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2 mins

5 Ways To Get Stuff Done

My youth office used to be in a building where only a few of us worked. Then, one day I was relocated to a place closer to other pastors and leaders. I liked being secluded for some reasons. And I like being included for even more reasons.…

what really matters
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3 mins

Are You Focusing On What Really Matters?

I’ve been in youth ministry a pretty long time… Since back when handing out tickets to pizza parties was a thing. I remember a long-ago encounter that changed my outlook on ministry forever. I had spent the day creating our youth group’s four-page newsletter using three font wheels, two ink colors, and one very fancy typewriter.…

Respond to the spirit
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3 mins

Responding to Nudges From the Spirit

You know that feeling when your workday is complete? It’s time to relax, hang with friends, or just grab some “me” time. My day was over, and I wanted to go home and unwind. The Spirit had other plans for me… But as I drove home, I felt a burden to go visit Amy, a teenager in our ministry who was living in a crisis-pregnancy care center.…

people count
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3 mins

People Count, So Count Your People

“We count people because people count.” That mantra was our church’s lifeline. Nothing happened without counting, and without a count, something might as well not have happened. During my seven years as youth director there, that statement echoed at every Thursday-morning staff meeting.…

"in but not of" the world
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8 mins

Train Students to Be “In But Not Of” the World

Based on our exclusive national research, Christian teenagers are watching and listening to a lot of profane entertainment, but their youth groups aren’t doing as much as they could to help them think critically and biblically about what they’re taking in.…

jordan-mcqueen-1290
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3 mins

Help Teenagers Make Friendship Connections

“Nick” belongs to my church and attends the middle school Christian club where I speak every Tuesday. His younger brother is my son’s best friend. But Nick doesn’t have a best friend; in fact, he doesn’t have any friends. Determined to change that, this honor-roll student recently snuck an over-the-counter medicine onto campus and tried to make the concoction known as Lean.…

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3 mins

Don’t Freak Out – Try a N.A.P.

Confession time… I once auditioned for a national commercial. The tagline of the product? “Never let them see you sweat.” These commercials were famous. The spokesperson would offer an additional summary at the end of the ad, such as “Everyone feels pressure.…

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2 mins

How to be a Small Group Guru, Part 1: Starting Right

Let’s spend this month talking about small groups! Small groups are nothing new, but many youth groups are just about to kick off a new season for the school year. And the beginning of a new small group run is a great time to remind yourself of some basic principles that may help get things off and running on the right foot.…

student-led
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6 mins

How to Morph Into Student-led Youth Ministry

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…

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2 mins

Summer = Serving Everyone But…

For most youth workers, the start of summer ushers in a different pace of life for our families and ministries. Some of us experience a huge increase in activities and events, even as our own children get out of school and expect to have time to relax.…

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!