8 Tips for Keeping Youth Involved and Listening Let’s just be honest with the fact that not every lesson is going to be a success, and sometimes we will lose our youth. It’s important to always be aware of what’s going on in the room (whether youth are sleeping, texting, talking to each other, looking […]
Understanding the WOW Theological Method By Dietrich “Deech” Kirk I was walking down the row of hungry people when a man said to me, “Hey, I know you.” And that statement transformed my life. We arrived at The Bridge early. Everyone was given a role in helping to feed the 500 homeless […]
“The Kid Who Questions Everything” by Cory Peacock There’s an old Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, written and drawn by the comic genius Bill Watterson, in which the precocious six-year-old Calvin has a nice father-son talk about things scientific. Calvin asks, “Where does the sun go when it sets?” Calvin’s dad responds, “The sun sets […]
Why are parents the way they are? These two things will help you better understand parents By: Rev. Dietrich Kirk When I was a youth pastor in my twenties, parents would regularly tell me that I would be a better youth minister when I had kids. They quickly followed up with, “you’ll understand when you […]
It Happens: Budget Cuts By Josh Bishop When I became the student ministries pastor, I inherited a team of 11 staff members. Less than ten months later, only six of us were left—not because of power struggles or moral failings, but simply because of budget cuts. I knew that the budget was not looking good, […]
Dear Youth Worker: Get Trained Dear Theologian, Yes. You are a theologian. Anytime you open the Bible and read the scriptures, anytime you talk about God or your Christian faith, you do theology. It may not be intentional, but it’s inescapable: You are chief theologian and biblical interpreter for the young people who gather around […]
It Happens: When Childbearing and Job Seeking Collide Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean I interviewed for my first position as a full-time pastor when I was three months pregnant. On the way to the interview (which was 20 minutes from my apartment), I pulled over to the side of the road twice so I could throw […]
The Good Game – Reaching Gamers by Justin Bowers Minecraft. Destiny. 2K. League of Legends. D&D. Bioshock. Overwatch. Call of Duty. Half-Life 2. Mario Kart. Skyrim. FIFA. World of Warcraft. Magic the Gathering. Zelda. Pokémon. E3. Team Liquid. Furries. Overcooked 2. Smash Ultimate. Banjo Kazooie. For the youth ministers who have no clue what they […]
You’re Not My Parent: A Youth Minister’s Role in Discipline By Dietrich Kirk I can remember in my first two years of youth ministry thinking that my role on a trip was to be youth’s parent. Not literally, but I felt a great sense of responsibility for their safety and well-being, and I’m pretty sure […]
A Youth Minister’s Guide to Leading from Your Strengths by Stephen Ingram Many youth ministers struggle for a number of reasons. It may be due to overcommitting ourselves, difficulty finding healthy rhythms, or lack of support and training. However, most of us struggle because we are working from deficits rather than surpluses. We can usually […]
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