In the often-chaotic cloud that is everyday youth ministry, one goal always rises to the surface—growing disciples who follow Jesus with an all-in commitment. You’re after life-changing, inside-out transformation—driven by a passion for Jesus that spills out onto the lives of others.
What You’ll Find
The Discipleship section offers practical ideas and insights about effective discipleship in youth ministry. We explore the method and models and strategies your ministry can use to help “seed” a generation of teenagers who are all-in for Jesus.
How one longtime youth pastor has morphed his ministry into a “student-led, adult-mentored” culture, where there are no adults leading small groups or, really, any ministry. By Brandon Kennard“These middle school kids have way too much energy for me; I think I may be in over my head.”And…
How to Nurture Positive Doubting Develop critical-thinking skills in your kids.In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Captain Kirk meets “God.” When the “god” demands the Enterprise, Kirk stands up to him.”What kind of god are you if you need a ship?”…
In our home, for the last six months, my wife and I have been leading a small group of senior highers in a Sunday afternoon pursuit of Jesus. After our last gathering, my wife (rather tentatively) asked me, “Do you like leading this group?”…
On a recent visit with my family I had the chance to catch up with my nephew who is a small group leader in youth ministry and is also a second year college student studying Church Ministry. I wanted to know what this college sophomore would say to me about his experience as a small group leader and youth ministry volunteer.…
Launching recent graduates out of student ministry can be a mixed bag of emotions. Some students have been rock stars in your ministry, and their absence leaves leadership gaps that will be difficult to fill. Other students have been leeches sucking the energy and fun out of your brilliant programming, and their absence leaves echoes of angels singing and confetti streaming through the air.…
I was hanging with my pastor one day and we started talking about momentum. He said something that made so much sense. He said, “AC, most leaders want the momentum and think that’s the best and most important part. But the best and most important part is the opportunities the momentum creates after it’s gone.”…
Three weeks ago, we began a conversation around peer-to-peer mentoring. Then, we talked about how to set it up. Now, we will look at the transformation stories surrounding it. Below are three accounts of mentoring, one from a principal, one from a peer mentor, and one from a mentee.…
Stressed-Out Teens The most stressed-out people in the world are sitting right there in your youth room every Wednesday night. Listen, and you’ll likely hear your teenagers complaining about their workload—homework, college apps, choir tryouts, after-school jobs, SAT prep, chaos at home… The list of woes is long.…
I’ve worked with LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) youth as a youth pastor and counselor for the last 15 years. Because I’ve listened to their stories for years, I know the world looks alienating at best and hostile at worst to them.…
Read part one here: Peer-to-peer Mentoring: What is it? In 2005, I was serving in a church where my lead pastor, Kevin, said to me: “If we were a factory that made cars, how would we make cars?” It went on for a couple of moments, and then he told me to think about church in the same way.…
