The teen years are not a “holding pattern” but should be a time of utilizing the power of youth. We are not preparing them to be leaders in the future; we are preparing them now for this moment. Being salt and light is not a post-graduate concept. Some of the most vocal advocates for change in student ministry are the…
Tag Archives Student Ministry
I have a burden and passion for Student ministry around the world. I am privileged in my travels to connect with men and women who share that passion. Today was one of those days but it was especially rewarding because it was here in Alabama, my home state. Student ministry in Alabama is alive and well and especially in the…
This is the third and final post in the Four Erroneous Youth Ministry Philosophies series. Sections three and four represent ministry approaches based on program and personality. Youth ministries need a program as well as leadership with personality; however, both function best when founded on Biblical principles. Section Three: “All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go – Buttoned Up and…
Okay, so you probably read the report in USA Today (Wednesday) released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The headline on page one read “Kid’s digital day: Almost 8 hours.” It appears that the time spent with media for kids 8-18 has increased by 79 minutes in the last decade bringing it to 53 hours a week. So…what does all this…
“I’ve tried everything!” Remember those words from Part 1? If not refer back to my post on January 12. I have divided the philosophical approaches into four sections determined by their predominant thrust. In Part 2 we will examine the first two sections and will conclude next Tuesday with Part 3, so stay with me. Keep in mind that some…
“I’ve tried everything!” I frequently hear these frustrated words from well meaning people who want to make an eternal impact on the lives of students. They work hard trying various approaches but are unable to grasp the illusive key to successful ministry. Over the last thirty years, I have observed some of these valiant efforts which I call “erroneous youth…
Youth Ministry 101: Balancing Family and Ministry One of the things I enjoy the most about my ministry is teaching college students. I teach a course each fall at Word of Life Bible Institute entitled, "Developing a Biblical Philosophy of Youth Ministry." I think it is imperative that we help students to think through their "principle centered" philosophy before they…
Student Youth Ministry Conference I had a stimulating time with a group of youth pastors today in Atlanta. My friends Larry Lawrence and Roger Allen of First Baptist, Jonesboro, GA hosts a youth pastor's conference each year as a ministry of their church. Brent Crowe of Student Leadership University began the conference dealing with "Five Myths that Cause Ministry Syndication."…
When Facebook began in 2004 it was designed for college students. It gave them a way to keep in touch and share information with other friends in college. By 2005 it opened up to high school students and in 2006 to the general populous. Now the fastest growing segments of Facebook's 300 million active users are over 25 and more…
Autonomous (capable of independent function) Youth Ministry - Part 3 In Part 1, I discussed the concept of autonomous ministry and suggested the goal of giving away our ministry. In Part 2, I looked at building autonomous students within your ministry - students who can own, live and export their faith. The idea is that we need to have intentional…