From Resolutions to Relationships
By Stephen Ingram I don’t do CrossFit. I’m more of a racquetball then hit the sauna workout kind of guy. Even though I do not do CrossFit myself, it is not from a lack of effort from many of my ...
By Stephen Ingram I don’t do CrossFit. I’m more of a racquetball then hit the sauna workout kind of guy. Even though I do not do CrossFit myself, it is not from a lack of effort from many of my ...
By Rhys Ferguson It is that time of the year. The five advent candles have been lit and put out, the presents under the tree have been unwrapped, the trips to far off places (and places just around the corner) ...
By Laura Provence My first holiday season at my new church felt like a Christmas miracle. After struggling to maintain our large numbers from the Summer and early Fall, our Sunday night attendance quadrupled for our Christmas Party. These numbers ...
By Andrew Zirschky, Ph.D. As the calendar year rolls over, many families see opportunities for new beginnings and restarts as they consider returning to church or finding a new one. For youth workers, this inevitably leads to evaluating and retooling ...
DEI: Thoughtful Approaches to Youth Ministry By Dwight Johnson Approaching youth ministry through the lens of DEI will require partnership with an individual or consultant that can help you identify the spaces that need reflection, change and implementation. Research DEI ...
4 Tips for Utilizing Your Strengths 1. Research and understand both the positives and negatives associated with your strengths. This produces a deeper sense of priority and affirms one’s calling and direction. It also helps know where our ...
A Youth Minister’s Guide to Leading from Your Strengths by Stephen Ingram Many youth ministers struggle for a number of reasons. It may be due to overcommitting ourselves, difficulty finding healthy rhythms, or lack of support and training. However, most ...
You’re Not My Parent: A Youth Minister’s Role in Discipline By Dietrich Kirk I can remember in my first two years of youth ministry thinking that my role on a trip was to be youth’s parent. Not literally, but I ...
It Happens: Conflict Resolution at Its Best and Worst By Dan Lambert “The elders expect you to be in your office at church 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. You have Monday ...
Tips for Consistent Communication with Parents and Adult Caregivers Don’t Assume Labels Be careful not to assume that the adults at home are the parents. When reaching out to the adults at home, do not assume they are to be ...
The Good Game - Reaching Gamers by Justin Bowers Minecraft. Destiny. 2K. League of Legends. D&D. Bioshock. Overwatch. Call of Duty. Half-Life 2. Mario Kart. Skyrim. FIFA. World of Warcraft. Magic the Gathering. Zelda. Pokémon. E3. Team Liquid. Furries. Overcooked ...
Setting Up Boundaries for the Long Haul by Samantha Tidball I remember wanting to wow the first church I worked for by making big impressive plans! I also didn’t want to let anyone down. Therefore, I often worked more than ...
It Happens: When Childbearing and Job Seeking Collide Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean I interviewed for my first position as a full-time pastor when I was three months pregnant. On the way to the interview (which was 20 minutes from my ...
Dear Youth Worker: Get Trained Dear Theologian, Yes. You are a theologian. Anytime you open the Bible and read the scriptures, anytime you talk about God or your Christian faith, you do theology. It may not be intentional, but it’s ...
It Happens: Budget Cuts By Josh Bishop When I became the student ministries pastor, I inherited a team of 11 staff members. Less than ten months later, only six of us were left—not because of power struggles or moral failings, ...
Teenage Anxiety Can’t Be Ignored by Youth Ministry By Andrew Zirschky Teens today are soft. Teens need to toughen up. They’re kids—what do they have to worry about? We love our youth, but perhaps the statements above have run through ...
Prototyping Can Fundamentally Shift How Your Ministry Rebuilds By Meghan Hatcher I’ve heard countless stories lately from ministry colleagues, friends serving in local churches, and others working in non-profit organizations that this fall is a particularly challenging ministry season (after ...
BIG News From the Innovation Lab: Lilly Endowment Grant & Introducing James The Center for Youth Ministry Training (CYMT) recently received a $1.19MM grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., to fund the next phase of the Innovation Laboratory. The grant ...
Meet Hannah Cooley. Hannah Cooley is a 2nd-year Graduate Resident at CYMT who serves at University Presbyterian Church in San Antonio, TX. Hannah recently took her youth group to Camp at Mo Ranch in Hunt, TX where she was able ...
We recently celebrated the class of 2021 and interviewed them about their experience. Listen to what they had to say: Q: How does it feel to have graduated with a ...