In times of terror and tragedy, how can we talk with teenagers in a way that will help them cope and even thrive? I was encouraged to have some great conversations with my 14-year-old son this week regarding the Boston Marathon Bombing, the Ricin mailings, and the Texas Fertilizer Explosion...not to mention the other "regular" stresses that have impacted his everyday adolescent life. It's not always easy to know how to start these conversations, what content to share, or how vulnerable to be ourselves, but it is possible to create opportunities for effective, deep sharing and reflection.
If it's helpful for you, here are some simple introductory guidelines I've come up with over the years to help older people "T.A.L.K." with students about difficult situations. None of these ideas are particularly new...just a common sense acrostic that I've developed as tragedies and terrors have passed by. These might seem simplistic, at first, but they set up a trustworthy framework for...
Yesterday we ran down 10 quick hits on increasing relational ministry in your youth group; today we’re back with 10 more and hoping you contribute another couple in the comments, too! Here we go:
This week we’re going to simply knock out 20 ways you can increase the level of relational ministry in your youth group. Quick, random, hits that we hope inspire you to try something new, too!
Youth Ministry “Don'ts”
Youth Ministry “Don'ts”
Youth Ministry “Don'ts”