YouthMinistry.com

Background Checks Communicate that Kids are Important

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 12:06 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Jack Anderson (not his name) thought it could never happen-at least not at his church. The color drained from his face when he received the call that a police investigation was in progress due to a report of sexual misconduct from one of his volunteers.... The post Background Checks Communicate that Kids are Important appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Helping Teenagers Move From "I'm Not" to "I Am!"

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 5:05 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
One night when I was in high school my youth pastor handed each student in our youth group a little sheet of neon-colored paper. On it was a list-a list he hoped would encourage the junior high and high school kids he cared so deeply about. ... The post Helping Teenagers Move From "I'm Not" to "I Am!" appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Commit to These 7 Staples in Your Ministry Lessons

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 3:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
To truly make the most of your lesson time in youth ministry, we suggest you develop some "staples" that you lean into as you prepare each week. The Staple of Truth. God's word is chock-full of life-changing truth! It's sharper than any two-edged sword!... The post Commit to These 7 Staples in Your Ministry Lessons appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Helping Teens Make Healthy Decisions

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 3:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Helping Teens Make Healthy Decisions By Duane Smith, Small Church Ministry Architects One of my favorite periodicals is Youth Culture Update, a monthly publication produced by the Center for Parent /Teen Understanding, to help parents and youth workers understand the influence of modern culture upon our teens.... The post Helping Teens Make Healthy Decisions appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Helping Struggling Students on Mother's Day

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 3:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Every other day lately it seems like I receive a new coupon telling me what I can buy my mom on her special day in May. In the restaurant world, Mother's Day is seen as one of the busiest of the year.... The post Helping Struggling Students on Mother's Day appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Recruiting Adult Volunteers for Your Mission Trip

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, April 14, 2025 @ 3:00 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Recruiting Adult Volunteers for Your Mission Trip Adults are crucial to the success of the mission trip, in fact, it's required. So, how do you get adults as excited about your mission experience? Here are some of our favorite tips for recruiting awesome adult volunteers: Ask them individually - Pick out adults in your church or adults who are connected to your youth group who qualify to be leaders, and take them out for coffee or ice cream.... The post Recruiting Adult Volunteers for Your Mission Trip appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

For The Youth Pastor This Easter

From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 @ 8:32 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Easter is right around the corner with a whirlwind of candy, plastic eggs, and fake grass. As one of the "big two" times of year people think about church, it's natural for it to also be a time of outreach. Some ministries will go to extremes to launch their Easter egg hunt out of a helicopter, while others will go to lengths to ensure that Sunday is one of the most inviting of the year.... The post For The Youth Pastor This Easter appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

(PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: You've Got All My Love

From YouthMinistry.com on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 @ 11:51 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Join Rick and the Becky-nator for a new adventure in Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus-Episode 3 of Season 9 - "You've Got All My Love" - a continuation of the series "THE WAYS OF JESUS." Here Rick and Becky explore themes drawn from his new book Editing Jesus.... The post (PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: You've Got All My Love appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Planting a Culture of Hope In Your Ministry

From YouthMinistry.com on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 @ 8:55 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
In all of my years working with teenagers, I've never met a more impressive group than those I've met at Hope House of Colorado. These determined young women have overcome generational poverty, pushed through impossible situations, and inspired entire communities to be better and do better.... The post Planting a Culture of Hope In Your Ministry appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

7 Action-Steps for Small Youth Groups

From YouthMinistry.com on Monday, March 17, 2025 @ 9:35 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
His name was Andy, and some weeks he was the only teenager who showed up for my youth group. It was a small church. And when things were good, the youth group might have 15 kids show up. But things suddenly became not-so-good as our senior pastor and congregation battled over whether or not he should resign. ... The post 7 Action-Steps for Small Youth Groups appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

(PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: The Light of the World

From YouthMinistry.com on Thursday, March 6, 2025 @ 2:00 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
We're back! Join Rick and the Becky-nator for a new season of Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus-Episode 2 of Season 9 - "The Light of the World" - a continuation of the series "THE WAYS OF JESUS." Here Rick and Becky explore themes drawn from his new book Editing Jesus.... The post (PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: The Light of the World appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

5 Quick Relational Ministry Tips for Busy Youth Workers

From YouthMinistry.com on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 @ 7:33 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Who are you "supposed" to call today? Which teenager "should" you hang out with this week? How many of your own family's activities do you "need" to show up for this month? Look, we're all busy-it doesn't matter whether we're full-time, part-time, or a volunteer.... The post 5 Quick Relational Ministry Tips for Busy Youth Workers appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

(PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: Kindness for Broken People

From YouthMinistry.com on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 @ 10:32 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
We're back! Join Rick and the Becky-nator for a new season of Paying Ridiculous Attention to Jesus-Episode 1 of Season 9 - "Kindness for Broken People" - a continuation of the series "THE WAYS OF JESUS." Here Rick and Becky explore themes drawn from his new book Editing Jesus.... The post (PODCAST) THE WAYS OF JESUS: Kindness for Broken People appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

What Are You Giving Jesus for Christmas?

From YouthMinistry.com on Thursday, November 7, 2024 @ 5:05 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Some years ago, I started an annual holiday tradition that involves just two people-Jesus and me. At the core of the Gospel is John 3:16: God gives... And because He gives, we long to give back. King David prayed, "Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand" (1 Chronicles 29:14).... The post What Are You Giving Jesus for Christmas? appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.

Youth Bible Study: Jesus Invites Us to Be Close

From YouthMinistry.com on Thursday, November 7, 2024 @ 3:01 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category.
Supplies for this Youth Bible Study You'll need Bibles, sheets of paper, pens, fun snacks, and your favorite music for after the study. For this youth Bible study, have students each find a partner, then stand facing their partner far away from each other.... The post Youth Bible Study: Jesus Invites Us to Be Close appeared first on YouthMinistry.com.