Graduation Warning
It started for me when I was a senior in High School. I had only recently become a Christian. Although I grew up in a church, it wasn’t until my last few months in High School that I really began to live for Christ.…
When Texting becomes Sexting
The latest use of cell phones by their teenage owners just might eclipse those monthly overage fees in the minds of parents. It’s called “sexting,” and the sexy text messages teens are sending to each other can have unintended consequences. 16 year old Rochellie has no problem telling it like it is.…
Now What Should I Teach?
How do you choose what to teach in your youth ministry? In some circles, it’s a heavily defended and debated process. Some say you should teach verse by verse through the Bible so you teach the whole counsel of the Word of God.…
Safety Nets
The state of Kentucky is one of my favorite states to drive through. The winding roads, green hills, and fields are just some of the beautiful sites to behold. There have been many times, however, I have driven through Kentucky very aware of the steepness of those beautiful hills and the fact that a seemingly thin guardrail was the only thing that was going to protect me and keep me on the road should I start drifting.…
Developing a Strong Volunteer Team
We often measure the size and impact of our youth programs by counting the number of students that come each week. But have you ever thought of your ministry in terms of capacity for developing transformational students? It’s easy to talk about how many students are coming; after all it’s what most sr.…
Summer Sizzle #2
This four-part series will provide ideas to impact your summer planning and provide unforgettable events your teens will remember forever! These ideas are centered around summer special events and holidays. Here’s special event #2 in our series: GRADUATION! No more boring Graduation Sunday services!…
Top Topics in College-Age Ministry #3
Thinking about what to teach and when to teach it isn’t the easiest thing to do in any ministry, but college-age ministry seems even more complex. The key to finding the right subject is understanding the issues people in our ministry are struggling with, and then hitting those head on—without sugar coating anything.…
5 Tips for Leading Great Discussions
It’s happened to every youth leader. The lesson plan called for “discussion,” but instead of the stimulating chatter you’d planned there is only The Dreaded Silence. Your youth are looking at you and you, suddenly feeling quite incompetent, end the lesson and call for a game of hide and seek.…
Transition Tips: Helping your students step up to the high school ministry
If you’ve read much, talked much or listened much about youth ministry lately, you are certainly aware of the growing concern over the vast number of students who walk away from church during, or shortly after, their high school years. I’ll let people way smarter than me try to figure out the myriad of factors contributing to that particular dilemma.…