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Youth Leaders

Summer Outreach Ideas: 8 Ways to Reach Teenagers

Summer's sweet, lazy days are around the corner. But summer is also an ideal time to focus on evangelism. Summer outreach ideas are effective and also loads of fun.

7 Tips for Youth Small Group Success

Leading a youth small group can be tough! Whether you’re a full-time, part-time or volunteer youth worker, you’ve certainly experienced difficulties in a youth small group.

7 Best Practices From the Best Student Ministries

I have the privilege of working alongside many student ministries across the country. This allows me to learn from the best youth pastors on the planet. The great thing is, I get access to observe what the most impactful student ministries are doing.

Teenagers and God: Where Kids Fit

In life's grand equation, teenagers and God are connected in profound ways. That's because the most fundamental question young people in your community will ever wrestle with is “Why am I here?”

What Is Youth Ministry?: A Clear Biblical Community Definition

Scripture attests over and over again that the Christian life isn't meant to be lived or cultivated in solitude. In fact, “incubator for discipleship” is the biblical community definition.

Teaching Faith With Twinkies

Twinkies are a fun treat, but I’ll bet you didn’t realize their relevance to teaching faith! Stick with me for a minute… Twinkies are amazing! Can you imagine your life before you had your first Twinkie?

Youth Leader Training That Meets Real Needs

Recently, I've noticed a shift in how many people think about youth leader training. Many youth workers are recognizing the immediate need for training that is contextualized.

5 Steps to a Youth Lock-in That’s Perfect for a Small Group

A youth lock-in has the reputation of being a waste of time, money and energy. But here's a purposeful event that works in a small church, builds relationships and doesn’t leave everyone hangry and crabby!

14 Ideas for High-Impact Youth Missionary Trips

For many Christian teens, a highlight of their time in youth ministry is venturing out on youth missionary trips with their friends. No matter your group’s size, budget or ability levels, options are available for youth missionary trips that meet your specific needs.

Exploring God’s Will for Christian Teen Girls

When Christian teen girls who love God want to know what God wants from them, it shows that their faith is maturing. Following Jesus...

Bible Study for Middle Schoolers: What You Need to Know Now

There are a few key things you should focus on in your Bible study with teens.

11 Ways to Maximize Your Youth Group Lessons

Do your youth group lessons often seem longer than teenagers’ attention spans? If you’re like most youth leaders, the list of valuable messages you...

Helping Your Teenagers Process Horrific Mass Shootings

When traumatic events happen, it provides an opportunity to speak into young lives in a deep and meaningful way.

How to Grow a Youth Ministry

Are you sabotaging the growth and health of your youth ministry?

Use These Family Dinner Questions to Engage With Kids During Meals

The quality of family dinner conversations is a great litmus test for relational health. I’m a big believer in prioritizing meals together and aiming...

How to Use “Amazing Race” Ideas for a Youth Group Event

I'm a huge fan of The Amazing Race. My wife and I have talked about applying to the TV show for years but have...

Is Youth Ministry Still Relevant?

A scenario I see playing out in a lot of churches around the country is the phasing out of student ministries. There is a notion out there that says youth ministry isn’t relevant to the Church any longer.

Christian Teens and Sex: 6 Key Teaching Tips for Youth Leaders

Nervous about teaching on teens and sex? Sex is an amazing gift that the enemy has taken and used for evil.

Putting an End to Youth Lock-ins

It's time to stop doing youth lock-ins at your church.

How An Unspoken Justin Bieber Joke Taught Me To Treat Everyone As An Image-Bearer

Sure, Justin Bieber is one of the most famous people on the planet. He’s used to being ridiculed, joked about and criticized. That’s the price of fame.
Gateway Church

3 Former Gateway Church Elders Deny Wrongdoing, Seek Removal From Cindy...

Three elders who were removed from Gateway Church last fall have asked a Dallas County court to remove them from Cindy Clemishire’s defamation lawsuit.
Joby Martin

Joby Martin: What Happens When Pastors Finally Understand Grace

Joby Martin joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss what happens when a church leader has truly been run over by the “grace train" and understands the profound love and grace of God.

Youth Leaders