Leadership
Category
Sticky Faith – Duct Tape for our Youths’ Spiritual Lives
Over the past five years, I have been blessed to get to know Kara Powell and Brad Griffin from the Fuller Youth Institute. In 2006, I got my first glimpse of the initial findings from the College Transitions Project research when Kara presented at AYME (Association of Youth Ministry Educators). Since then, I have followed closely … Continue Reading
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Communication Key #1 – Pastor
If asked an important question about the youth ministry at your church, would your pastor know the answer or have to say “I don’t know.” Not sure. What about these questions: 1. What is the mission of the youth ministry? 2. What happens in the youth ministry? 3. What is the most exciting thing happening … Continue Reading
Turn Your To-Do List Upside Down
As I was meeting with one of our graduate residents at the Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT) this past week, he talked about how hard a time he was having fitting time with God into his schedule. He rattled off the things he needed to do for work, for himself, and for others. Deech … Continue Reading
Put on Your Big Boy Pants
Some days my job is a joy at the Center for Youth Ministry Training. Staff and graduate residents tell me stories of all the wonderful things that God is doing in and through our ministry. I love those days. Other days my job is more difficult, because something is not going right. A decision has … Continue Reading
Youth Ministry Batting Average?
A friend commented yesterday that they weren’t sure that any of their youth group would be a dedicated Christian before they left for college. He was truly frustrated with their umm … lack of getting it. Another friend asked if he had told them that, thinking that might be a good motivational technique. My response … Continue Reading
Review: The Indispensable Youth Pastor
The Center for Youth Ministry Training exists to train and equip youth ministers and churches to develop deep impacting, sustainable youth ministries. My job is to help young youth pastors succeed in fulfilling their calling which is why I LOVE Mark DeVries and Jeff Dunn-Rankin’s The Indispensable Youth Pastor. The burnout rate in youth ministry is … Continue Reading
Is mission only an adjective at your Church?
Is mission only an adjective at your church? Seems like the only use or understanding of the word mission is to preceed other words: Mission Statement Mission Team Mission Budget Mission Trip Mission is used throughout our culture to mean a variety of things. The military sends teams out on missions. Politicians talk about mission – drawing … Continue Reading
Make Church Work More Fun – #4 Share Stories
Church staff’s are notorious for not having any fun. Everyone on staffs task list is longer than they can possible do on their own. We get together and talk about all the details of what needs to happen and to get our marching orders, then we run to our corners to scurry around some more. … Continue Reading
Does your youth minister cook?
The CYMT (www.cymt.org) recruits partner churches where our graduate residents serve as youth ministers while in our program. Last night at a partner church recruitment meeting at a church, I was asked something that I’m asked at probably 50% of these meetings. Will they (our youth minister) be musically gifted? Because kids love music you … Continue Reading
Make Church Work More Fun – #3 Laugh!
Does the church take itself to seriously? Yes. Do we take our jobs to seriously? Yes. Don’t get me wrong we are in the Kingdom business and our work is eternally important. Of course, we are God’s instruments and sometimes I think we play funny notes. When we do, we should laugh. This is the … Continue Reading
