Think Ahead
Some well-intentioned things can backfire if you don’t think ahead. With Christmas coming up, it’s possible that you may be winding down your ministry plans. What I’m about to propose to you may seem...
View ArticleLTYM: 4 Tips For The Disgruntled Youth Worker
In this episode we give four practical tips to the youth worker, who’s feeling disgruntled towards leadership. This is a topic that will come up at some point in your time in ministry. Check it out!!...
View ArticleChristmas Services: Can We Laugh At Ourselves?
Saturday Night Live doesn’t always nail it. This time I think they did. Check out this promotional video for an annual Christmas church service: So… can we laugh at ourselves? In my opinion, the humor...
View ArticleA Different Spin on Ending 2014
We are about one week out until Christmas. This means of course that we are only two weeks away from the end of 2014. Some of us had an amazing year, others (like me) will raise a glass on midnight...
View ArticleTake Advantage of the Holiday Slump!!!!
Just got an email from a youth worker asking for some guidance. He’s feeling the holiday pinch concerning the engagement and attendance of his students. So I sent him my response and thought I’d share...
View ArticleFREE Christmas Song Countdown Clock
I posted this a few years ago, but it is worth seeing again…and possibly downloading to use at the start of one of your next gatherings.
View ArticleIdea For Winter Break
I was thinking the other day about how many students “come home” for the holidays. I was thinking about how weird it is for many of them. When they left for school, they were leaving home. Now, when...
View ArticleChristmas Trivia
In case you are desperate for a time-filler at tonight’s youth group or upcoming Christmas party: 1. What is the name of the Dwarf children’s author in the movie, Elf? - Miles Finch 2. What is the...
View ArticleWin a Band!
Win a Night of Worship With Jordan Howerton Band! HOW TO ENTER: 1) Like the Jordan Howerton Band Facebook page. 2) Share this video from the post on the Jordan Howerton Band Facebook page. DETAILS:...
View Article“This one time at Workcamp…” – First Mission Trip Stories
So, at Group we do mission trips, right? Last week, 25 of our full-time staff tallied up how many total Group Mission Trips we’ve been on. The number was 285 Group Mission Trips (attended by current...
View ArticleSmall Church Christmas Eve Tips
Small church friends, if you know me at all, if you’ve been one of the churches I’ve coached in the past, you know what I’m about to say: Christmas Eve is your time to shine…so don’t blow it! You’ve...
View ArticleSmall Church Christmas Eve Tips-Part 2
So go back and read my post from yesterday to catch up, but the main gist is this. Christmas Eve is a big deal for small churches: guests come that don’t come at any other time and they just might give...
View ArticleMeaningful Conversations With College Students While They Are “Home”
In my previous post, we talked about potential areas of awkwardness for students when they come home for the holidays. I gave you one idea to bless them. Here I want to give you five thoughts to keep...
View ArticleExplaining Unanswered Prayers
This time of year we hear a lot about all the ways the Lord has “blessed” so many around us with answered prayers. Sometimes they are silly: “Wow, I was asking God to find me a good parking place, and...
View ArticleNew TOOLS for Youth Ministry
What’s up Youth Ministry Friends?! Simply Youth Ministry TOOLS has some sweet new features to help make all the tasks associated with youth ministry easier and more efficient. Specifically, the...
View ArticleSmall Church Christmas Eve Tips-Part 3
OK, friends – you’re rounding the corner. There’s 3 days to make this Christmas Eve THE most impactful ever and capture those illusive once a year attenders. You CAN do this!! (If you’re just catching...
View ArticleSmall Church Christmas Eve Tips-Part 4
(And all sing) “On the 4th day of great tips for churches Christmas Eve…” (You can go back the past three days for the first three verses.) Tip #4: Making a Great First Impression Just like the parking...
View ArticleSmall Church Christmas Eve Tips-Part 5
This is the final one, friends. If you read 1 a day starting the 18th, it should be the 22nd. OK, I’ll give you Sunday off, so maybe its the 23rd. You can still do this! Maybe not everything I listed...
View ArticleSmartPhone Shortcuts for Life
I love using techy shortcuts. One of my favorite apps is IFTTT and I love my NEST thermostat. These tecky tools just makes life easier by expanding my reach and removing steps. I just found a super...
View ArticleLTYM: Answering Questions From The Email Bag!!
In this episode we answer these four questions: How do I get a JOB in youth ministry? How to recruit volunteers, when you’re NEW to the youth group and area? What are some fundraising IDEAS? How do you...
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