Note: This synopsis was written as part of a Lilly Foundation grant to the Center for Youth Ministry Training. The Research in a Nutshell What does it look like to do youth ...
[Second-Chair Leadership Conversation] Today, Andrew Zirschky (ymprof) and I have a conversation about what second-chair leadership looks like in the local church. As youth ministers, we are always second-chair leaders. Listen in as Andrew asks me questions about how to ...
