There’s probably no greater duo than teenagers and their phones … except maybe youth ministry and pizza. Phones and technology are where teenagers go in their freetime, and no matter how you feel about it, it’s not going away any time soon. Tablets, computers, and web-based learning are a large part of education. Apps and social media fill teenagers’ few minutes when they’re not doing homework, playing sports, or joining in their other hobbies outside of school.
For so long, phones and technology have come across as a distraction from service and ultimately, an opponent to ministry.. Maybe you’ve felt like the teenagers in your ministry were too connected to their devices. Maybe you’ve even been tempted to lock up phones in a box before your weekly meeting.
We get it. Teenagers really can be distracted by what’s happening elsewhere on that tiny little screen. But technology is such a core part of how teenagers learn, create relationships, and make sense of their world.
So, what if you could help teenagers learn to use their phones and devices to practice spiritual habits and grow their relationship with God? What if, instead of pushing against technology, we helped teenagers learn to use their phones as a tool to keep growing?
It might seem more difficult than the most impractical Impossible Shot, but it’s as easy as helping teenagers find an app that connects with them, their personalities, and how they learn.
To help you get started, we’ve put together this list of our favorite Bible apps for your youth ministry.
Dwell: Audio Bible
Dwell is a great app for youth ministries looking to help teenagers listen to the Bible. Dwell lets you choose from 20 different voice options and 12 different translations of the Bible, so teenagers can customize what they hear. Plus, Dwell includes over 75 listening plans to help teenagers build a habit of spending time with God. You can learn more here.
Verses
If you know a teenager looking to memorize the Bible, take a look at Verses. This Bible app is designed to help teenagers memorize passages of Scripture through quick and easy games. Each game helps teenagers remember passages through listening, reordering, typing, and eventually speaking the passage out loud. With seven different translations, teenagers can choose their favorite and start memorizing Scripture on their own or with friends. Learn more here.
YouVersion Bible App
Chances are, your teenagers already have YouVersion on their phones. This is one of the most commonly downloaded Bible apps, but it’s so much more than a place to read Scripture. Teenagers can find the verse of the day, follow reading plans with their friends, and even export their favorite verses as images to share with others. You can even find Grow Students devotionals! Check it out here.
BibleProject
Teenagers often have more questions about the Bible than their youth pastor can answer on their own. So, what if you set them up with an app that could help them explore the Bible with helpful resources and information? That’s where the BibleProject app comes in. This app helps teenagers develop new skills and tools to understand the Bible through podcasts, videos, reading plans, and more. The BibleProject app is a great resource to have on hand for you, your teenagers, and your team of volunteers. Learn more about the BibleProject app here!
Habits by Grow
Asking a teenager to start a new habit is an uphill battle — especially without the right support, encouragement, and system for tracking. That’s why we created Habits by Grow. With this youth ministry app, teenagers and their friends can help each other grow closer to God by tracking activities that help them work through four spiritual habits — spending time with God, spending time with others, using their gifts, and sharing their stories. It’s all part of our discipleship strategy (which is yours to steal!) Teenagers can choose from pre-selected habits or create their own that match how they’re trying to grow. Check out Habits by Grow here.
This is just a small list of our favorite apps for youth ministry. Chances are you have your own list of favorite apps that help with discipleship. Apps like these can do so much to help teenagers grow in their faith by helping them make spending time with God a regular part of their week. It’s all about engaging with teenagers in ways that are helpful and make sense to them.
That’s one of the things we focus on in Grow Students Curriculum. We wanted to provide youth pastors with helpful, engaging tools that can help their teenagers grow closer to God. In every volume of Grow Students, we include …
- Editable graphics
- Printable posters
- Annual Strategy Guides
- Room design ideas and instructions
- Worship & background music playlists
- 50 weeks of lessons with outlines and editable lesson guides
- Access to all of our apps, including Habits, Slides, Hubs, and the Grow Games Apps
- And so much more!
So, if you’re looking for new ways to engage with your teenagers and help them grow in their faith away from their phones and devices, we’d love to help you! Try Grow for free!
In this post, here’s what we’ll cover: