It’s always easy to look at young people and see their inadequacies. But the truth is, God can use this next generation in spite of their youth, inexperience, or lack of ability.
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Student Ministry
Ultimately, we want our students to enter adulthood with a heart for God and a surrender to His will. As we equip them with the skills to live a faithful Christian life, it is vital that we keep our eyes on the big picture.
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The key isn't chasing the next big thing. It's about being faithful with what God gives you and building on biblical priorities that actually work.
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After fifteen years in youth ministry, I've learned that leading teenagers is like flying a jumbo jet—you're constantly making minor adjustments along the way.
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Reaching out to athletes and coaches provides a tremendous opportunity to reach a large percentage of a public school with the message of the gospel.
It doesn’t take long to notice the great spiritual needs at the average public high school. But getting into a local school with a gospel ministry can be challenging. One avenue few churches consider is through the athletic programs. In most public schools, athletics is a hub for student life. Ministering to the athletes and their friends is a way to serve a large percentage of a school.
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Building Youth Workers
Many youth leaders have a “lone ranger ” type of mentality when it comes to their student ministry. They think they can do it all by themselves. This type of thinking will frustrate you (and your family) and will cause you to be ineffective.
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Last week, we had the privilege of hosting several hundred teens for the annual Higher Call Youth Conference. I’m always mindful during this conference of the incredible potential of teenagers to make a difference in their generation.
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Teens Need You to Love Them
Nurture speaks of tutoring, educating, and training. This kind of instruction includes mild rebukes and correction but does not respond in a fleshly manner.
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Investing in the Next Generation
The longer I serve in ministry, the more I recognize the value of working with young people. In fact, the longer I serve, the more I believe we should pour more of ourselves into serving our youth.
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Boundaries Are Healthy
Contrary to what most parents think, teens really do want boundaries. When a teenager isn’t given clear guidelines, he does what seems right in his own eyes.
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Just as there are loadbearing walls in a house, there are load-bearing pillars in effective student ministry. If you remove any one of these five pillars, it’s detrimental to your entire student ministry.
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Bible College Is a Great Place for Young People to Discern God’s Will
It’s a conversation I’ve had many times: High Schooler: I don’t know what I should do when I finish high school. Maybe I should go to trade school or university. Me: Have you considered attending a year of Bible college?
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God Places Authorities in Our Lives for a Reason
When it comes to responding to authority, everyone makes a choice. There is no middle ground. You will either submit to God and the authority He has established in your life, or you will rebel.
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Guiding Teens to Commit to Purity
When I was a young boy in Northern California, the only time I wanted to go inside was dinnertime. All other hours, I wanted to be outside playing. Playtime for today’s young people, however, has transformed into screen time. The nature of community for twenty-first century children and teens has been radically changed.
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The Key to Developing a Strong Youth Group Is Starting Early
I love rollercoasters! I love the high climbs and the fast descents. I love the feeling of the speed of the track as well as that feeling of nearly coming out of the seat! I could go over and over again. I love the loops and the corkscrews. The more wild the ride, the better! However, I have never enjoyed the “roller coaster” of youth ministry.
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Impacting Your Youth Group
Seth Godin did a study about marketing to Generation Y—today’s teens. The study showed this generation is very selective about who they listen to and that they want to know why before they obey.
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Cultivating Sensitive Hearts for God
Have you ever experienced the frustration of wanting someone to change his spiritual direction more than the individual himself desired to change? Maybe it’s a junior higher in your youth group who just doesn’t know when to be serious, a senior high girl who craves all the wrong attention, or maybe it’s a teen who is just plain apathetic toward biblical truth.
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Helping Your Young People Expect More of Themselves
I recently read a news article about former NFL player, Tom Holloway, who had his house vandalized while he was out of town. It’s hard to comprehend how the consciences of over 300 high school students would allow them to break in, get drunk, steal memorabilia, and graffiti the walls, but that’s exactly what occurred in Tom Holloway’s home. It was one big, bad, out of control party…nice kids, huh?
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Bible College Can Help Young People Accomplish God’s Plan for Their Life
It could certainly be said that the year after high school graduation marks the first part of one’s adult life. In fact, it is commonly stated at graduations that high school commencement is a threshold one crosses into adulthood. Based on the biblical principle of first things, it would certainly seem wise to dedicate at least this first year as a time for spiritual growth and grounding.
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Help Teens Abandon Their Quest for Acceptance by Showing Them Their Place in Christ
Not too long ago, I was in Phoenix to watch the Suns play the Lakers. Of course, I wore a Lakers jersey. They are my team, and I came to enjoy the game and show my support. A lot of other fans were wearing jerseys to the game, but hardly any of them were the purple and gold of the Lakers. I stood out, I was in enemy territory, but I was not about to hide my identity as a Lakers fan.
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