The year was 2010, and a good friend of mine was invited to lead worship… The post One Invitation Can Change Everything first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

Picture this: An anxious parent corners the new youth pastor after Sunday service and says,… The post 5 Healthy Ways Parents Can Speak into Your Youth Ministry first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

A healthy ministry to young people doesn’t merely seek to give them something to do,… The post 3 Ways to Minister to Our Students’ Parents first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

Fellow Youth Pastors, You are doing a good job of navigating the constant wave of… The post Walking with Students through Mental Health Crises first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

As a youth ministry, blessing your community might not always fall at the top of… The post 12 Ways to Bless Your Community first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

Jerry Varner from Southside Church in Chesterfield, VA started an amazing campaign for local schools… The post Blessing Our Community: Cover Your Campus first appeared on NYI Connect ..read more

          It was Kenda Dean from Princeton Theological Seminary speaking. She said, “We are not at our best when we burn bright for God.” These words made me perk up and pay attention. We aren’t? My mind was racing to rebut the statement. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Peter said, “Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds.” We need to burn bright for God…right?           Dean finished the statement. “We are at our best when we burn and are not consumed.” She was r ..read more

For many churches, youth ministry is deeply desired but often out of reach. Ministries to students often begin with a chicken-or-the-egg conundrum. As a pastor or volunteer, you may want a fun youth ministry with big programming and lots of excitement, but you don’t have the volunteers or resources to make it as attractive as (insert megachurch across town here). The stark reality of ministry is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Context matters. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really healthy ways to begin, grow, and sustain a youth ministry that fit your congregation and con ..read more

Those of us who have been in youth ministry for a while know the mixed emotions when youth graduate or age out of our ministry. Connections might become irregular or even nonexistent. There are a variety of reasons for this, but what is true for us all is that we continue to care about their faith, even beyond youth group. On occasion, when youth have moved away for school, they will tell me about a new church they started attending. I always ask them what they like about it, and without fail, their response is some iteration of, “There are a lot of people my age.” I am guessing you have heard ..read more

I remember sitting in a new office during my very first week as a young adult pastor and replaying the words that had been spoken to me just days prior: “Young adults aren’t looking for youth group 2.0.” As a veteran youth pastor of almost 20 years who came into the job with a portfolio of games, events, small group strategies, and creative messages, that statement left me wondering, “What exactly are young adults looking for?” What I’ve learned over the past few years is that young adults aren’t looking for an amazing program custom-built for them but rather they are searching for spaces wher ..read more