Hey, if you’re new here, my YMRU posts are normally password protected because I want those who sign up for my newsletter to feel special; so sign up here and start feeling special too. Quotes What’s your impulse? To criticize or to cheer on?To condemn or compliment?To pull down or push forward?To find fault or…
You’re in for a great conversation on this episode of the Youth Ministry in Motion podcast. My guest Trevor Hamaker makes his case for pushing apologetics to the forefront of the youth ministry agenda. Be sure to pick up Trevor’s book Considering Christianity: How to Believe in a Secular Age. If you enjoyed the podcast,…
2020 has been a rough year for most everyone due to the pandemic, but my year of angst had nothing to do with pandemic. My kids are grown and out of the house, so no home schooling. My job was protected because I was considered essential staff. So what was my issue? God and I…
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“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ― Maya Angelou Gifts are not bribery, they are thank you’s. These gifts can range from a free youth group t-shirt to a bag of goodies they can take home with…
Fun does not always mean water parks and crazy games. Fun is a good conversation. Fun is feeling welcome. Fun is meeting new people. Fun is learning something new. Every student has their definition of fun and you need tap into their idea of fun rather than presenting your own idea of what they think…
If you don’t think room design matters in whether people come back to a place or not, you’ve never been to Dave and Busters, Disney World or The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All of these venues are intentional about design and what kind of experience you have. Room design doesn’t mean expensive light shows and…
Who doesn’t want to add people to their youth ministry? Who doesn’t want to add more people to kingdom of heaven? No youth pastor worth their salt, that’s who. When does this process begin? It begins with the first smile, the first welcome, the first high five and, I would add, the first meal. Follow…
Every great gathering has a food component to it. Festivals, the fair, block parties, wedding and even funerals all have food components to them. Food played a major role in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus fed the 5,000 Jesus had dinner with sinners Jesus declared his new covenant over a meal Jesus had a hard conversation with…
When you’re asking your students to bring a friend to youth group, you are asking them to invite someone into your community. If you treat your guests like someone who’s just there to fill a chair and feed your ego, they may attend your meeting(s) but they’ll never join your community. You owe your guests…
