Attributes of a Great Youth Worker
Youth Ministries are always on the search for new volunteers. And volunteers often wonder if they “have what it takes” to be a good youth worker. This excerpt from Lead Them to Jesus lays out what to look for in a youth leader.
Fun and Games in Youth Ministry
Playing games in order to get students to come to youth group is a terrible idea. Instead, utilize fun and games as one of the best ways to establish a gospel-culture in your ministry.
Why the Gospel-Centered Movement Overlooks Youth Ministry
It’s strangely common for youth pastors to be overlooked in gospel-centered ministry circles. This article unpacks a few theories about why that’s happened and what’s at stake.
Isn’t Everyone Gospel-Centered?
If you didn’t know any better, it’d seem like everyone’s become “gospel-centered.” This should be a cause for great celebration. But in all the talk about gospel-centrality, it’s become a phrase without any meaning. For the sake of clarity, here are three postures your ministry can take towards the gospel.
Youth Ministry and the Means of Grace
The practices we perpetuate in our youth ministries teach and form our students in their Christian walk. What we teach as important, and what we demonstrate as vital, shapes our students in powerful ways. Because of this, we want to make sure we’re thinking holistically and critically about the different methods and practices we use in our ministry to students.
An Overlooked Reason Good Youth Pastors Leave Youth Ministry
It’s a common thing for youth pastors who considered themselves “lifers” to move into new ministry areas. This doesn’t mean they’re unfaithful to their calling. Maybe it means they’ve misunderstood their calling all along - they aren’t called to youth ministry, but to a particular generation.
Fill Their Cup
“How long should I teach at youth group?” This is a common question new youth pastors ask. In the midst of competing emphases on expository preaching and the reality of students’ attention span, it’s hard to know what our teaching should look like in youth ministry. Here’s a basic framework to help you evaluate your teaching.
Commitments of a Youth Pastor Theologian
What is a Youth Pastor Theologian? Is there an academic minimum or a book requirement? No. It’s a commitment to minister to students theologically. Here are three commitments of the youth pastor theologian.
Serving Lonely Teenagers
How can we offer effective comfort through the message of the Gospel to adolescents who suffer from loneliness, especially in the midst of the pandemic? To minister to our kids, the story of Jesus' passion offers an incomparable comfort and hope.
Students are Saints & Sinners
Christians are saints and sinners. When youth pastors teach students about this in their youth groups, they empower students to discover gospel-centered, grace-saturated repentance through faith in Jesus Christ.