Youth Ministry Help | TheSource4YM

Experiences that Teach

October 14, 2020

Last weekend, I took 7 teenagers with me to give out food to the homeless, and the experience proved...

By Joel Williamson 0 Comments

Owning Their Faith

September 23, 2020 6 Comments

Tony, a high school boy in our ministry, begged me to let him speak at youth group. He...

Let them Lead

September 2, 2020 2 Comments

When COVID shut down our in-person youth ministry, I challenged my youth to record a one-minute devotional video, and...

People Over Program

July 8, 2020 3 Comments

If we are too focused on program (I’ve gotta set up these games, let’s practice this worship set one...

Surviving Zoom Fatigue

May 27, 2020 2 Comments

If you are feeling “zoomed out,” I promise you – many of your teens are also. Here are some...

Helping lonely kids…which is most of them

May 13, 2020 0 Comments

How can you help an already stressed out generation, now hurting more than ever before, when screens aren’t fulfilling?...

#engagement

April 22, 2020 0 Comments

Want help with ideas for 'how to up your game' and feel like you know what you are doing...

Pandemic Evangelism

April 8, 2020 0 Comments

It’s pandemic evangelism. Foxhole evangelism. I’ve heard it called many things. But I’ve seen it personally over the last...

I Led Youth Group on Zoom Last Night…

March 25, 2020 16 Comments

Last night I led youth group on Zoom. I thought it would be different... and it was. But it...

When Youth Ministry Goes Remote

March 17, 2020 2 Comments

As more and more school districts close and churches limit gatherings, there is going to be millions of teens...

Paging Doctor Youth Pastor

March 11, 2020 1 Comments

How much more would your influence and impact grow if you became an indispensable resource to your church and...

Out-of-Control Kids

February 26, 2020 1 Comments

We've all had kids in our ministry whose behavior is unruly, unsafe or sometimes just completely out-of-control. What do...

The Importance of Face-to-Face Ministry

February 12, 2020 3 Comments

Have you ever tried hosting an ‘official’ youth ministry event that felt ‘unofficial’? No games, no small groups, no...

Youth Ministry Screen-to-Screen

January 22, 2020 2 Comments

It's a simple formula that generations of student ministry are built on...gather students at church and get them excited...

When Teenagers Cause Distress

January 8, 2020 0 Comments

If you are in distress because a student is suffering and hurting and it breaks your heart, that makes...

The Best of 2019

December 11, 2019 0 Comments

As you look back at 2019, here’s the free resources and articles you won’t want to have missed from...

Mise en Place Youth Ministry

November 20, 2019 1 Comments

Great youth ministry leadership is like the French cooking term “mise en place,” or everything in its place: the...

When Haters Hate Campus Ministry

November 6, 2019 0 Comments

Haters are always going to be trying to keep true followers of Jesus off campus. The question is… how...

Invite Depth

October 23, 2019 1 Comments

Inviting depth really revolves around one idea: authentic presence. As a youth worker, I am authentic in my care for...

Power in Numbers

September 25, 2019 1 Comments

Most youth workers would love to connect with other youth workers for encouragement and ideas...but most youth workers don't...

Choosing the “Perfect” Volunteer

September 11, 2019 0 Comments

We know we need volunteers…but what kind of person makes up a perfect volunteer? We want someone who...

Engaging Kids about Pop-Culture

August 28, 2019 3 Comments

A song on the top of the charts, a new Netflix show everyone is binging, a new trend everyone...

Creating All-Star Volunteers

August 14, 2019 0 Comments

Ever have a volunteer who just doesn’t do what they “volunteered” to do? I have learned empathy for the...

Wanna Really Help Kids? Help Their Parents

July 31, 2019 0 Comments

One of the best ways youth leaders can help today's young people is to help the people who are...

Four Ways to Build the Self Esteem of “Generation Screen”

June 26, 2019 1 Comments

In a world where teen self-esteem is at a historic low, how can we actually help young people feel...

Correcting with Grace

June 12, 2019 0 Comments

In youth ministry, we deal with all sorts of crazy behavior. How we handle it communicates just as much...

Helping Parents Prevent Porn

May 27, 2019 0 Comments

As youth workers we're always looking for helpful resources to hand parents- here's 3 resources helping moms and dads...

Tray of Fat

May 6, 2019 2 Comments

Last summer my dog Lionel discovered something delicious—the drip tray underneath our outdoor propane grill. Whenever we grill burgers,...

They Listen When I Talk about Jesus

April 22, 2019 0 Comments

It was an interesting phenomenon, and I would have thought it just a fluke thing had I not tried...

Lead Yourself First

April 3, 2019 0 Comments

Here is a hard truth that we must face: we can’t lead anyone further than we have gone ourselves....

Are Committed Christian Guys an Endangered Species?

March 20, 2019 2 Comments

Why is it every time I teach at a youth leadership convention, the audience is comprised of 75% females?...

5 Ways to Ruin A Lesson

March 4, 2019 1 Comments

We’ve all seen messages that have knocked it out of the park and others that have fallen flat on...

Oh, and I’m bisexual

February 18, 2019 10 Comments

A friend of mine was just at a family gathering talking with one of his nieces. He asked her...

