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Instagram Will Kill Your Youth Ministry

Daniel Beckworth Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Social media has swept across this great nation like wildfire. Facebook is on its way out. If you still use Myspace you’re most likely a stalker—or very lonely. Twitter is still rocking along quite steadily and has yet to be completely infiltrated by preteens...
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Leadership

Q&A with Jake Kircher on “We Love Our Youth Worker”

Rick Lawrence Monday, February 6, 2012
Editor’s Note: Jake Kircher has been a youth pastor for 10 years in New England—he is also the U.S. representative for We Love Our Youth Worker (WeLoveOurYouthWorker.com), an infant movement that was started in Old England in 2007 by a frustrated and heartbroken youth pastor. Chris Curtis is his... read more
Leadership, Discipleship, Volunteers

Don't Share Your Answers

Amanda Grubbs Friday, February 3, 2012
In a class for parents of confirmation students (primarily 7th graders), the question arose, “How do I answer my kid when they ask who gets into heaven?” Many parents nodded their heads acknowledging that they too had been asked similar—or at least equally difficult—questions. Like those parents, I... read more
Leadership, Programming, Outreach

Planning Youth Ministry Events: A Response

Brian Seidel Thursday, February 2, 2012
My guess is big event planning is either one of your favorite things to do or one of the parts of youth ministry you barely tolerate. For me, it is one of the things I put up with and just get through. Over my years of putting up with big events I have stumbled onto a few things that help me every... read more
Discipleship, Middle School, Volunteers, Small Groups

An Interesting Thought

Mark Eades Wednesday, February 1, 2012
It had been a rough night with our middle school youth. I was talking it through with some of my adult leaders when I had an interesting thought. Often we want kids who already “get it.” They don’t talk back; they do what we ask them to do, etc. But often when we are interacting with kids like... read more
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Leadership, Volunteers, Small Groups, Programming, Outreach

Debriefing For Dummies

Kurt and Josh Wednesday, February 1, 2012
You wake up exhausted. Was that overnighter a dream? Where did your black eye come from? Why is your arm in a cast? Why are there 13 missed calls from various parents? What speeding ticket? If you’re like us, after a big event or activity the last thing you want to do is re-live all the details. If... read more
Culture

Outland [Review]

Scott Firestone Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Video games are expensive—really expensive. Forking out $60 for a game that provides maybe 6 hours of gameplay is ridiculous. That’s why some of the greatest values for your gaming dollar are found in the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Take Outland. It’s a mere $10, and provides hours... read more
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Leadership, Volunteers, Small Groups, Programming, Outreach

Planning a Big Youth Ministry Event

Kurt and Josh Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Most youth workers like events. We may have mixed emotions about their overall effectiveness, but they aren’t going away anytime soon….we simply won’t let them! And while we all like events, we aren’t all great at planning them from start to finish. As a result, many events are tossed together at... read more
Culture

Usher, Augustine, Jesus, and You

Lane Palmer Monday, January 30, 2012
By: Lane Palmer at Dare 2 Share I can't win, I can't reign I will never win this game Without you, without you. I am lost, I am vain, I will never be the same Without you, without you. I won't run, I won't fly I will never make it by Without you, without you. I can't rest, I can't... read more
Leadership, Middle School

Jr High Ministry When You're Not Wired As A Jr High Pastor

Danny Bowers Friday, January 27, 2012
Here is a confession of this youth pastor; I am NOT wired for junior high ministry and I never have been.   I can pull off junior high camp, events, connect with leaders, but the week-in and week-out just isn’t me. I find that I have to work very hard to stay engaged with junior high ministry... read more
Leadership

Putting your experiences to work

Reza Friday, January 27, 2012
If you're anything like me you have started more journals than you’ve finished. For a while there it seemed to me that every trip to Barnes & Noble resulted in the purchase of a new genuine imitation leather journal. I had high aspirations for every journal I purchased; I intended each one to... read more