I know we’re all trying to figure out the best way to stay connected to the teenagers in our ministries during these extraordinary pandemic restrictions. But we want more than just “connection”—we’re looking for ways to shift our spiritual-growth environments from face-to-face to virtual.…
I have a bad feeling about this. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a great disturbance in the force for supporters and critics alike. The film ends a 42-year-old story arc spanning nine primary movies, two side films, multiple TV shows, and endless supporting books.…
Play a game with me… Imagine you weren’t allowed to have small groups of any kind in your youth ministry. 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?…
This has never happened to me before in ministry… It’s summer, and at least half of the adult leaders I serve with are unplugging from their roles until the fall. And a large chunk of our youth group also won’t be around because they’ll be “at the cabin” for most of the summer.…
As you know, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Like us, though, you probably feel pressure to offer youth group activities that keep pace with the season’s awesomeness. Here are more Christmas ideas than you can possibly use!…
I recently stopped in a specialty shop to buy a birthday present. The owner was British, and we started chatting about the differences between America and his homeland. “Americans are really busy,” he said. “Everyone has so much to accomplish all the time.…
We recently asked our Youth Ministry Text Alert subscribers about their go-to games. Check out these awesome ideas from your fellow youth workers! What is your go-to game/activity when you need a last-minute time filler at a youth event? Question of the day: pick a “would you rather” type question that everyone gets to answer and explain why.…
The event is over, so now you can rest, right? Not so fast. For our youth ministry team, part of the cleanup involves an After-Event Evaluation. (Someday we’ll come up with a catchier name for this process!) We want to know how the event went and if it’s worth doing again.…
I’m a sucker for inspirational speeches in movies… Mikey speaking up at the bottom of the well in The Goonies. Aragorn telling an army that courage can fail, but “not this day” in Return of the King. Woody explaining to Buzz that there’s nothing like being a toy in Toy Story.…
GETTING PAST THE PAST 1. Yellow Passport—(You’ll need a TV, a VCR, a video copy of 1998’s Les Miserables, water-soluble markers, and white blindfolds.) Start by showing a clip from Les Miserables, beginning at 3:20 when the woman says, “Knock on that door” and ending at 6:16 when Valjean sits up (00:00:00 studio logo appears).…
