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Events are a pretty big deal for most youth ministries. They’re a way to have fun, connect with students and their families, get new people in the door, and create some excitement. Events matter, but we’ve got to keep things in perspective. That’s why we’re fans of...
Teaching
If you've spent any time in youth ministry, you've probably asked yourself this question—Are they learning anything? It's a question that drives youth pastors everywhere to adjust and refine their programs. It's pretty easy to tell when teenagers...
If you've spent any time in children's ministry, you've probably asked yourself this question — Are they learning anything? It's a question that drives kids pastors everywhere to keep adjusting and refining their programs. It's pretty easy to tell...
Let's say you've got a video you want to show during your teaching time. How do you go about doing it? If you didn't know, there are many rules and laws around what's legal and not concerning playing music, videos, and other media in your church...
Volunteers
When we think about training and communicating with our volunteers, we often picture in-person meetings or big events. And those moments matter. But if we want to keep our vision in front of our volunteers all year long, we need to think about training and support in...
We recently asked thousands of church leaders about their biggest struggles in ministry. Their answer? Volunteers. And not like, "We wish we had more!" (They do.) But more like... "We wish we knew what to do with them." Finding great volunteers is its own challenge,...
The first time you're in charge of a small group of kids, you might feel pretty intimidated. It's a big responsibility, and there's so much to remember—names, talking points, and rules to your icebreaker. Beyond that, there's the stuff you can't always prepare for,...
Discipleship
When we talk with ministry leaders about their biggest challenges, a few themes always come up... Growth. Volunteers. Time. But one topic rises to the top again and again: parents. How do I work with them? How do I talk with them? How do I get them connected to what...
There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into youth ministry. Maybe it was the promise of regular pizza parties, the unmatched chaos of dodgeball, or the strange joy of watching a teenager actually laugh at one of your jokes. These are all valid...
We all want to help kids grow — it's why we said "yes" to Kids Ministry to begin with. All of us want to be a part of helping kids make the decision to follow Jesus and then get them started on a path towards growing and living out their faith. But that's easier said...
Leadership
What’s the last change initiative you led that actually stuck? Not the one that just launched. Not the one you just announced. Not the one you barely survived. The one that stuck. Here’s the uncomfortable truth – most change efforts fail. It's often not because the...
Several years ago, I gave a talk, and the theme was delegation as formation. The audience was visibly surprised throughout this talk because most people never think to equate these two ideas. We talked about this in our Leadership Labs workshop yesterday, and it was...
If you’ve ever gone snorkeling or scuba diving, you know this is true—what you see from the boat is only a small glimpse of the world beneath the surface. Organizational culture works the same way. What we see in our teams at a glance is only a small part of what is...
Every team has a culture. Even if you’ve never talked about it. Even if you’ve never defined it. Even if you’ve been too busy to think about it. And if you’re not shaping your team’s culture intentionally, it’s still forming—but not necessarily in the ways you would...
Families
Let's be honest, we can all do a better job connecting with the families in our ministry. They're a vital part of what we do, and we love being around their kids and students. In your heart, you know families are worth investing in, but choosing the right date,...
When we think about connecting with families, we often picture in-person conversations or family-focused events. And those moments matter. But if we want to keep our vision in front of families all year long, we need to think about communication in a more consistent,...
Engaging with parents is a vital part of kids and youth ministry—and it isn’t always easy. Parents and caregivers play a huge role in the faith development of their kids, which means the way we communicate, support, and partner with them really matters. When we work...
Events
If you’ve ever watched students open up around a bonfire or heard a breakthrough story during a small group session, you already get it—retreats can be amazing. A weekend retreat helps students break out of their routines, bond with each other and their leaders, and...
For a well-rounded and holistic approach to your ministry events, there are 10 different kinds of events we recommend including in your annual event strategy. That's because different kinds of events can help you achieve different goals. We'll get to those 10 kinds of...
Looking for actually-fun Easter crafts for kids that don’t make your volunteers cry or your preschoolers melt down halfway through? Well, you’re in the right place. Whether you're planning for a Sunday morning, a community egg hunt, or a classroom activity, these...
Environments
The Christmas season is here, and it’s the perfect moment to fill your kids’ ministry with the joy of Christmas music—but you might be looking for something new this year. That’s why we’re so excited to introduce our newest song, Jesus, It's Your Birthday! This...
If you're looking for a way to help your teenagers and volunteers grow together, a great board game might be what you need. Keeping a few board games around your meeting space is always a good idea. While a board game might not be our first thought...
If you're looking for a way to help your kids and volunteers grow together, a great board game might be what you need. Keeping a few board games around your meeting space is always a good idea. While a board game might not be our first thought when...
Popular Posts
Healthy kids and youth ministries are built on the shoulders of volunteers—and most of them didn’t sign up because they felt qualified. They signed up because they care. They said “yes” because they love kids, believe in your ministry, or trusted your invitation. But recruiting volunteers is only the first step. Once someone joins your team, a new question begins to surface: “Am I doing this right?” If we want volunteers to feel confident, supported, and excited to keep showing up, we have to...
There are a lot of reasons why many of us stepped into youth ministry. Maybe it was the promise of regular pizza parties, the thrill of reliving our former dodgeball stardom, or the profound joy of seeing a teenager actually laugh at one of your jokes. These are all valid reasons—but underneath all the fun, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping teenagers grow in their faith. That’s the heart of what we do. We want to see students know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith...
There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into kids ministry. Maybe it was a love for animal crackers, a desire for more glitter-based art work, or the absolute thrill of wearing a costume at nine o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. These are all valid reasons, but underneath all of the glamour, we were all motivated by the possibility of helping kids grow in their faith. That’s the heart of what we do. We want to see kids know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts....
There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into kids ministry. Maybe it was a love for animal crackers, a desire for more glitter-based artwork, or the absolute thrill of wearing a costume at nine o’clock in the morning on a Sunday. These are all valid reasons—but underneath all the glamour, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping kids grow in their faith. That’s the heart of what we do. We want to see kids know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts. But...
There are so many great reasons why many of us stepped into youth ministry. Maybe it was the promise of regular pizza parties, the unmatched chaos of dodgeball, or the strange joy of watching a teenager actually laugh at one of your jokes. These are all valid reasons—but underneath all the fun, we were really motivated by the possibility of helping students grow in their faith. That’s the heart of what we do. We want to see teenagers know Jesus, follow Jesus, and build a faith that lasts. But...
If you’ve ever watched students open up around a bonfire or heard a breakthrough story during a small group session, you already get it—retreats can be amazing. A weekend retreat helps students break out of their routines, bond with each other and their leaders, and experience spiritual growth in a focused way. But of course, planning a retreat can feel overwhelming. What will we do? Where will we go? How can we feed a group of teenagers without breaking our budget? These are valid questions,...
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