by Lilly Lewin Start the Lenten season with a clean slate...and maple syrup For many of us, we grew up with "lent" as something you'd find in the dryer or your belly button, rather than a season of the church ...
by Kelly Soifer Unexpectedly, I was asked to teach about Advent in two distinctly different contexts: to an adult Sunday school at my church, where the ages range from 40-75, and to the student body of a Christian high school ...
by Stephen Ingram We have moved into a new age in student ministry. Working with parents—long seen in youth ministry as a nice addition to our programs—now might need to become the central way we understand our students' spirituality and ...
by Deech Kirk Last week, I attended an ordination mentor training, equipping me to serve others by helping them navigate the challenging process of ordination. I tweeted during the training: "Does the UMC encourage or discourage ordination with its process?" ...
by Stephen Ingram When I do small group training I often like to talk about the 3 "Be"s of Being a Good Small Group Leader. This is obviously not an exhaustive list but can certainly serve as a great reminder ...
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 contributes to consequential faith—the kind of faith that makes a difference to a teenager's way of ...
Editor's Note: On August 27, 2010 Kenda Creasy Dean and her book Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church were featured in a news piece by CNN. Five years prior, the National Study of Youth ...
by Stephen Ingram Practicing the Spiritual Discipline of Pilgrimage Both Here and There Want to Get Away? Do you remember the "Wanna Get Away" Southwest Airline commercials? In youth ministry between the hectic schedule, high stress situations, and lock-ins, wanting ...
by Mindi Godfrey I recently attended a weekend retreat in the mountains. I've been to this particular camp several times before but it had been a while since I'd done the "camp" thing—the last few student retreat/events I've been to, ...
by Heidi Aspinwall The story of Samuel's call, 1 Samuel 3, is a simple story of a young man given to serve in the temple by the mother who kept her promise to the Lord. One night Samuel hears God ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk As we move through Holy Week, here are a few suggestions for celebrating the end of the season of Lent with your ...
by Sean Meade About the Movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a new family comedy based on the first book in the popular series by Jeff Kinney. Diary follows the misadventures of smart mouthed pre-teen Greg Heffley as he ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk The Examen This is a cool ancient form of prayer that asks you to think back over the last week or month. ...
by Glenn Miller Several years ago World Vision began a movement to help raise funds to purchase food and to help feed the hungry around the world. For many years, it's been known as the 30 Hour Famine. This event ...
by Stephen Ingram The most transformative opportunities one has in student ministry are those 24-48 hour-long free-for-alls we call retreats. Retreats are excellent places to bring our groups together and create bonds and memories that will last for years to ...
by Kelly Soifer For fifteen years I served as a youth pastor in an independent, non-denominational Bible church in California, and my early experience with Lent was always the same: on Ash Wednesday I would overhear girls telling one another ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk Getting Ready Invite students individually or in small groups to brainstorm on sticky pad notes the names/nicknames we give to Jesus that ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk Like it or not, the "Christmas Buying Season" is upon us. Apparently, the secular culture never heard of Advent and started playing ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk Advent, those four weeks preceding Christmas, has its origins separate from the Yuletide season. In the fourth and fifth centuries, Advent was ...
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on rethinkingyouthministry.com and is reprinted here with permission. by Brian Kirk With Christmas music and decorations appearing in stores in the middle of October, it's a sure sign that our culture needs to ...
