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| 1. 6 Back-to-School Conversation Starters |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, July 30, 2026 @ 2:36 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Try these back-to-school conversation starters to invite youth into more substantial discussions. Don't be afraid to go deeper! Read More... |
| 2. Getting Ready for the School Year |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, July 30, 2026 @ 2:02 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. As you're getting ready for the school year, have you thought about how the changes will impact your family? Read More... |
| 3. 10 Signs You Belong to a Healthy Church |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 @ 11:34 AM PST
in the "Articles" Category. When you plug into a church that is getting it done, it's a true blessing. Read More... |
| 4. Summer Ministry's C+ Temptation |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, June 18, 2026 @ 4:04 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Maybe your summer youth ministry already crushes. If so, keep the momentum! If not, change things up, and don't cave into the C+ temptation. Read More... |
| 5. Summer Is a Liar |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, June 18, 2026 @ 3:42 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Summer is a serial liar. Summer is NOT a slower time for youth ministry, and it's NOT chock-full of margin as it might claim. Read More... |
| 6. When Sports Come Before Church: 3 Tips for Christian Families |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Saturday, June 6, 2026 @ 4:50 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. How do you react when sports come before church for teens and parents? Read on for one insider's thoughts on this challenging subject. Read More... |
| 7. Solving Your Top 5 Mission Trip Problems |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 @ 2:35 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. We want to attack mission trip problems in creative ways to streamline our trips and tear down barriers that keep us from our ministry focus. Read More... |
| 8. 5 Imperatives for Maximizing Your Summer Recovery Days |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 @ 4:35 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Make the most of your days off during the summer. Here's some "veteran advice" for your summer recovery days. Read More... |
| 9. 30 Summer Bucket List Ideas for Teens (Youth Ministry Edition) |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Monday, May 11, 2026 @ 8:00 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Summer is here, and that means youth ministers have all the time in the world. (Ha!) Although my summers are crazy busy, I love these month. That's why I created a summer bucket list for teens. Read More... |
| 10. Train Students To Be 'In but Not Of' the World |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, April 30, 2026 @ 4:00 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. "In but not of" youth ministry means we stop living in a Christian subculture and we train young people to think critically about their cultural influences. Read More... |
| 11. What were you like in the 90s? |
| From Deep Thoughts by Gman on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 @ 8:07 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category. http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZioO Read More... |
| 12. Helping Students Transition From Children's Ministry to Youth Group |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Thursday, April 23, 2026 @ 2:41 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Heading from children's ministry to youth group is so much more than a "new adventure" for kids. It's symbolic of growing up. Read More... |
| 13. Communicating With Parents |
| From youthministry360 on Thursday, March 26, 2026 @ 11:44 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category. "What time is the bus leaving?" "What should they bring?" "I didn't know anything about this!" If you've been in youth ministry for any amount of time, you have most likely heard these questions and frustrations from parents by now. You probably also know the disappointment after putting together details for events, publicizing for weeks, and people still don't know what's going on. You ask yourself, "What am I doing wrong? Do they not care? Is it me or them?" Honestly, the answer is a bit more complicated. Here are some thoughts that may help you in better communicating with parents. Recently, I read the book Start with Why, by Simon Sinek, and his concept of the Golden Circle. It helps businesses and organizations start with the question of "why" they exist, and work out from there to "How" and "What". It's designed to give groups purpose and direction, but in the realm of communication, I believe these questions are just as important. For clarity in this article, communication with parents refers to written communication, not verbal. That could be another blog altogether! WHY ARE YOU COMMUNICATING? This seems like a straightforward question, but it's worth thinking about for a few minutes. What is your purpose in communicating with the families in your church? Knowing your 'why' might even give you more motivation to get that email out to parents! For example, is your ministry's weekly email more about delivering information? Is it a tool you intentionally use to equip parents for the work of discipling their kids? One answer isn't better than the other, but if your communication with them is informational one week and inspirational the next, it will seem like your goals are scattered, like you're throwing ideas to the wall and seeing what sticks. If it's a weekly email, have a section for upcoming events, but also links for parents that will help them connect with their teenager. Whatever your goal, focus on what you want to say, and be consistent with it. You may be in a situation where the youth ministry has always had a weekly email/text, and now you feel you need to continue that tradition, in the same way your predecessor did. That's not necessarily the case. If the youth pastor before you could create beautiful templates that look like he worked with Adobe Photoshop as a side hustle, don't feel like you need to copy them. Be yourself! But if you want your weekly communication to look or sound better, don't be afraid to ask for