“We have come with some confidence to believe that a significant part of Christianity in the United States is actually only tenuously Christian in any sense that it is seriously connected to the actual historical Christian tradition… It is not so much that U.S. Christianity is being secularized. Rather, more subtly, Christianity is either degenerating […]
Most religious teens in the United States appear to engage in few religious practices. But even basic practices like regular Bible reading and personal prayer seem clearly associated with stronger and deeper faith commitment among youth.[1] —Christian Smith with Melinda Denton Setting the Stage In this lesson we will explore how we pass on the […]
Objective To serve with the youth director to ensure all programmatic aspects of [insert church name] youth ministry are operating smoothly and effectively so that the church’s responsibility for the Christian nurture of its youth may be met. Our Covenant Includes: Meeting once a month (date and time to be determined each year by the […]
by Stephen Ingram Youth retreats have been and are one of the foundational building blocks of any successful student ministry. They not only provide a time away for students to bond and achieve cohesion on a communal level, they are also exceptional vehicles through which many deeply developmental crisis points happen in a student’s spiritual […]
By the time I was a junior in high school, I had pretty much mastered leaning my arm on the pew rail to prop my head up so that I could take a nap during the sermon. Only occasionally did it slip off causing me to nearly knock myself out and I can only remember […]
Jon Snape entered the CYMT program in the Fall of 2007 as part of CYMT’s second class of students. He served at Westland United Methodist Church in Lebanon, Tenn., and he was commissioned in 2009 with a Certificate in Youth Ministry. We sat down with him to see what he has been doing since his […]
by Kelly Soifer Editor’s Note: This is the last in a 12-part series on spiritual disciplines for youth workers, based on Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline. As I write this I am preparing to head out to the birthday celebration of my favorite one year old in the world, Bryn, who is the daughter of […]
by Denise McKinney I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately. Most of it is from a ministry context, but those thoughts and reflections are spilling over into a variety of leadership situations I’ve been observing. I recently watched an episode of Undercover Boss and was reminded of the kinds of issues employees can face—inside […]
by Gary Wake If someone’s driving and they have no idea where they are, it’s helpful for them to stop and figure out where they went off track, so that they don’t move further from their intended destination. There are more directions that churches want to go with youth groups than there are youth group […]
To my Dearest Sojourner in Ministry to Youth, You are wise, my friend, to seek out and learn from the experience of others, others who have been educated with an often painful curriculum. And so, as one who has had the privilege of walking with many who have suffered their way into wisdom in youth […]
Subscribe to receive a monthly roundup of fresh insights and free tools for senior ministry leaders.
