Young people are not the future of the church. They are the church. At CYMT, we equip leaders to develop effective ministries with young people and empower them to set an example for ALL believers. The average youth minister impacts the lives of over 400 youth and their families. We invite you to invest in youth […]
Author: Ministry Leadership Center
Is your ministry saying, “YES,” to the wrong things?
Saying, “no,” can be a really hard thing to do. I experienced this firsthand while serving on my church’s missions team for many years. The requests that came to our committee seemed never-ending. Members of the church brought us information about community organizations that needed assistance. Fellow committee members had their own passions and advocated […]
How to Improve Your Ministry by Doing Less
Faith communities are often searching for the next great idea that will help grow the church. But what if doing less is actually the key to improving your ministry?
The Problem with Problem-Solving in Ministry
The first step in product thinking, as Nikkel Blaase writes in an article for the Interaction Design Foundation, is to “determine the problem that your users are looking to solve.” When done well, determining a user’s problem begins with researching the user’s lived experience. From there, a product is developed and tested that intends to […]
Why AI in Ministry is Not Innovation
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is all over the news lately. From healthcare to finance to education, industries around the globe are investing billions of dollars to develop apps and programs run by AI that will solve problems, answer questions, and streamline systems. Even a Catholic non-profit recently joined the trend by creating an AI priest […]
How to Avoid the Predictable this Advent
The season of Advent needs a refresh. That’s because, somehow, one of the greatest stories ever told has grown stale in many churches around the country. Many faith communities mark the season with the same traditions they’ve observed for decades, like the hanging of the greens, lighting the Advent wreath, live nativity, children’s pageant, and […]
Practicing Sabbath In Your Youth Ministry
Stephen Ingram Stephen is a 25+ year youth ministry veteran. His books include Hollow Faith: How Andy Griffith, Facebook, and the American Dream Neutered the Gospel, ExtraOrdinary Time: 365 Ordinary Moments with an Anything But Ordinary God; and Organic Student Ministry. Stephen serves as the Sr. Director of Resource Development for CYMT. In recent years […]
Two Cultural Trends Shaping Innovation in Churches
Here at the Innovation Lab, our Innovation Culture Index (ICI) assesses a faith community’s culture by revealing its strengths and areas that need to improve so innovation can take root effectively. The ICI measures what we call the Nine Indicators of Innovative Potential, which are essential cultural characteristics for enacting change and embracing creativity in […]
CYMT Receives $1.25M Grant to Launch Benediction Project
The Center for Youth Ministry Training has received a $1,249,965 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Benediction Project. The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer […]