All About the Heart and Soul of YouthWorkers
The idea of connection came unto its own during was birthed out of a moment in church history that was contentious and dramatic. As America began to find itself as a representative democracy, its citizens began to desire what they saw as a more democratic style of church structure, and they began to turn more and…
Read More
OK I know that sounds a little dramatic. Let me start Micro and move towards Meta. I also really want your input, so this is a conversation starter. Here it goes: Well for about two weeks now I have become the acting Children’s Ministry Director at the Church where I am doing Interim Youth Ministry.…
Read More
The United Methodist Youth Ministry website was created for youth workers to have conversation. As General Conference 2012 runs its course, we would love to hear what you are thinking. What have you heard that you think will affect your local youth ministry? What concerns you? What are you excited about? We really would love…
Read More
There have been some great pieces on the Youth Worker Movement lately about discipleship in youth ministry, and how we can be better about that work. Our focus of discipleship, or “disciple making” in youth ministry is rooted in the United Methodist Church’s mission statement of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of…
Read More
Students are going to text while you speak no matter what you say or how many texting spies you place in the audience. Why not use this evil distraction for good? That’s where Poll Everywhere comes in. It’s a really simple process. You don’t even have to sign up to try it out. You put…
Read More
Looking for a proven successful youth ministry event idea to kick off your summer? Try this: Ultimate Nerf Wars. What you need: Tables, anything camouflage, tarps, bandannas in two colors (1 per person), score sheets, pens, Sharpies, glow-in-the-dark bracelets/necklaces, medals or prizes (optional) Bullet buckets to gather up bullets for reloading. Lots of volunteers. What people…
Read More
It’s the worst. The student walking up to you has been coming to youth group on and off for about a year…and you just completely blanked out on her name. “Hi, you! How’s it going?” you say awkwardly. “You forgot my name, didn’t you?” Gah! Busted. (her name was Monica, by the way, and I…
Read More
I don’t remember where I first saw the KONY2012 video posted, but within a few minutes it had popped up a dozen places in my social media feeds so it doesn’t really matter which was first. I’ve been ignoring Invisible Children for years. Not intentionally; my only point of contact with them was the stack…
Read More
When I first heard that term, I had no clue what this guy (Jeff Dunn Rankin, VP of Youth Ministry Architects) was talking about. The phrase sounded both creepy and sad. He even had a picture to go w/ it of the outline of Mickey with an ear missing. Here’s how he ‘splained it to…
Read More
If you’re like me, Holy seasons are always a difficult time. Usually the church is at it’s busiest and I’m not only striving to focus my own spiritual life but also provide new and relevant experiences for my youth. If you haven’t tried these spiritual disciplines below allow me to suggest incorporating them into this…
Read More
The to-do list for the Youth Valentine’s Dinner and Auction event I inherited was extremely detailed and even divided into subcategories – things to do for the meal itself, for promoting the event, for decorating, for soliciting donations, for organizing the youth, for ticket sales, for setting up and for cleaning up…you get the idea.…
Read More
I’m not sure how it happened. One day while sitting in worship, I looked up and as the choir stood to sing the offertory special, I noticed my ten year old sister with her conductor’s wand – a present given to my musically inclined sister years earlier – directing our church’s small choir. At best,…
Read More
As a former teacher-turned-youth director, I can attest to the power of sharing ideas among trusted co-workers. Why re-invent the wheel when you can “steal” great ideas from others and apply them to your own situation? I had the opportunity to do just that recently when I sought ways to improve communication between my high…
Read More
If you are one of the hundreds of youth workers leading a 30 Hour Famine event this weekend, you might want to know how to encourage your youth to take their fundraising and experience to the Study Tour level. Abby Lewis, a high school junior and member of the youth group at St. Barnabas United…
Read More
TV screens are ready to go…check. The pizza has been ordered…check. The boys know to bring soda, chips and dips, the girls know to bring desserts, cups and paper plates…check. Now let’s plan the entertainment for the big youth group party this weekend. Here are five tried-and-true games to have on hand this Sunday…
Read More
Looking for a GREAT summer Mission trip in the Dallas, Texas area? … [Read More...]
I had a really cool blessing at this years National Youth Worker … [Read More...]
Looking for a GREAT summer Mission trip in the Dallas, Texas area? … [Read More...]
YouthWorker Movement
Recent Comments