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My buddy Tim Schmoyer over at StudentMinistry.org wrote a cool little book titled, Life In Student Ministry. I really enjoyed it, so I’m going to give away 5 of these books. Let’s have us a simple little contest!
Here’s how it will work.
In addition to my daily blogging and writing here, next week I’m going to start chiming in on StudentMinistry.org (every Wednesday), provoking discussion about current youth ministry issues. Tim has several authors chiming in on this blog— I’m excited to be part of it.
Here’s where you come in: I’d love to hear from you- what youth ministry issues do you want to hear about? Any specific questions you have? I want to make sure that both these blogs keep addressing relevant issues.
The contest is simple. You comment– you enter to win. Just use the comment feature in my blog (this blog that you are reading) to respond back with relevant youth ministry topics/issues that would be good to discuss, or any questions you have, and I’ll randomly draw 5 winners on Monday to receive Tim’s cool new book, Life in Student Ministry.
Let’s hear it!
Posted in Books, Contests, Discussion Ideas | | Leave A Comment
I would love to hear more thoughts about how to speak/teach on dating among middle schoolers when you have such a wide range of kids…those that still think the other sex has cooties and some that are hormone raging young teens!
How about discussing strategies and tips for getting students involved in children’s ministry?
I’d love to hear some ideas on transitioning 5th/6th grade students into Jr. High ministry.
At the end of the school year, I’ll no longer have any Sr. Highers. I need help in growing this area as oppose to just waiting for my Middle Schoolers to grow into it.
How to get more adult volunteers to help out in the ministry.
How about discussing student ministry networks and networking well with other youth leaders?
How can we successfully run a youth ministry when only meeting twice a month? one meeting is teaching-based and the other is event-based.
I would like suggestions about whether I should keep our youth group from age 12-18 (grades 6-12) or have a 6-9th grade and then a 10-12th. It seems like there is such a maturity difference and some of the subjects seem a little “sensitive”. Am I being naive or do the 6-9th graders already know a lot of this stuff?
i am a winner thanks be to the king of kings and lord of lords. God bleeding you all. And when we step back and allow teen to express themselves. Something wonderfully happens they open the door for decussion.
How to get a church to be more supportive of ministry to teens who don’t yet know God and might not act or look like “good Christian teens”.
I think the issues that are most relevant are how to stay relevant to teens, how to empower and lead volunteers, and how to speak language that makes sense to an unchurched teen!! Would love to hear thoughts on these…
I would love to hear about ways that we can meaningfully incorporate youth into the body of our church and the body of Christ. What can we as leaders and pastors do to make them feel a part of the whole rather than a separate entity; likewise what are the practical steps and conversations we need to have with our adults so that the youth feel welcomed.
We really need help with managing our youth ministry with only “volunteers” and little financial resources available to our youth ministry. I need to delegate more effectively, improve our relational ministry, and even grow our youth group. We have supportive leadership. I’d like to hear real life solutions and “best practices”. Thanks so much!
Would love to have some support and ideas on how to talk about the ‘forbidden issues’ in students’ lives that the church doesn’t discuss much – sex, homosexuality, addictions, etc. What are some good approaches, methods, ideas to broach these subjects?
Would really like to hear about transitioning kids from childrens ministry to you… maybe introductory stuff about keeping your faith in middle school among new stuff. Also would really like to know what to do when attendance and faithfulness drops off during the summer months. Also on not getting discouraged when there is no feedback and reaction when talking and teaching students. You see I need help! Hah.
I would love to hear more about retention of youth from Junior High to High School. It seems like once we get past a milestone of Confirmation that many of the youth feel like that have graduated rather than it being a new chapter of their lives with Christ and in the church.
How should youth pastors deal with building up volunteers to invest time into teens and the teens start to like the volunteers more. Praise God its working, but yet it’s discouraging at the same time.
I would love to hear your thoughts on how to approach the apathy of youth who have grown up in the church when in many cases it is a reflection of the attitudes and apathy of the parents.
One of the issues I am facing currently is how to effectively deal with the behavior of some in the middle school program. The teens genuinely enjoys getting together and they bring their friends who continue to return but often our teens are very rude to one another as well as the adult leaders. At the moment I am tempted to send them out of the room with the stipulation that they can return when they act better. I need some help! Nobody whats to volunteer with this group at this time.
I would like ideas on how to connect one-on-one with different types of students and how that might impact their lives and the ministry as a whole. Just kidding… 🙂 I’ve read that book! Actually, I’d appreciate hearing your thoughts on balancing the multiple relationships that exist in youth ministry: church staff/leadership, parents, volunteers, discipleship students, outreach students, graduates, your own family, etc.
My teen having issues with his teen Wednesday night class. they are having a boy that is sexting girls lead their worship in class.
I would like to see how to make youth group and camps more for the salvation of souls instead of a social club.
I finally “got through” to one of our boys who stopped coming to youth group. I know he is saved, but I want to see him grow and learn how to live his faith. He’ll join us for a lock-in tonight and maybe for our mission trip in July. Right now we are praising God for his rekindled interest.
one of the issues i have been facing is that alot of our jr. high kids seem to be raising their parents instead of the other way around. the youth are showing more responsibility and maturity than the parents,
I’d love to hear ideas on equipping and involving parents, on dealing with those parents in whose opinion you can never do anything right, on equipping youth to share their faith and be the future leaders of the church… I’m sure I could think of more, but those are toppers!
I would be interested in your take on what basics Jr. High students should know.
My junior high group are very clickish and are very mean to each other. i know this type of attitude comes along with middle school kids but no matter how many lessons I do on loving, accepting each other they don’t get it. If I try and split there click up to play games and get them to interact they will refuse to play the games if they are not on there friends team….I don’t know what else to do! Help!
I would love to hear suggestions on how the teens could be more involved in preparing and even teaching certain topics to the younger students. I want to start a mentoring program between the high schoolers and the Jr. highers.
WINNERS:
Congratulations to our 5 winners! I just emailed you five… if you didn’t receive it, use the CONTACT US tab at the top of this page to contact me.
Here they are:
Brandon, at North Baptist Church, NY
Conrad, at Grace Bible Church, MO
Brad Brown
Josh Nelson, at University Christian Church, KS
Mike Andrews, at UMC at Absecon, NJ