help either. You may have volunteers in your ministry with gifting in those areas! Ask yourself why you're communicating the way you are, and if there's a better way. Does our ministry need to communicate this often in this way from now until forever? Probably not. I know change is scary (especially if you're the new guy) because people may complain and say, "That's not how so-and-so did it!" It's ok. Change is inevitable, and eventually, people will get used to it. HOW ARE YOU COMMUNICATING? You've probably heard some youth pastors say, "You can't overcommunicate in ministry." I've even said this to a few younger pastors myself! But as I've gotten older, I don't know if that saying still holds up. Here's the problem: In an effort to reach anybody and everybody, you may actually be reaching nobody. If I know as a parent that I can find information on the student ministry just about anywhere, chances are I won't go looking for it. But if I know the two or three places to find it, I'll be going back to those sources more often. Focus your communications on a few key methods (i.e., text, email, and Facebook). Overcommunicate about how you communicate. Maybe you're comfortable with your communication methods, but it still feels like families aren't receiving what you're putting out there. Don't be afraid to ask parents how you can do a better job at communicating with them. You could say something like this, "Hey! I just wanted to make sure you're getting our weekly email for our student ministry. In the last couple of weeks, we've asked parents to respond, and I haven't heard back from you. I don't want to add to your busyness - if there's a more convenient way to connect, just let me know." You're doing a few important things here: 1) You're holding them to a degree of accountability. Healthy accountability is important in communication; it goes both ways! 2) You're recognizing their life and schedule are different than yours, and 3) you're telling them you're willing to adjust to help them. All of this together shows parents you want to be their ally, not an adversary. As I said earlier, be consistent! If you're writing the email that goes out Monday morning to families, on Monday morning, you're already behind. Go ahead and at least get a rough draft of Monday's email in your inbox before you leave for the weekend. If you can finish that email the week before, and have it scheduled to go out at 9:00 AM every morning, even better! (Pro tip: Clear and consistent communication with parents will help them build trust with you. Easy win!) WHAT ARE YOU COMMUNICATING? Former President Franklin D. Roosevelt was credited with the advice, "Be sincere, be brief, be seated." This advice is good for deacon's meetings, but also communication with parents! Think about how you read emails, texts, or even your church's bulletin. If you're like most people, you probably just read over the first few sentences of an email. The parents who get your emails probably do the same thing, so try to keep it short and to the point, or at least the most important things at the top of your email. As you're promoting the next event or including a reminder, don't get caught up in using too many words. Keep it short, keep it simple. If you want to keep the attention of parents after they see the highlights, consider including some images from your last event, like a collage of 3-4 pictures. In the past, I've sent out weekly emails to families that include the "Need to Know" info at the top, followed by a recap picture from our last event, in-depth details about what's happening, and a helpful article for families at the bottom. We don't want to just keep parents informed; we want to keep them engaged. Make reading it worth their time. Don't make it hard to get connected to what's going on in your youth ministry. If parents have to call you or the church office to have their name added to the email or text list, you may lose the chance to connect with them. With a little research and effort, you could make a free QR code on all your publications, which parents can scan with their phone to be automatically added to an email list through an app like MailChimp. This saves time for you and them. Lastly, with all this talk of instant communication and automated emails, don't neglect the important act of reaching out to parents directly. Not to inform or update, but simply to ask, "Hey, you were on my mind, and I was wondering if there's anything I can be praying for you about this week?" I promise you that it will always mean more to someone than a reminder about camp deadlines. Share with others in our YM360 community: Consider asking a volunteer parent in your youth ministry for their thoughts on what and how you communicate. Tell them they have permission to be as honest as possible. What could you add to the weekly email that makes it more than just announcements? How could you make it into a conversation starter that parents look forward to receiving each week? Ready for more articles and training? Check out these top posts! Read More... |
| 14. Jesus First. Country Second. |
| From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Wednesday, March 25, 2026 @ 9:14 AM PST
in the "Blog" Category. Why our ultimate allegiance should be to Heaven, not Earth. Read More... |
| 15. Elevating Evangelism |
| From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Thursday, March 19, 2026 @ 3:20 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category. Why your church needs an evangelist on the team Read More... |
| 16. Empowering Students to Take Ownership |
| From youthministry360 on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 @ 1:25 PM PST
