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If you’ve ever tried to communicate something important to students or parents and watched eyes glaze over, you may know the pain of too many words. Recently at YM360, we experienced this firsthand. For years, our mission and vision statements...

“Can I get a volunteer?” A question that all of us have asked in student ministry at one point in time or another. Whether it be for a kid to volunteer to play some silly, made-up-on-the-spot game or for an...

It’s safe to say that those who work in student ministry have unique skill sets in their toolbelts. Our student team has recently taken on the task of becoming fluent in Gen-Z lingo and Memeish (although we are failing miserably)....

It’s December. It feels different. There’s a sense of something in the air. Maybe it’s the cooler weather, lights, smiles, or knowing you’re about to hit a different rhythm for a few weeks. Christmas parties, choir specials, and gift exchange...

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was a brand new Xbox 360 when I was in sixth grade. My dad, who lived in a different state from me, got me the Halo 3 edition, the envy of all of...

“I don’t think I ever knew how much I needed this...” That’s what I thought as I sat in the easy chair in a cabin on my first pastoral retreat. No agenda, no plan, and no idea what to do...

Student ministry is simple. It’s not easy. But it’s simple.  Just care.  Just care about your students. Just care about your volunteers. Just care about the parents.  Just care.  Now I understand that sounds like a no brainer. I am...

If you’re like most youth pastors, you’re already thinking about the next semester or the next year. You not only think about it, you dream about it. You may have a note on your phone or some scribbles on a...

I remember exactly where I was the first time my then fourteen-year-old son said, “Dad, can we have a conversation that’s just between you and I and we don’t have to tell mom about.” I pulled the car off to...

The church has plenty of dry-cleaner parents. These are parents who drop their student off at the youth group and expect them to be cleaned, pressed, and spiritually ready to go. In other words, they hope the church (specifically the...

Leading a volunteer team is much more than managing; it's a stewardship of people who are themselves shepherding young lives. In an environment full of challenges and the constant shifting of the culture, your leadership approach shapes not only your...

A myth is often thought of as something that is commonly believed but is untrue. We’ve all heard some wild myths before. Here are a few… Gum stays in your stomach for 7 years. False. Perhaps this myth came from...