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King of the Lily Pad
This game is best played silently (although the giggles will happen). Instructions Players are seated in a circle facing each other. Each player decides on an animal to mimic and one by one tells the...
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When Your Students Have Problems With Each Other
Youth ministry is a wonderful thing. Being able to see the growth of students over the course of their middle and high school years is a privilege that few get to be a part of. However, there is an...
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Top 10 Junior High Girls In Your Youth Group
10. Home-School Holly Holly is sheltered and not allowed out of the house unless she is going to church. She has memorized huge amounts of scripture but has no idea what it means… 9. Boy-Crazy Brianna...
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Post with Purpose
Who doesn’t love social media? Social media has become a part of our everyday lives. Like you, I am constantly updating my Facebook status, posting a photo on Instagram or publishing a Tweet for my...
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Radically Lead Your Church – With One Simple Word: LEAP!
I recently read a book called Radical Leap by Steve Farber. His acronym for leadership unfolded throughout this fascinating story: LEAP – Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof. Here are some of the basic...
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STUDENTS STRUGGLING WITH MOTIVATION
In our work with students for the past few years, half of them are motivated and high-achieving but lost in direction and clarity. Our program helps that kind of student find the clarity he or she...
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5 Things I Learned About Partnering With Parents
I think one of the scariest and most unpredictable parts of youth ministry, at least in my experience, is figuring out how to interact with parents of teenagers. I mean, parents of teenagers are like...
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Mentioning the Unmentionable: Sex Ed in the Church (Part 1)
You can tell a three-year-old not to touch an electrical outlet and, usually, he or she will do what you say. As the child grows older, there may be curiosity as to why the outlet shouldn’t be touched....
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Brian Aaby Shares About the YS 101 Collaborative
Brian Aaby, Director of YS Search and YS Coaching fills us in on an exciting new resource in the YS 101 Collaborative and the impact it has on the lives of youth workers in the first 2-3 years of...
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How to be Mistaken for a “Real” Pastor
I’ve heard it said that if you are a pastor at a church that has teenagers in its charge, then you are a youth pastor regardless of whether or not you have ever set foot in the youth ministry wing. In...
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Leading for the Long Haul
There’s an old hymn that says, “Come go with me the journey is long.” As leaders, we must lead for the long-haul. Leaders are called to guide and prepare those who follow us to a future destination. We...
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The Power of Permission in Youth Ministry
The first time I learned about the validation that comes with giving someone permission to experience their reality came when I was 10 years old. I was regularly invited to sleep over at my friend...
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Let ‘Em Speak
Sometimes we can be overly protective of our pulpit/lectern/podium/music stand/stack of old shoe boxes and somehow get the idea that we are the only ones who can talk to our youth. That within itself...
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7 Ways To Make Sure Your Volunteers Love Serving At Retreats
Can we all admit that student ministry retreats have a certain level of “weird” involved in them, no matter what?AAnytime you mix middle and high school students, a retreat center, junk food, and...
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Youth Ministry Game: Block Heads
PAUL TURNER is a long-time youth worker, speaker, and blogger of all things youth ministry. He’s the youth pastor at Pleasant Grove Assembly in Birmingham, AL and writes regularly at...
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Keeping Christ Personal
It is no secret that over the last several years our society has become increasingly opinionated and passionate about their beliefs. Political groups have been staging demonstrations in DC, protests...
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7 Overnighter Themes That Will Up Your Game
Overnighters are hands-down the best and worst part of the year—best for our students to build relationships with one another, but worst for the adults in your ministry who get exhausted. One of the...
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Mentioning the Unmentionable: Sex Ed in the Church (Part 2)
This is part two of a three-part series. Click here to read Part 1. Teaching sexuality in the church can be a tricky proposition. Communicating your intentions with all of the players involved is...
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Our Mission Dossier
It is easy to be complacent today and take the easy road. Christians are like water running downhill, making ruts in the easiest places to flow. I never fully realized this in my students until I had a...
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Three Elements of a Word-Driven Student Retreat
Would you say your retreats are driven by God’s Word? Retreats can serve many different purposes within a student ministry—fellowship, community, discipleship, evangelism, leadership training, etc…...
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