in the "Resources" Category. STUDENTS INFLUENCE STUDENTS Getting students involved in the ministry is always a plus. No matter the size of your youth group, getting them to buy into the youth group can cause a massive shift in the culture of your ministry. When students are bought in, this allows them to leverage their influence to share the Gospel and invite others into their ministry. I always tell my students that this ministry is their ministry, I'm just the one who steers the ship. Allowing your students to hoist the sails and man the ship is a gamechanger. Our student ministry has grown a good bit since I took over 5 years ago. But it's not because of me. It's because I've tried to engrain into my students' heads that this is their ministry and that God has called them to go out and share the Gospel and invite their friends to church. I have a senior this year in my student ministry named Gage. Gage is one of the best young men I know. He serves on our student leadership team, plays the drums on our worship team, and his parents serve in our ministry. But before Gage did all of this, he began seeking out opportunities to invite his friends to church. One youth night, I was standing beside his dad, and I began to count all of the guys that were there because of Gage. 10 guys were in our youth room because of the influence that Gage has. That was over 2 years ago, and many of those young men still come on Wednesday nights and have placed their faith in Jesus, all because of Gage's influence. My point is this: you have students in your youth group who have influence. In fact, all of your students have influence! It's up to you to call that influence out in them and teach them how they can influence the people around them for the sake of the Gospel. Whether we like it or not, we have to face the fact that our students are going to either be influencers or they are going to be the ones being influenced. I'd rather have them be the influence. STUDENTS ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO BELONG AND BUY INTO In order to bring out that influence in a student, you have to create a ministry and a place that the student feels like they belong in. One of the biggest desires for any student is to feel like they belong somewhere. Once they feel like they belong, buy-in quickly follows. Students share what they love. If they love their student ministry, then they are more likely to tell and invite their friends to visit. But this comes with a clear and solid vision that is constantly stated out loud to all of the students. Our motto at youth is "Creating a space where students can find and follow Jesus." When each student walks up the stairs in our youth building, they are met with a giant banner that says "Find and Follow" on it. That's who we are, and that gives students something to buy into. I want our student ministry to be a place where each student feels like they belong. Even if they deal with some heavy identity issues and sexual identity issues, I want them to feel like they belong in my youth room. Why? Because when they feel like they belong, they can get vulnerable, and God can use those moments to change their life through salvation. Once lives are being changed through the power of the gospel, those students are the quickest to buy in. Why? Because they have "tasted and seen that the Lord is good," and they will want to share that with others. As youth leaders, our job isn't just to preach catchy sermons or to feed the kids pizza on Wednesdays or Sunday nights; our job is to create a space where students can belong and buy into. Then, we can step back and watch the Lord work as we share the gospel and see students take ownership of their ministry. Remember- it's not your ministry, it's theirs. ONCE THEY ARE BOUGHT IN, LET THEM GO, BUT WITH GUARD RAILS A student who loves the Lord and is eager to be involved in the ministry can be a massive help in ministry, even if they don't know the specifics of ministry. Your job as the student pastor does not change with them. Your job is still to disciple, but now you're discipling them in light of what God is doing in and through their life in your student ministry. Give them responsibilities. Start small. Maybe have them grab the pizzas from the deliveryman and bring you the receipt, or have them help with check-in. Then, once you begin to see their buy-in, have them do the opening announcements or lead the nightly game. My goal on Wednesday nights when our youth meet is to do two things: know my students better than I did last week, and help them know Jesus deeper than they did last week. I'm able to do this because I have a student who does all of my announcements and leads all the games. I also have a student leader who chooses all the songs we sing and leads our student-led worship team every week. I've given both of these students the opportunity to lead how they want to, but I also have walked with them as they have selected games and picked songs. What they don't realize is that I am molding them into leaders, and leaders that will hopefully serve the church for years to come. They know what we are trying to build and accomplish on Wednesday night. Don't be afraid to turn your students loose, but make sure they're buying into the vision of the student ministry as they lead and walk beside them. This will create incredible discipleship opportunities. THE LONG GAME I read a statistic one time that said something along the lines that 80% of students leave the church when they graduate high school. That, my friends, is simply not good enough for me. By giving students opportunities to lead and to buy into their student ministry, what you are actually doing is beginning to build the leaders of tomorrow's church. Now, I 100% believe that our students are part of today's church, but they are tomorrow's deacons, elders, greeters, youth leaders, pastors, etc. Why not give them the opportunity and show them that they can use their lives for the sake of the gospel now? Do they have influence, even though they are only in the 9th grade? So what if they fail? You'll be right there to catch them and encourage them. That's the beauty of challenging them to lead; we get a front row seat to encourage and walk with them as they seek to make the name of Jesus known with those around them. Doesn't that sound a little bit like the strategy we call discipleship? Letting students lead can be a bit scary and can make you cringe sometimes, but it is so worth it to see the students take ownership of their ministry. Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community: What is the name of a student whom you might ask to help you lead when you meet for youth group? What is a way in which you can challenge your students to use the influence that they have with their friend groups to share the gospel with their friends? Ready for more articles and training? Check out these top posts! Read More... |
| 17. Ground Rules for Counseling Students |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Monday, March 16, 2026 @ 11:00 AM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Counseling students is a by-product of healthy ministry, and it is essential you develop ground rules for doing so. Read More... |
| 18. Relational Ministry in a Technology-Dominated World |
