We once had a student from our youth group tell us that their dog was their best friend. Now, I know that dogs are man’s best friend and all, but I don’t think this is ideal for the average teenager. Additionally, this student isn’t one who doesn’t have friends. They are one of our core, […]
When your youth group is on the smaller side, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. You might wonder where all the energy went or how to build excitement with just a few students. But those smaller numbers are a huge opportunity. With fewer students, you can build closer relationships, have deeper conversations, and […]
Believe it or not, we’re already halfway through 2025. For youth pastors, that means two things: You’ve seen some incredible ministry wins. And you’ve also hit some frustrating roadblocks. The middle of the year is an opportunity. Before the fall semester kicks off, take some time to reflect, refocus, and recalibrate your approach. This mid-year […]
If you’ve been in youth ministry for longer than a year or two, you’ve probably experienced summer attendance drops in youth ministry. Families take vacations. Students go to camps. Schedules get packed with sports and jobs. It’s easy to feel discouraged when your normally packed room turns into a small circle of faithful regulars. But […]
I know you’re juggling a lot as a youth pastor, because I’ve been there too. You’re not alone, and I hope what you find here encourages you. Every generation engages with teaching differently, and I know you’ve probably felt that tension as a youth pastor. Baby Boomers grew up on traditional sermons and Sunday School; […]
It’s easy to look back at the story after it’s already hit the news, already hurt the people, already left its mark. Another influential Christian leader. One more misuse of power. Yet again, we discover abuse in Christian organizations. And, inevitably, we see again an organization scrambling to protect the institution instead of the individuals […]
The beautiful thing about youth ministry is that there are hundreds of topics you can choose to walk through with your students. You want to spend three years in Romans? Done. Feel like talking about friendship for 5 weeks? Great. Fancy a skip through the classic Old Testament stories? Love it. The world is your […]
A lead pastor I once worked under had this beautifully awful way of watching the Holy Spirit work. Not infrequently, during teaching on a Sunday morning, he would reach a point where a tie-in from a staff member or close friend would make sense to his point – and next thing you knew, your name […]
I’m a preacher at heart. I like monologuing. If I said anything different, I’d be lying to you and myself. And sometimes I feel a little bit embarrassed about that. Because while preaching is important, small groups should be one of the most powerful environments in any youth ministry environment. They’re where students go beyond […]
I absolutely adore my youth ministry volunteers and I am sure you adore yours as well! These amazingly incredible human beings show up week after week to invest in the next generation. These are the people going to students’ games and plays, spending countless hours at coffee shops and ice cream parlors to show up […]
