The Power of Coming TogetherPosted on: 10/16/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKeeLast weekend I was in a small town outside of Minneapolis where I witnessed something I rarely see in the world of youth ministry. I saw a network of 8 youth workers from different ministries come together to share ideas and do ministry together.I almost pinched myself. A Lutheran,...
I have a friend who just started a job as a youth pastor for a small town church. When the church hired him, they were emphatic about two “vital” elements: Don’t change the room. Make sure you let the pastor know what’s going on.So much to say… I don’t even know where to start.I’ll go ahead and refrain from...
5 Essentials to Effectively Communicate to Today's Young PeopleWhy talk for 25 minutes when you can say it in 5?Seriously. Think about it for a moment. Picture a typical youth gathering where an adult has the opportunity to share the truth with kids. Now imagine this. A woman in her young 20’s walks to the front of the room...
Real Relationships in a World of IsolationLast month a student from the high school just down the street from me excused himself from class about 10:15 a.m., walked into a restroom, and shot himself.It was his 17th birthday.My heart sank as I read the entire story in our local Sacramento paper. That's the third article this week I've seen...
Just like it sounds. Start with a simple task (e.g. having a bowl of cereal). You will have one person write instructions (as detailed as possible) to tell the other player how to perform a certain task. The player performing the task must do EXACTLY what is written in the instructions. This is an exceptional game to improve communication...
Get everyone to stand around the tarp. The say, "We have a big announcement, we will now be doing _______ (name of youth group) Cruises! So hop aboard the cruise ship. Please keep in mind that everyone needs to stay on board at all times."Once everyone is on continue with, "Oh no! We’ve hit an iceberg – and we...
Divide your group into teams of 6-8 people. Give each team a balloon. At 'go' each team tries to keep their balloon aloft. There are 3 rules: #1 players cannot use their arms or hands, #2 a player cannot touch the ball twice in a row and #3 everybody on the team must touch the ball at least once....