Ministry
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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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
How2: 5 Steps to Engage your Youth Council or Ministry Team
As a young youth minister, one of my greatest challenges was knowing what to do with my youth council. At the Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT), we experience this with all of our students. Students and youth ministers often inherit dysfunctional youth councils or start one from scratch. This post is about how to … Continue Reading
How2: 4 Essentials to effective Student Leadership
Student leadership is a challenging part of youth ministry. Many churches regulate leadership to decision making or simply service. Youth serve on a council (see post on 5 Steps to Engage your Youth Ministry Team) and give their input into trips or special events. At other churches, the leaders serve by helping pick up chairs … Continue Reading
Keeping Juniors and Seniors Involved
I’ve got a secret. I’ve learned how to keep Juniors and Seniors, but I don’t want it to be a secret anymore. My good friend Mark DeVries told me once that based on Brentwood UMC’s youth ministry retention rate of Juniors and Seniors that I should write a book. He told me that in 2005. … Continue Reading
Don’t Lose Your Life to Youth Ministry
My Problem I can remember counting every hour I worked my first two years in youth ministry to justify a raise. I don’t remember the exact number, but I went to the personnel committee averaging somewhere around 65 hours per week. How in the world did I average 65 hours? Well, I counted the 40-50 … Continue Reading
How2: The Exponential Benefit of Major Event Coordinators in Youth Ministry
Newsflash: You have more to do than you have time to do! Solution: Get help and let go! Today’s post is about how to find and empower folks who can help you with your ministry. What do you need help with? Anything someone else can do? Fundraiser Organization Retreat and Mission Trip Organization Communication, Attendance … Continue Reading
Key to Spiritual Growth in Teenagers = Programming the Gaps
This is my third and final post on Intentional Discipleship. I am putting the finishing touches this fall on a book aptly named Intentional Discipleship that will be out next summer. The book is a theologically grounded how to book on developing your own Intentional Discipleship model. But in wrapping up this series of posts, I wanted … Continue Reading
