Category: youth ministry
-
Open Expands Again!
Three and a half years ago I had an informal chat with Jeff Keuss and Brian Aaby about trying out a new idea in Seattle. The core idea was simple. “What would happen if we flipped the current youth ministry training event model on it’s head?”
-
In Youth Ministry 60% is an A
Being a volunteer in youth ministry is a grind. Brian Berry, the high school pastor at our church, explained it like this: “Working with high school students is often like putting in the foundation in a house. Lots of holes get dug, lots of wire gets run, lots of important stuff happens… but you aren’t usually…
-
Let’s Admit Some Things
There’s not a church in America, that I know of, that could look me in the eye and say that they are doing an above average job ministering to the holistic needs of adolescents in their congregation, much less their community. We don’t have a clue how to minister to families, much less the rapidly…
-
May is tough on youth workers
May is youth ministries weirdest month Attendance and interest typically fades. Things like prom, impending graduation, end of the school year studying, spring concerts, and spring sports ending all fit into a tiny window. It’s nearly impossible to program anything. You want to put a bow on your youth ministry year with a party or something,…
-
My 4 goals as a small group leader
As a youth ministry volunteer here’s what I’m not able to do. I don’t guide the programming or the overall things we do in our ministry. I don’t guide what’s taught. I can’t control the environment, how the room looks or feels. I don’t know every student that comes, I struggle to remember the names…
-
“It’s Not Taco Tuesday, It’s Worship Wednesday”
A few weeks back, on Ash Wednesday, our mid-week youth ministry stuff changed things up a bit by combining all of the generations stuff into a single worship night.
-
Youth ministry is ultimately a calling to faithfulness
When I was in Michigan for Open Grand Rapids I had the chance of catching up with some families in Romeo. I left that time really, really encouraged. For some, it was the first time I’d seen them in almost 6 years. But you know what? For everyone, it felt like a couple weeks when we…
-
The problem with “We do our own thing”
Maybe it’s just because we’re now publishing curriculum? Or maybe it’s because after 4-5 years of trying I realized that buying curriculum is better than trying to do everything myself? But as I’m out, talking to youth workers, I hear a phrase over and over again when I ask about what they are teaching. “We…
-
Do we need the subculture of youth ministry?
I spend a lot of my time thinking about how to make youth ministry bigger. I don’t just mean bigger youth groups. I mean, “How do we minister to more adolescents?” 18 months ago I posted this infographic.
-
Should I friend my youth group students on social media?
From a Pew Internet focus group: Friending teachers and preachers Female (age 14): “I think I wouldn’t [become Facebook friends with my teachers]. Just because I’m such a different person online. I’m more free. And obviously, I care about certain things, but I’m going to post what I want. I wouldn’t necessarily post anything bad…