Danette Matty, Author at YouthMinistry.com

What Are You Giving Jesus for Christmas?

Danette Matty — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 13:05:04 +0000

Some years ago, I started an annual holiday tradition that involves just two people—Jesus and me.
At the core of the Gospel is John 3:16: God gives… And because He gives, we long to give back. King David prayed, “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14).…

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The Four Fives

Danette Matty — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 16:00:06 +0000

In the midst of the pandemic shutdown, our youth pastor and intern joined forces to create a daily devotion—a social media post called The Four Fives.
It’s a visual prompt that encourages students to spend five minutes in four spiritual disciplines every day: Prayer, the Word, Worship, and Waiting.…

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Confessions of a Youth Worker—The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Danette Matty — Mon, 04 May 2020 22:47:37 +0000

Before I launch into my confession-vomit, a few qualifiers…

I love my church… I’d attend even if I didn’t work there (I know not every church staff member can say that with a straight face).
I love and respect my pastor and my boss—my bullet-point confessions are not a veiled critique.…

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3 Creative Ways to Honor MLK Day

Danette Matty — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 21:00:03 +0000

As we prepare to celebrate MLK Day, we’ll see plenty of “greatest hits” quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr.
So much of what he said about social justice and racial equality is still relevant today. But Dr. King said a lot of powerful stuff that will never make it onto a meme.…

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Do Small Things With Great Passion

Danette Matty — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 21:35:12 +0000

“I…Am…Not…a…Loooooserrr!”
It’s one of my favorite lines from Disney’s underrated 2000 movie The Kid, starring a Bruce Willis so young he still has hair. In the film, Willis’ arrogant and successful Russ Duritz has a mystical encounter with his pudgy, awkward 8-year old self. …

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6 Back-to-School Conversation-Starters

Danette Matty — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 20:48:55 +0000

As teenagers drag themselves out of summer and into their next school year, they have a lot on their mind. I want to access all of that “seismic activity of the soul,” so I avoid coming off like I’m interrogating them.…

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Downshifting Your Summer Strategy

Danette Matty — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:59:08 +0000

If you’re a volunteer youth worker who needs to take a break, this article might help you. If you’re a youth pastor with maxed-out volunteers, this article might give you perspective.
I am a longtime volunteer youth worker and full-time staffer at my church in a non-youth ministry role. …

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Recruiting a Ninja Team

Danette Matty — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 12:00:51 +0000

Each summer for the last three years, our youth ministry has served our city through a weeklong local mission trip called “I HEART LINCOLN” (or I❤LNK). Our teenagers pay a $100 fee and are placed on a team with two leaders—each team is assigned a pre-arranged service project organized by a local organization in our city.…

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