If a teenager walked into your church on Sunday on her own, with a friend, or with his family, what impressions would he or she have of your church? The numbers of teenagers leaving the church are staggering. I have come to wonder whether it is because we love teenagers in word, but not in […]
[Second-Chair Leadership Conversation] Today, Andrew Zirschky (ymprof) and I have a conversation about what second-chair leadership looks like in the local church. As youth ministers, we are always second-chair leaders. Listen in as Andrew asks me questions about how to navigate these relationships. Some things for you to think about: How well do you know […]
by Jason Sansbury For most youth ministries, summer means a great deal more activities and programming. Additionally, most youth ministries suffer some level of loss of their regular volunteers to vacations and normal summer plans. One solution to the increased activity and the shortage of hands is to seek out and hire a summer intern. […]
by Jason Sansbury Click here to read the companion to this article, How2: Hire Summer Interns for Your Ministry. Once you have hired someone for the role of intern, there is still work to do! Here are some ways to get the most out of a summer intern for your ministry, as well as benefit […]
When it comes to youth ministry and adolescent faith, “We’re doing a better job of getting them to show up than helping them to grow up,” says Duffy Robbins.[1] Determining how to best help youth develop in faith is the heart of the fourth approach to communicating the gospel that we’ll consider in this series—the […]
by Joanna Cummings Youth and children’s ministries both require early prep for the busy summer months ahead. In children’s ministry this means early recruitment of volunteers to help keep the ministry going during the chaos of summer along with thinking through the many details that are important to summer ministry with kids. Communicating our needs […]
by Tony Akers You’re getting ready to go to the church to pick up your child who has been away on a mission trip. You’re thinking of the incredible experience he must have had, or the debriefing session that you’ll get in the car from her on the way home. But one of the first […]
by Cory Martin Let’s be honest. Justin Timberlake is the new Michael Jackson. Timberlake is a bonafide star, acting in several good movies, is one of the greatest hosts in Saturday Night Live history, and is taking his time releasing great music. The 20/20 Experience is only JT’s third solo album in 10 years. (It […]
Back when Spiderman was a cartoon on TV, I can’t remember a single episode where he didn’t catch the criminal in a web. Youth ministers can learn a lot from Spiderman and spiders about how to get youth to stick to their youth groups. We must build a web of relationships that positively trap and […]
by Lesleigh Carmichael A coach is someone who cares that people create what they say they want and that they follow through. The coach is there to hold people accountable and keep them moving forward toward their dreams and goals. —Co-Active Coaching, p. xxi Over the last nine years the Center for Youth Ministry Training […]
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