Highlights of Youth Group Reunion
Wow. I had such a great time at the reunion of youth group kids from the 80’s and 90’s at my old church, San Diego First Assembly of God…
Archive
College Flashbacks
Yesterday I was walking around my alma mater. As much as I loved my time in college, and am grateful for the amazing friends I had and growth I experienced (believe me, the two were closely linked), I find that…
Just Worship
Are we more comfortable with singing about God’s love or God’s justice; with raising our hands in church or reaching our hands out to the poor and oppressed? Whether we’re uncomfortable or not, the Old Testament prophets and the example of Christ point us to a radical both/and type of worship justice. This article challenges us to think carefully about how we teach and model worship to students.
Going Global When US Teens Tackle Tough International Issues
Can students in your youth ministry really make an impact on the world? Using an international Transformational Development model, David Russell shares what can happen when we re-cast youth ministry and kids catch on.
Why Ecclesiology? Imagining a New Theology of Youth Ministry for the Church
What do we really think about the church, and does it make a difference in the way we do youth ministry? Kara Powell and Brad Griffin argue here that our ecclesiology matters immensely for youth workers, and make practical suggestions for working out a new theology of youth ministry for your church.
Toward Deeper Justice for All The Urban Social Justice Report
What is social justice, and how do I know if I’m doing it—or doing it well—in youth ministry? To help you evaluate your own ministry, we’re reporting here on a collaborative effort by FYI, World Vision, Community Solutions, Inc., and the Urban Youth Workers Institute to get at the difference between average justice work and deeper justice ministry. FREE DOWNLOADABLE ASSESSMENT TOOL.
The Other Side of At-Risk Freeing Youth from Suburban Oppression
Few of us actually think suburban kids live risk-free lives, but most of what we hear about “at-risk” relates to kids who live in urban areas, in deep poverty, or in obviously harsh family environments. This article looks deeper into the oppressive forces impacting the lives of suburban kids—no less real or oppressive, but perhaps less obvious.
Through the Zone Creating Rites of Passage in Your Church
How do the kids in your church know when they have become adolescents? How do they know when they have become adults? As we re-think the value and necessity of rites of passage in our ministries, we may help bring clarity to these life stages and help students through the zones of identity confusion.
We Have Forgotten that We Belong to Each Other
Who are the youth you consider developmentally “at risk” in your church or neighborhood? In contrast to the individualism that has guided most work with kids who are labeled this way, Jude Tiersma Watson offers an approach based on ecological development theory and a theological principle of belonging. These insights affect the way we view ministry with ANY kind of student.
What Attracts and Keeps Students at Your Church?
Think about the last student who showed up at one of your youth ministry events for the first time. Did they come back? If not, why not? If so, that’s great, but do you know what your ministry did that kept them coming back to your church?