We love summer! No more alarm clocks, bonfires, and planned spontaneity! And if you’re a youth worker, we’re guessing you probably love it too. Our summer youth calendar is jam-packed with cool stuff like camp, mission trips, and summer activities all designed to help our students grow in their trust in Jesus.…
In the News Shanghai, China—Hundreds of “love tents” pop up every fall on Chinese university campuses, and the residents are parents, not students. Parents—and often extended family members—who travel long distances with their college freshmen often have difficulty finding accommodations. So universities have devised the compassionate solution of free campsites, allowing parents to make sure their kids get settled in.…
Few things have greater leverage for spiritual growth in the lives of your teenagers than summer trips—and that’s just why they’re a magnet for disaster. Embedded in these EpicFail stories are profound lessons on effective youth ministry. Summer trips are the lifeblood of a thriving youth ministry.…
Our “Wired Ministry” columnist Brandon Early is a longtime youth pastor who’s collected a few pet peeves along the way. Here’s one that’s focused on financial frustrations that orbit typical youth ministry trips—we asked youth workers who serve on our “In the Trenches” team to take a whack at answering Brandon’s question, below: “What’s the system you use to help students pay for trips and retreats?…
I’m not a big New Year’s resolution type of guy. The truth is, I’ve never even tried to make most youth ministry resolutions. You name it, I haven’t made it! So while my ministry could probably benefit from my resolve to tackle certain tasks with more consistency and urgency, I’ll resist that temptation, as always.…
The Levert Summer Ministry Survival Guide The ministry life is year-around-busy, and summer often puts an already activity-driven lifestyle into full-on beast-mode busy. Below are some of our “do’s” and “don’ts” for surviving the summer ministry schedule. DO work hard and play hard.…
As a former military member, I learned the value of a ‘go-bag’ long ago. Here’s the idea: You keep a bag ready to go at a moment’s notice. In this bag you put everything you will need for a specific operation, or in the case of youth ministry, an event.…
It’s quarter to midnight. I have to be at church at 5:30 a.m. to make sure last-minute logistics are covered and someone is available to meet the bus drivers when they arrive. Fortunately, this ain’t my first rodeo… A carefully (and perpetually) packed toiletries bag stands watch in my bathroom, with duplicates of everything I use in my daily routine.…
How can you help teens fall in love when they’ve known about God their whole life? Here’s one leader’s experience! I was born on the front pew of a church during a Sunday night worship service. Before I could say momma, I said Jesus.…
Discipleship is the endgame for youth ministry. So how do we help teenagers break free from the gravitational pull of a conventional life? How do we “achieve orbit” in a life defined by a passion for Jesus? Well, I know from three decades of youth ministry experience, and from in-depth research projects, that nothing in our ministry toolbox has more “rocket power” than a mission trip.…
