Youth Theology Tools | How to Position Youth as Theologians Using the WOW Theological Method

How to Position Youth as Theologians Using the WOW Theological Method   Why youth theology? Youth theology is theology built upon the simple doctrinal principle of the priesthood of all believers, and takes that principle right down to its natural conclusion:  that all believers, including youth, teens, adolescents, etc. are theologians. It is theology that […]

MLK Day:  A Social Justice Conversation for Youth

Note:  This article has been updated since its original publication. MLK Day:  A Social Justice Conversation for Youth Martin Luther King Jr. Day is next Monday, January 18, 2021. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. It is “a day on, not a day off.” It is a […]

The Impacts of Organizational Culture on Innovation

To borrow a metaphor from Jesus and farming, a church’s organizational culture is like soil — a living ecosystem that sustains innovation to varying degrees. A church’s culture constitutes the soil into which innovative seeds are planted. Healthy cultural soil is able to nourish innovative ministries that engage people’s assets and needs so the community […]

What are Disorienting Dilemmas?

[1] Theological reflection doesn’t begin with the learning or recitation of scripture, but with an experience that prompts us to awe and wonder. Whether the blinding experience of Saul on the road to Damascus or the experience of a sixth-grader encountering the poverty of America, when our experiences upend our expectations or normal ways of […]

Meet Dwight Johnson: CYMT Alum and Theology Together Director

Meet Dwight Johnson: CYMT Alum and Theology Together Director   The following is a transcript of an interview by Tiffany Malone of the Center for Youth Ministry Training with Dwight Johnson, taken from our admissions newsletter sent February 1st, 2021. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.   Dwight […]

Meet Lisa Vegors, CYMT Coach

Meet Lisa Vegors, CYMT Coach   The following is a transcript of an interview by Tiffany Malone of the Center for Youth Ministry Training with Lisa Vegors, taken from our admissions newsletter sent November 2nd, 2020. Some of the questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.   Lisa Vegors serves at St. […]

A Deep Dive Into a God View on the Wow

A Deep Dive Into a God View on the Wow The fourth step in the Theology Together’s Wow Theological Reflection Method is “God.” After exposing youth and youth leaders to a disorienting experience. After allowing young people to share their “wow” stories. And after examining what “the world” has to say about them. It is […]

What Teens are Saying: Youth Ministry is Essential

We asked the teens of our partner ministries, “How is youth ministry shaping your life?” Teenagers are growing up in a rapidly changing culture and experiencing isolation, loneliness, and overwhelming anxiety. And in the midst of this, more youth are finding faith irrelevant to their everyday life. Today’s teens need leaders and spiritual tools that help […]

A Reflection on “Thoughtful Conversations: Courageously Discerning What’s Next When ‘Normal’ Isn’t an Option”

CYMT’s Innovation Laboratory hosted an online event on May 18 called “Thoughtful Conversations: Courageously Discerning What’s Next When ‘Normal’ Isn’t an Option.” Leaders from churches and non-profits around the country were led to ask deep questions about how the pandemic has impacted people in their communities. We talked about the changes being observed nationwide in […]

Celebrating the Class of 2021! Hear What They Have to Say

We recently celebrated the class of 2021 and interviewed them about their experience. Listen to what they had to say:     Q:  How does it feel to have graduated with a Master of Arts in youth ministry?   A: It feels great. I don’t know if I would have survived a role in ministry […]

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