- Have you heard of the new app, Yik Yak? It’s gaining popularity and raising a ton of concerns along the way. I’m not an alarmist by nature, but I downloaded it a few days ago and gotta admit that it spooked me as a youth worker. Wanna get an eye-full of teen culture at [...]![]()
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Random Randomness
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Are We Too Focused On “Doing” In Ministry?
I just sat in my car caught up in the radio program. The soothing voice was discussing how us parents seem to have our kids in too many activities. “Are parents taking time to just be and get to know their kids?” the person behind the voice wanted to know. The speaker made a statement [...]![]()
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Grad Gifts Gallore
Time to Prepare for Grad Season! Check out the incredible deals, packages and products we have going on to help you get ready to send off your seniors meaningfully and memorably. plus, get FREE shipping for orders of $25.00 or more with promo code: DIPLOMA.* Top Graduation Gift Resource: Ready. Set. Next. by Chuck Bomar [...]![]()
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What’s Prayer Got To Do With It?
The other day I had a car full of middle schoolers when they got talking about their varying history teachers. The conversation erupted as each discussed that it felt like every class was used as a conduit for their teachers to share opinions about our current President. Laughter arose for three schools, and four teachers [...]![]()
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Graduation Banquet Idea!
The Graduation Banquet has always been a big thing in our Student Ministry. It’s the night when all our graduates and families dress up and come to the student center for a catered meal and a formal “atta boy” from our ministry. Students and parents love this night… but if I am honest – I [...]![]()
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Let’s Talk Youth Ministry Video Blog!!!!
Let’s Talk Youth Ministry Video Blog is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! And we are posting a NEW SHOW EVERY WEEK. We’ve added a bunch of great new things to the video blog. One of the things that I’m super excited about is the fact that we are giving resources away. Watch to find out how. Send Questions to: Letstalkyouthministry@gmail.com On Today’s [...]![]()
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5 Practical Ways to Encourage Your Volunteers
I have never met anyone who doesn’t appreciate being encouraged. I have met people who don’t like to be publicly encouraged (I don’t understand that, but I am also not an introvert), but never someone who would get upset because they got encouraged. There is great power in words of affirmation. We need to use [...]![]()
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Group Magazine Winter Melt Down!
Hey Simply Insiders! We’re doing a winter melt down special for Group Magazine, the leading youth ministry magazine! For a limited time, a full year subscription is just $9.99, which is 40% off the regular price. If you already subscribe, you can renew at this great discounted price also. Your subscription includes 6 issues jam-packed [...]![]()
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Discipleship And Quotes
This past weekend about 75 people from our church went away for the weekend to talk about discipleship. I want to share some quotes from this past weekend, but before I do, here were a two things about discipleship that we constantly drive home to the people in our church: It is not separated from evangelism. When [...]![]()
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The “Ask Me Anything” Box
Sometimes students have questions about life, youth ministry, the Bible, themselves, etc. Questions that they may be uncomfortable asking anyone. It can be hard growing up and feeling like you are the only one who doesn’t know anything. It seems like everyone else knows everything and you don’t want to look stupid. They likely already [...]![]()
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Skype Group Calls: FREE
I have been a Skype user since their beginning, and I love it. I have drifted to Apple’s Facetime, but I still have Skype on all my mobile devices and computers. Skype recently announced they are incorporating a free Group Call in their Mac app with other apps soon to follow, Read more here! What […]![]()
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Staying Fresh
As my role has slowly shifted and responsibilities added, I’ve seen a marked difference in how I spend a majority of my time. In the past I mostly created, brainstormed, prepared to teach, taught, thought up goofy games, led people etc. Now I mostly evaluate, manage systems, project the future, solve problems, etc. I still […]![]()
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Thoughts on Internships and Interns
I’ve worked with a lot of interns over the past 18 years. Internships are critical, because they allow people to experience and engage with the environment and responsibilities of the area they are considering vocationally. I handle internships differently than most people I know, but that’s not to say my way is correct. That said, […]![]()
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Potential Bully App On The Rise?
There is a hot new out in the App Store that carries potential to be a cyber bullies dream app. Yik Yak lets anyone post anonymous messages online. Their posts can be seen by other Yik Yak users within a set radius. The iOS and Android app is limited to people 17 years and older, but I […]![]()
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Making Camp Rules Memorable
What’s the best way to communicate the rules at camp? You know… “the rules.” We’ve all been sharing these rules for years: “Boys are blue. Girls are pink. Don’t make purple.” “Respect the facility.” “Clean up after yourself.” “Blah blah blah blah…” It’s hard to capture it all in a way that students will remember. […]![]()
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Let Summer Be Your Favorite Time in Youth Ministry
It’s probably a little late for this post as many of us have the summer all laid out. Some of us aim for a scaled back model that includes more “activities.” Other just continue what we have going year round. There is more “down time” for our families. We each have a different way of filling […]![]()
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Easy Video Idea with AWEsome Effects Anyone Can Do!!!
Not everyone can be a great videographer. Just because HD video camera’s are available and in almost everyone’s pocket (smartphones galore) does not instantly make you Steven Spielberg. Here comes the big but…BUT, add some fun editing apps into the mix and suddenly that changes things. That’s exactly what Action Movie does. It helps you […]![]()
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Let’s Talk Youth Ministry
Let’s Talk Youth Ministry Video Blog is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!! And we are posting a NEW SHOW EVERY WEEK. On this week’s show: 1. Nominate a Youth Ministry in Need!! 2. How to Finish Strong with Small Groups!! 3. Apps/Tools That Save TIme. Hope it helps, Kurt & AC @kurtjohnston / @aaroncrumbeyac![]()
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Freebies for Your Mission Trip!
FREEBIES for Your Mission Trip! If you attend a 2014 Group Mission Trip you get all of this FREE! - Missions Fundraising e-Book - Online Planning Tool - Parent Support Meeting Agenda - Church Leadership Meeting Agenda - Media to Recruit Youth and Adults - Getting Youth to Say Yes to Service - 3 Steps […]![]()
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Sweeping HGTV (and Gay Discussions) Under the Rug
We’ve had this conversation already. Haven’t we? Remember how we all took sides on the Phil Robertson/Duck Dynasty thing a few months ago? Some people in our churches said “blah, blah, blah.” Others in our churches replied back, “Yeah, but blah, blah blah.” Former church attendees and the world in general looked at us and […]![]()
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