Should You Care About Effectiveness in Youth Ministry?
I was sitting at the table, surrounded by a cohort of fellow doctoral students, when the conversation turned to the question of […]
Category: Strategy
A Simple Way to Get Students to Open Up, Ask Questions, and Own Their Faith
With puberty, middle school students start to develop a new ability to think abstractly. They begin to question their childhood beliefs. In this post, I share an easy way to help them work through those questions and doubts.
How to Grow Your Youth Group: Four Simple Strategies
The early Christian movement spread because the first Christians didn’t close themselves off from non-Christians. Perhaps that might also be the key to growing your youth group in today’s post-Christian culture.
First Things First (Don’t Promote Your Ministry Before You’re Ready)
Before you ask your students to invite all of their friends, get your place in order and create an environment where students who show up for the first time will want to come back a second time.
How to Build Buzz in Your Ministry
New students won’t show up to your ministry if they don’t know about your ministry. That’s why buzz matters. In this post, I share three ways to build buzz and get people talking about your ministry.
A Plea for Practical Theology (An Open Letter to Youth Pastors)
In the wake of recent Christian deconversion stories, I felt compelled to post this open letter that I included in my book, Varsity Faith. It’s a plea for practical theology to make its way into youth ministry.
A Free Tool to Measure What’s Really Happening with Your Students
You think your students are growing spiritually. But are they really? After a brief rant, I share a free tool that will help you know what’s really going on with the students in your youth ministry.
Five Priorities for Your First Year in Youth Ministry
What are the essential areas to focus on during your first year in youth ministry? Here are five things that will set you up for a successful, sustainable youth ministry career.
Four Strategies Your Ministry Can Learn from Fortnite
Don’t let a 16-year-old be more strategic about a video game than you are about your youth ministry.
Why Your Sermons Aren’t Making Disciples
Sermons don’t make disciples. They are important, but they aren’t the whole story. This post discusses what else you can do to help students grasp your message and grow their faith.
