Serving in youth ministry is both rewarding and challenging. As a leader, you’re a catalyst for helping teenagers grow as disciples of Jesus, a counselor who must deal with upset parents and discouraged adolescents, and an EMT who has to treat the occasional dodgeball injury. Often, all in the same day. As you walk through the ups and downs of your calling, we’re here to support, encourage, and equip you with ideas that will fuel your journey as a Jesus-centered leader.
What You’ll Find
Our leadership topics are designed to give you the knowledge and skills to confidently guide your ministry. We’ll cover the must-know areas—including working with parents and volunteers, planning and productivity, and the broad range of skills you need as an adolescent specialist in ministry. And, most important, we’ll help you grow your own relationship with Jesus so your leadership flows out of a “deeper well.”
Over the whole arc of our life, scientists tell us there are two times when we experience rapid, explosive brain growth—one happens when we’re toddlers and the other happens during junior high. Toddlers and teenagers share this characteristic—both are missing the “mental traffic cop” that helps most adults sort and compare information before reacting to something.…
One thing that I get to do in pastoral care is meet with parents. It is super great when the conversations are awesome, but it’s the worst when tough conversations have to happen. So I thought I would list a few mistakes I’ve made concerning dealing with parents and my learnings.…
Recently I found myself in the middle of a strange debate with a well meaning guy in youth ministry. He told me the “real” job of women in this type of ministry is to support their husbands who hold paid positions. …
Do you identify more with Lorne Michaels… or Rick Warren? The former is the long-tenured producer and mind behind Saturday Night Live. For almost forty years, Lorne Michaels has not just kept his up-and-down-in-the-ratings variety show on the air, but has more recently found much of the creative talent for late night TV.…
In my last post I discussed three relational shifts needed if we are to actually disciple younger generations. Here, I want to discuss some bigger picture perspective shifts that are necessary. Now, to be clear, these are shifts from what might be known as a “traditional” understanding of discipleship. …
Here’s a quick post about something I’ve been thinking about and trying to do in as many areas as possible concerning student leadership. And that something is give away as much of student leadership as possible. In our high school and Jr high ministry we’ve tried to give away as much of the ministry as possible.…
I just invented a new word: plagiarism. (Actually, I didn’t. Someone else did. I didn’t even write that joke. I saw it on Twitter. I’m horrible. Forgive me. Hold me. Love me.) You know how there are some things you’re sorry for because they’re wrong, and other things you apologize for because you get caught?…
Over time things always change…even things in the Church. Some people choose not to change, but others do. There is always a place for both sides of that fence in the Church, but I want to talk about 3 shifts necessary for “discipling” younger generations.…
Being in youth ministry I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot. And I can honestly say out of all the things I’ve learned there are some learnings that I feel like I will never stop growing in. Now, when I started this list I easily thought this could be a 10,000 word post, but no one would read a post that long.…
I love the model of relational ministry. My push is to get the leadership team to stop clumping together in back walls. Youth ministry is not the place for adults to congregate and get caught up on each other’s lives. Get involved people!…
