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22 Leadership Quotes From the #NYWC17
For the past 48 years, thousands of youth workers gather for training, networking, encouragement, soul care, resources, and much more at the National Youth Workers Convention! Here are 22 leadership...
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Tunnel Rats
SUPPLIES: 2 cones (*or consider using a foam “Wisconsin cheese head”, it is what I use) GAME PLAY: Quick explanation: A combination between a race and steal the bacon. Players will have an assigned...
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How Advent Can Help In The Busiest Ministry Season Of The Year
It was mid-December, and I was in a pretty good place. My talks were written, and my leader schedules made and filled. I even had a team over lovely ladies in our church who were going to show up at...
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Hope: The First Candle of Advent
This Advent season I’m challenging those of us in ministry to try something new. While we create moments for God to work in others, let’s make sure we make space for God to work in ourselves, too....
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3D People That Feed The Soul
Being with people is important. We were not created to be alone, but rather in community. I live in a semi-secluded area and very seldom get to sit down with other like-minded youth workers in person....
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Campout: A How-To Guide
OVERVIEW The campout is one of the best ways to get some dedicated time with students and is often a fraction of the cost of a full blown retreat to a camp or conference. This walkthrough is for a...
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3 Reasons Students Don’t Engage (And What to do About it)
You’ve put countless hours into the lesson plan. You’ve prepped the perfect game that ties into your theme for the night. You’ve found the perfect questions to take students deeper in small groups....
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4 Reasons Why Youth Workers Should Go To Counseling
I used to think that people who went to counseling were weak. Now I think they are wise. I unashamedly can say now that I am a regular when it comes to counseling. In all honestly, I think it should be...
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What Are The Odds?
You get two students to face off. Contestant one will ask contestant two what the odds are that he will complete a dare. For instance, “What are the odds that you post a duck face selfie to your...
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Unwrapping Your Gift of Singleness This Season
Brace yourselves, the romantic holiday events are coming. Engagements, hand holding in the snow, holiday parties… It’s enough to make a 30 year old single dude on ministry pay downhearted. Well I hope...
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Let There Be Drones?!
One of the most enjoyable things about trying to do youth ministry through the medium of life skills and job training is how it mobilizes the gifts of others. It has also been thrilling to make loads...
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The Whole In The Middle
“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ “ (Luke 10:27) We obviously...
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Eroticizing Power
I came across this resource for clergy sexual abuse and the concept of eroticized power seems relevant among the current mass reports of sexual misconduct among powerful people in Hollywood. A power...
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Empowering Teens to be World-Changers
How do we unleash leadership potential in teens? Many churches desire youths to step up and take leadership roles… but how have we empowered them? Few years ago, my former church participated in...
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Peace: The Second Candle of Advent
This Advent season I’m challenging those of us in ministry to take a few minutes each week to let God work in us, as we create moments for Him to work in others. Use this reflection on your own, with...
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Refugee Realities
A Little Girl in a Refugee Camp My colleague and I were walking along the rough paths that wind through the Dzaleka Refugee Camp about an hour or so from Lilongwe, Malawi. As we were in quiet...
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Helping Students Give Presence This Advent
We live in an incredibly fast-paced culture. It seems like every day there are people to meet with, an enormous pile of work to be done, and appointments to be at… and that’s just my own kids’...
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LEADERS OF LEADERS VS. LEADER WITH LEADERS?
I sat on the other side of his desk. I was new and it was just a few weeks into my new job. I was excited because it was going to be my first time working in a church with another youth pastor on...
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Teen Gender Dysphoria and Christmas Shopping
LGBTQIA+ orientations are a difficult topic to discuss, especially within the such a theologically diverse tribe of youth workers. Theologically, my starting point, for ministry to all students on the...
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5 Ways to Unify Your Team
I’ve had the privilege to be part of a few wonderful student ministry teams. We enjoyed, cared for, and supported each other, and we were on the same page with where we were headed and how we were...
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