| From ChurchLeaders.com Youth Leaders on Friday, March 13, 2026 @ 1:54 PM PST
in the "Articles" Category. Relational ministry has changed in the last decade. Honestly, it used to be pretty easy, but now we are in a technology-dominated world. Read More... |
| 19. When Church-Planting Math Doesn't Add Up |
| From Dare 2 Share Ministries International on Thursday, March 12, 2026 @ 3:16 PM PST
in the "Blog" Category. Why the Church needs more than just church plants Read More... |
| 20. From Middle School to High School - A Concert of Takeaways |
| From youthministry360 on Monday, March 9, 2026 @ 6:21 AM PST
in the "Resources" Category. Ever sat through a band at your local school? I recently did. The set opened with two songs from our 6th graders, then three songs from our 7th graders, eventually building to the finale by our 12th graders. As you might imagine, the younger students were still finding their confidence (or in some cases, the beat), while the older students offered polished covers ranging from "La La Land" to "How to Train Your Dragon." Each performance offered surprising ministry parallels. I've been a small group leader for the same group of boys for the past seven years, seeing firsthand the challenges and rewards that come with every season. It can be tempting to cherry-pick a favorite "moment" from their lives, be it eagerly awaiting the day they got their driver's license, or cherishing how easy it was to make plans before they got jobs. Ecclesiastes 3 describes how "for everything there is a season" (v. 1), be it a time to plant or harvest (v. 2), build up or break down (v. 3), and seek or lose (v. 6). In all these contrasting moments, God is the uniting presence who transforms them into eternal investments (v. 14). Similarly, when we claim the godly potential in every season of our students, we can faithfully plant unique seeds of faith as they mature. To borrow from this youngest-to-oldest "concert," here are three takeaways that we can all absorb. YOU'RE EXPERIENCING A SYMPHONY IN THE MAKING As rough as the middle school performance was, their lack of experience meant they were naturally open to new experiences. They could experiment with playing the drums or clarinet. They could learn any number of new songs. Best of all, they could grow alongside a consistent group - learning, laughing, and looking out for one another for the years to come. When I first started leading, I remember feeling overwhelmed and questioning what was and wasn't working with our group. Now that they're in high school, I've been blown away by how much those boys remember from those early years. Multiple times, they've quoted something back to me that I said four or five years ago. What I viewed as a brief moment then had now taken root and developed into an enduring value. Just as it takes time for a middle schooler to turn sheet music into a symphony, it takes time for an idea to cement into their identity. Our role isn't to say "no" for them, but give them every opportunity to say "yes" after "yes" to Jesus. This can be as simple as helping them build camaraderie with their peers or letting them volunteer to help uncover their gifts. Galatians 6:9 reminds us: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." Never underestimate your power to activate the young men and women your youth has yet to become. YOU'RE SEEING THE BAND There was a unique privilege in seeing the talent of each grade's performance over 90 minutes. Only two or three teachers were running the program, but it was clear that they had developed a relationship with each group. The teachers' commitment inspired a commitment in their students, leading them to engage in this concert together. Being with my small group over the years has taught me the value of communicating commitment. Some students were willing to connect with me after a few months, while some took a few years. Rarely did this come about because I said the right thing at the right time, but rather through the relationship we had forged over time and could then build upon. Jesus is a perfect example of making the most of His earthly ministry, and shares in Luke 12:34: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." When we help our students feel treasured, we give them a tangible glimpse into God's heart. Be it an extra minute, hour, day, week, month, or year, your presence and participation in a student's life create the boosts they need to encounter their next breakthrough with Christ. YOU'RE HEARING THE SONG By the time we got to the senior group, there was anticipation in the air. This was not only the final performance of the night, but their final performance of their lives. There was a maturity in their music and a confidence in their community. There was no doubt that these students knew their song and how to play it really well. This got me thinking about how this confidence was not only reflective of the high schoolers' talent, but also of their development. They weren't looking to learn new songs, but how to play their current song the best way possible. Similarly, I see the seniors in my group make decisions based on conclusions they've made about themselves. One student wants to pursue an engineering degree because he's "good at math." Another student (I kid you not) is considering bull-riding, because he's gotten used to being knocked around in his years of football. If middle schoolers are exploring the right questions to step into, then high schoolers are exploring the right answers to stand on. This isn't to say you won't find a 7th grader set in their ways, or a 10th grader who undergoes a lifestyle change. Just as Jesus reminds us to "become like children" in our faith (Matthew 18:3), we can encourage our older students to keep asking questions and ground their inner narrative in the loving reality of the Father. Hebrews 13:8 proclaims, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Imagine if we applied that eternal longevity to the investment of our students... empowering them in middle school, high school, and beyond. Share your thoughts with others in our YM360 community: What's an opportunity you could give your middle schoolers to volunteer and explore their unique gifts? What's a question you could encourage high schoolers to ask themselves as they enter young adulthood? Ready for more articles and training? Check out these top posts! Read More... |
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