by 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 ...
By Andrew Davis 7/30/19 As youth pastors, we must be intentional about how we welcome our new 6th or 7th graders into the youth ministry. Church involvement can be a very positive aspect of the lives of new middle schoolers. ...
by Mark Taylor This past fall, my position in youth ministry was cut from my church. It marked a time of transition and uncertainty. I had been a paid youth minister for the past seven years and received an MA ...
by Lisa Long Spring is one of my favorite times of year. Winter is finally over. Flowers burst from the ground. The air fills with glorious perfume. It's as if the whole earth celebrates redemption's birthday. Easter Sunday is the ...
Editor's Note: This article is written jointly by Sara, a youth minister who was, until recently, a single mom to two young boys, and Jason, a veteran youth minister who has 20 years of experience ministering to all kinds of ...
Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from It Happens: True Tales from the Trenches of Youth Ministry, edited by Will Penner. by Steve Argue Bill and Jane were every youth worker’s dream. They registered their daughter, Sarah, for the freshman ...
Recently, I had the distinct privilege of teaching our church's Parents of Teens Sunday school class. I taught a three week series which gave me a good amount of interaction time with the parents. During the first week, I spent the class ...
Whomp, whomp, whomp… That's the sound of the rotors turning on “helicopter parents.” You have them in your ministry and frankly they can drive you crazy. The “whomp whomp” of their questions can begin to sound like the drone of ...
Every year, we have an opportunity to create rites of passage that celebrate our high school seniors and propel them forward into their unknown futures. Senior celebrations happen across the country during this time of the year. At some churches, ...
by Deech Kirk 10/31/2012 You are the youth director, youth pastor, or youth minister. Do you need to have a relationship with parents? Weren't you hired to work with youth? How do you develop health relationships with parents? Parents are the ...
Editor's Note: This article was adapted from Jim Hancock's presentation at the CYMT Summit—Equipping Parents for Spiritual Leadership in May 2012. Jim is the author of numerous youth ministry books and resources including Raising Adults. For most youth ministers, the idea of ...
by Tony Akers I've been a youth minister for a long time. I'm also a father of three. My oldest daughter just began college and my son is a freshman in high school. Little sister is in second grade. For ...
A bit of advice as you begin to read this article. I want to share five things that youth workers should teach parents, but I want to begin with one thing they should not try to teach parents: Do not ...
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 ...
Note: This is a sample of the Parents Guide in Hollow Faith: How Andy Griffith, Facebook, and the American Dream neutered the Gospel (Un)Becoming the Center of the Universe ...
by Hank Hilliard I was having a great conversation with two parents whose kids had come to a youth event the previous night. I was enjoying seeing how energized these parents were about their kids’ involvement in the ministry. Suddenly, ...
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from It Happens: True Tales from the Trenches of Youth Ministry, edited by Will Penner. ...
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from It Happens: True Tales from the Trenches of Youth Ministry, edited by Will Penner. ...