Why Home is the Best Location for Youth Ministry

February 4, 2019 2 Comments

The church was small, and they didn’t have a facility yet, so they had to meet in homes for...

The Secret Sauce to Game Leading

January 28, 2019 0 Comments

Have you ever been leading a game and things suddenly…are just “right?” There is laughter, energy, and true play....

When Soccer Trumps Youth Group

January 21, 2019 4 Comments

You know the drill. You get super fired up for a student ministry event your team has been planning....

Top 5 Fundraising Ideas

January 8, 2019 3 Comments

Those of us in youth ministry seem to always need to raise funds or get sponsors for something—camp scholarships,...

What Do Our Youth Need Most?

December 10, 2018 0 Comments

A kid in pain... do I craft a lesson around emotional pain and how Jesus can be salve for...

Not Married to the Ministry

December 3, 2018 0 Comments

“So will your wife be helping in the youth ministry as well?” In any job there are presumably going...

5 Teens or Less

November 27, 2018 1 Comments

“So how many teens can they expect to reach effectively?” I asked him.“How many leaders do they have?” It...

Grace First

November 12, 2018 2 Comments

I’ve asked hundreds of kids to write down an answer to the question, “If God came to you in...

Five Best Apps For Youth Ministry

November 6, 2018 2 Comments

Youth ministries depend on quality volunteers. And here's one simple practice to help you mobilize them...

People Want to Be Asked

October 22, 2018 0 Comments

Youth ministries depend on quality volunteers. And here's one simple practice to help you mobilize them...

When Teens Are Out of Control

October 16, 2018 1 Comments

I know you're supposed to love kids and build them up. But what if they're being a real pain?

Filling the Tank

October 8, 2018 0 Comments

You cannot give what you don’t have. Eventually everyone runs dry, and the only way to continue doing ministry...

5 Athletes and One Nerd

October 1, 2018 4 Comments

I met with a friend today who was ecstatic. “My teenage son is finally excited about church!” My friend...

What If Kids Don’t Think I’m Awesome?

September 21, 2018 2 Comments

by Joel WilliamsonConfession: After 16 years of youth ministry, I still get nauseous when I walk into a school...

The Three Vital Practices of Today’s Youth Pastor

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

by Jonathan McKee“How can I become the best youth pastor possible?”Wow! Talk about your huge questions! I just received...

The Math We Miss

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

by Jonathan McKeeSome youth workers aren’t very good at math.Let’s do a little simple math (stolen from my The...

Poor Leadership 101

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

The youth ministry was fizzling out and no one knew why.It was as simple as this: kids weren’t meeting...

What youth ministry should look like

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

by Jonathan McKeeI walked into the small church Fellowship Hall and it was busting at the seams. 300-plus teenagers...

Four Numbers That Will Always Matter in Youth Ministry

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

by Jonathan McKeeLife is full of over-reactions…but they are abundant in youth ministry circles.Have you noticed these swings of...

Training Your Own Volunteers

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

Training Your Own VolunteersPosted on: 06/3/14 5:30 AM | by Jonathan McKeeIf you’re a ministry leader, what do you do to...

Chaperone… or Sherpa?

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

Chaperone… or Sherpa?Posted on: 10/20/15 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKeeWhat do you call your adult leaders in your youth ministry? Chaperones?...

Developing Student Leaders

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

Developing Student LeadersPosted on: 05/7/15 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKeeThis week I received a great question in the form of...

Back to School Conversations

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

Back to School ConversationsPosted on: 08/23/17 3:03 PM | by Jonathan McKeeIf your kids aren’t already back to school, they’re headed...

Top 3 qualities I’m looking for when I hire

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

Top 3 qualities I’m looking for when I hirePosted on: 03/8/16 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKeeSomeone just asked me, “Jonathan,...

The Power of Coming Together

September 14, 2018 0 Comments

The Power of Coming TogetherPosted on: 10/16/14 5:45 AM | by Jonathan McKeeLast weekend I was in a small town outside...

Principles for Newbie Youth Pastors

September 7, 2018 0 Comments

I have a friend who just started a job as a youth pastor for a small town church. When...

Communicating with Clarity

September 7, 2018 0 Comments

5 Essentials to Effectively Communicate to Today's Young PeopleWhy talk for 25 minutes when you can say it in...

Connecting with Students

March 25, 2012 0 Comments

This article originally appeared as a guest post from Jonathan McKee on StudentMinistry.orgThe location wasn’t anything special—a multi-purpose room...

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Shhhhh! Don’t Talk About Sex!

March 11, 2012 0 Comments

In the spring of 2012, I was speaking at a camp in rural Wisconsin and I brought up the...

training-tools

Recruiting Volunteers

February 18, 2011 0 Comments

An Effective Strategy to Get More Help!I've never met a youth worker who hung a sign on his office...

training-tools

GROWING IN IMPACT

February 18, 2011 0 Comments

Dear Youth Pastor, We're glad that you're serious about becoming a better youth leader, and helping your volunteers...

training-tools

How Do I Keep Volunteers?

February 18, 2011 0 Comments

February 18, 2011 0 Comments

When you hear the word "training," what comes to mind? A large conference? A Saturday workshop? Bringing in...