For as long as I can remember I have been the poster child for relationally driven ministry. Perhaps it’s because I came out of the roller skating party era of youth group where it was more about programs than going deep.…
Supplies for this Youth Bible Study You’ll need a countdown timer (an app on your phone, a stopwatch, an egg timer, or something), a large flipchart or whiteboard for taking notes, colored markers or pens, and enough printed copies of Isaiah 53 for each student.…
Every week, Sidney and I talk about the things a mentor talks to a mentee about. Sometimes it’s via text, sometimes it’s over a salted caramel macchiato—either way, we’re committed to spending time checking in. I ask her questions about school, family, and friendships.…
Play a game with me… Imagine you weren’t allowed to have small groups of any kind in your youth ministry. How would you build community? 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?…
Every small group has some genuinely quirky personalities. I know because I’ve been one of them. In high school, I accepted a friend’s invitation to his youth group. Then he wanted me to check out his small group. Each member had a perceptibly unique influence on the conversation about God and life, but somehow the diversity worked.…
Being a small group leader is great and scary at the same time. I took a group of guys from freshman year to senior year. It was great, but there were some things I had to learn to be okay with throughout the four years that I wish I knew at the beginning.…
One age group is hit particularly hard with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s teenagers. Join Thom and youth ministry expert and author Rick Lawrence as they discuss the impact COVID-19 has had on youth ministers and teenagers around the country. Then discover key steps youth ministries can take to stay keep their teenagers engaged during these challenging times.…
Last month I was one of 50 youth pastors at Group’s ministry leadership retreat called Reboot: Using the Power of Improvisation to Transform Lives In Your Ministry. Little did I know, I would soon get the chance to use the power of improvisation to transform lives in my ministry much sooner than I expected, and in a much different way than I’d planned.…
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.…
Like every church, we’re impacted by COVID-19. Our state has issued mandates on large gatherings. Local schools are closed. I’m currently completely out of toilet paper (well, not completely—but it does make for a good story). As we monitor the pandemic progress hour by hour, we’re adjusting plans accordingly.…
 What COVID-19 Unveils About Today’s Youth Ministry){kind=link}
