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.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… A healthy relationship with your senior pastor is a core part of a healthy youth ministry. I understand this isn’t often the case, and you may wonder most days what’s happening in his or her head. …
“Do you know who I am? I don’t know how to put this, but…I’m kind of a big deal. People know me, I’m very important.” This declaration from Will Ferrell’s character Ron Burgundy cracks me up every time I hear it.…
If your church has an org chart chances are, like in most churches, the role of youth worker probably falls somewhere in the middle of the pack. Sure, there are a few folks above you, and a few below but your role as youth worker is probably somewhere in the crowded middle…depending on the size of your church, of course.…
Messes, I have made them in ministry. I have made incorrect choices that would make you break into a cold sweat and hives. I have made mistakes, and some big ones along the way. I have not thought out plans, and paid the price.…
Max’s four years in our ministry haven’t been pain-free. He often causes trouble around church and has been sent home from several camps. Max has tried to “be better,” but it never really sticks. We’ve tried everything. I’d love to tell of Max’s life transformation, but right now that isn’t the reality.…
With New Year’s resolutions, I’m always shooting for the moon—I go for big, Batman-sized resolutions. But this year things are going to be different. Big, bold resolutions seems like a recipe for failure. Don’t get me wrong, Batman gets big things done, but this year my strategies will be Robin-sized.…
It’s time to take a smarter approach to youth ministry. Transformative ministries do not focus on the what of ministry—they persistently pursue the why of ministry. The reasons why we reach out and serve people in our community will always connect more deeply to the heart of Jesus than a focus on what will reach people in our community—a more contemporary worship band, a bigger sanctuary, more services, or a new youth ministry model, for example.…
We are living in a connection driven world. Every day it seems technology is advancing to help us better stay in touch with those we love. The upside of this is that those high school reunions are way less awkward now that we can deal with all the drama before we ever get there.…
I could hear my heart beating in my ears. The oxygen in my lungs felt like concrete, dragging me down. I could barely breathe. Everything was riding on this, and I had only one shot. But I missed. Again. In the sun and sweat of the playground, it felt like the 40th time I’d whiffed at kickball (reality check—maybe it was really only the second or third time).…
One thing that I think youth workers are really good at is embracing change. We are trained to watch trends in culture, and we’re always attempting to adapt. Look at how quickly we embraced social media, and began using it to better our communication with our students.…
