Ask an Expert
Youth Ministry
Running a youth ministry comes with new challenges every day. We’ve collected our expert tips and advice to help you plan, problem-solve, and generate ideas for your programs.
How To Help Youth Give Back During The Holidays
As church leaders, it is our job to teach young people about the true miracle of Christmas—the power and strength of Jesus’s love to change the world. One of the best ways to accomplish this is by encouraging our children to give back during the holiday season. Here are a few tips on getting your youth involved in philanthropy. Read more…
Tips To Increase Youth Attendance
We all know how hard it is to build--and keep--a critical mass of young people in your youth program. Activities compete for their time, enthusiasm waxes and wanes, and the rest of the church may not take a very active role in encouraging youth involvement. We asked a group of youth leaders for their tips for increasing youth participation. Read more...
Tips for Encouraging Small Group Conversation
Discussion is one of the most effective ways in which we process new ideas so we can put them into practice in our lives. But even though we all know that asking questions is a good idea during our teaching times, it’s easy to let our fear of the dreaded awkward silence keep us from making the most of group discussion time. Read more...
Questions to Ask When Starting a Youth Ministry
Here are some questions to ask to begin the dialogue between youth and adults about a shared vision for the youth ministry. Read more…
Keys to Choosing Youth Curriculum
“What should I teach?” is sometimes too broad a question to be helpful in your search for curriculum. Instead, here are nine guiding questions to help you find the right fit. Read more…
Ways to Tweak Curriculum
When choosing a curriculum, the hope is that you’ll be able to use the curriculum as is. However, often you’ll have to adjust the curriculum to make it work in your setting. Here are seven tweaks you can make. Read more…
Starting a Youth Choir
Through youth choirs, teenagers can use their talents to worship God, to lead others in worship, and to reach out to others with the good news. Here are some tips for getting your choir started. Read more…
Releasing Graduates
Graduation comes fast for the high school seniors in your youth ministry. It is a new season for them. They need your help before, during and after they receive their diploma. Here are some steps to help those graduating seniors find success as they hold onto their faith in college. Read more…
Why You Need to Have Pre Mission Trip Meetings
Have you ever considered that some of the most important work on mission trips can happen before your team ever leaves town? With all of the time, effort, and energy that goes into your mission trip don’t overlook the significance of good pre-trip training. Read more…
How to Keep Youth Focused During a Mission Trip
If we aren’t careful, our students can focus their attention on the fun and adventurous aspects of the trip instead of preparing for the potential impact God will make during the week. Here are six ways you can prepare students for your upcoming mission trip. Read more…
How Senior Pastors Can Help Youth Ministry Work
Senior pastors can lead the way and encourage others to include youth as full members of the congregation. Read more…