Global Youth Ministry

I realize that many of us who write blogs and books are older and don’t remember how bad it can be when you’re in your twenties and a few parents have made it their job to make you miserable. So we gloss over this issue and pretend like it doesn’t happen. I don’t want to do that. It’s a real issue and I know it can hurt.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I am new this school year to my church and its Youth Ministry. In the past years, Axiom (Student Ministry) has had “Grad Nights” to honor the Seniors, where all...

Inside the church there are leaders who are wolves. They use their power and position to abuse the sheep.

Every time leadership goes bad it can be traced back to one of two things: balance or value.

A couple of months ago the ministry I work for decided to use the NJ Long Branch Marathon as a fundraiser.  At first I didn’t think much of it.  I’m not a runner.  As a matter of fact I am an asthm...

I meet with a lot of youth pastors who will routinely tell me that their senior pastor, elders, parents, and everyone else at church don’t really care too much about the impact their ministry is making, but instead are only concerned with numbers in the youth group.

youth ministry and the Church are finding it's way back to where it all started and began

I often observe youth groups and how their leaders operate. The number one problem I see is that most youth leaders are willing to settle for good.

I used to think I knew something about discipleship.   It was about pouring into students who were walking with Christ, and helping them grow.  Sure I would teach them to read the Bible, what churc...

It seems like a regular occurrence that I hear about a youth pastor or a youth leader messing up with a teenager sexually. It is sad, but it is the reality. The reality is simple. Anyone of us coul...

I spent a whole summer working on small group curriculum for our middle school small groups. I invested hours of research and writing, trying to build the perfect set of questions and reflections that would enable teens to go deeper in their relationship with Christ. In the end this curriculum was never used. Why? It was too complicated.

YS Idea Lab - Bob Goff: Loving People Inefficiently

This is a season of transitions in our ministry.

Who do you trust? Recently I was asked to go on a mission trip to Guatemala with a team of adults. The cool thing about this experience is that its being led by our Senior Pastor, and he views this...

This is focused on marriage ministry, but tons of great series on things like the fruit of the Spirit, and other topics that would do well with youth.

This week we have been discussing worship in our youth ministries. Today, let me share my own recent experience and what I am learning practically and philosophically. Recently I’ve really been wre...

I'm going through my mental Rolodex this morning (for those of you under 40 - that's a database made of paper). My mind is wandering. Wondering about the many young people I certainly overlooked in the last 20+ years of youth work.

My first attempt at discipleship, years ago, was a bit rocky. My small group was made up of 7th grade girls. They were great kids, but they couldn't sit still to save their lives.

You've asked us for it, and we listened. Back by popular demand, it's the ym360 Trends & Culture Update, a twice monthly look at studies and articles designed to keep youth ministers, adult volunteers, and parents in the loop on what's happening in youth culture.

When such events force us to pick up the rock of our humanity and see the dark underside, as youth workers we need to be prepared to help teenagers--and their families--navigate through their emotions and questions.

In the previous two posts we've look at youth ministry discipleship. Discipleship is more than filling in the blanks, and it can be messy, unplanned, and takes a lot of relational time. Today, I ha...