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A group of teens with their arms around one another.
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3 mins

6 No-Fail Ways to Grow Closer Community

Play a game with me… Imagine you weren’t allowed to have small groups of any kind in your youth ministry. How would you build community? We all know that creating relationship-rich spaces to grow community is important, but what if our go-to greenhouse for friendship-building wasn’t an option?…

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2 mins

Youth Bible Study: Jesus Revealed In Community

Supplies for this Youth Bible Study You’ll need copies of Acts 2:41-47, large poster-sized sheets of paper, and markers. If you do the follow-up experience, you’ll need to plan for it. Form teams of three or four, and ask teams to make plans for their own “exclusive club” from scratch.…

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3 mins

3 Ways to Motivate Students to Care About Your Community

I looked over the crowd of students as they stared at me blankly. My hope had been for a reaction filled with excitement and wonderment, and that overwhelming number of students would raise their hands when we asked who would want to sign up for a local service opportunity to help our community.…

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3 mins

10 Holiday Community-Building Ideas

The holidays can be a magnet for community in your ministry—I’m always looking for creative ways to connect with kids that capitalize on the natural energy the Christmas season generates.  Here are 10 of my favorites… Fun Stuff 1. Cookie Decorating We ask volunteers to bake and donate plain sugar cookies for our group.…

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4 mins

Turning Cliques Into Community

The young man had given his life to Jesus, but for some reason we didn’t see him after that—until I went to get some pizza. It wasn’t on purpose, either. I was eating out with my family and happened to see him behind the counter.…

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3 mins

Double down on belonging to focus your YM Community

No need is more important to students than their longing to belong—to be known and enjoyed for who they really are. But a “radically hospitable” community environment never happens organically—here’s how to shape your ministry culture into a relational magnet. Guide your ministry toward authentic community Threaded through the thousands of conversations I’ve had with students is one overriding need—to belong to something bigger than themselves.…

relationship-building, Christmas, Linger
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2 mins

What Christmas Teaches Us About Relationship-Building

Amid all the busyness, the Christmas season inspires people to intentionally draw near to God and to one another. Youth ministries can learn a lot from that about relationship-building throughout the year. Our youth program runs a solid midweek combo of large and small groups, with some big outreach events tossed in.…

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2 mins

How to Build a Lasting Legacy in Ministry

For better or for worse, we are all currently building a legacy. When we move on to whatever comes next in our life journey, the next generation of leaders will inherit the foundations that have been laid in our youth ministries as well as everything we’ve left unfinished. …

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1 min

(Podcast) Foundations: Love=Community

Now that “social distancing” is becoming the new norm, how can we still be in community? Join Rick as he continues a series exploring the foundational truths connected to Jesus and his mission in our lives. Let’s take a closer look at examples in the Bible where Jesus defines love in community.…

Get free weekly resources from us!
Get free weekly resources from us!
Got it! Would you also like offers and promos from Group?
Thanks, you're all set!