If we begin not with structures (age divisions, programs, paid staff, etc.), but with these three foundational principles, a world of new possibilities open up. We have freedom to explore new and imaginative ideas within the context of youth ministry, bound not by what has been done in the past or by what is seen […]
Vision Statement for YM Leadership – Context: Youth-Oriented Congregational Ethos
Upon reflecting theologically about the nature of youth ministry it becomes clear that the existence of youth ministry as it is popularly practiced in western Christianity is a sociological, rather than theological, phenomenon. Societal structures have divided populations according to age-based categories, especially in the public education system, thus normalizing such divisions. Youth ministry bought […]
Vision Statement for YM Leadership – Foundation: Theological Practice
This three-part series is part of a paper I had to write for a class in 2008. I thought it made good summer blog content. I welcome your thoughts. The grounding principle in my approach to ministry with adolescents begins with the conviction that youth ministry, as with any form of Christian ministry, is fundamentally […]
Using Twitter on Mission Trips
I thought I’d share a quick idea I had for our mission trip this year: using Twitter to keep parents and the congregation updated. The first two years I took our current youth group on our mission trips, I would upload pictures and write up the day’s events to our youth ministry blog. Unfortunately, it […]
A New Blog for You to Read
If you noticed in my post yesterday, I linked to a new blog by Jerry Watts, and today I wanted to take a little more time to encourage you to read his blog. Jerry is a friend of mine who just finished his thesis for his M.A. in Children, Youth, and Family Ministry at Luther […]
Mentoring & Discipleship Resources
My friend Brit is looking for resources to help him incorporate a mentoring component into his youth ministry. So far, he is planning on using some resources from Faith Inkubators and the Full Circle Triple-A Training, but he’s looking for more. Please drop me a comment, or go to Brit’s blog and let him know […]
Book Review: Effective Youth Ministry by Roland Martinson
Rollie Martinson’s book Effective Youth Ministry: A Congregational Approach offers a snapshot of leading youth ministry thought from the past. Published in 1988, the material contains both timeless foundations for youth ministry alongside some now anachronistic suggestions for implementation. Though he is currently Academic Dean at Luther Seminary, Martinson was Professor of Pastoral Care and […]
A Concrete Way to Implement Change in Youth Ministry
I spend lots of time thinking, theorizing, and analyzing about youth ministry. Looking at trends and how we got to where we are today and dreaming about the future are invigorating exercises for me. But ultimately, we need some concrete ways to move from where we are to where we want to be. Most of […]
Further Thoughts on the 3 Spheres of Youth Ministry
Some more thoughts from my post last week: Parachurch ministries are not enough. Youth ministry organizations that are not a part of an established church (Young Life, Youth for Christ, etc.) cannot expect to be able to fully nurture faith in adolescents. Though most of them state the goal that they try to connect their […]
More Rollie Martinson on a Theology of Youth Ministry
I’m not sure if my weekly list of links is going to make it up by the end of the day or not. To hold you over, here’s more from Rollie Martinson’s 1988 classic Effective Youth Ministry: A Congregational Approach: Youth ministry flows from the gospel message and mission as worship, witness, teaching, communion, and […]
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