I was wondering one day, “I wonder how much it cost to do car crash tests?” My mind is an ocean of meandering questions like this. I was thinking of this because I was thinking of doing a short term program change in our youth ministry where I saw our students leading small groups. You…
Reaching young people and fostering their spiritual growth is a delicate art and for youth pastors, it’s more like walking a tight rope between what we ought to say and what we have permission to say. Confrontational tactics like preaching AT students about what the Bible says, without depth of relationship and permission, it will…
British-Greek automotive designer, Alec Issigoris, who designed the mini automobile once said that a camel is a horse designed by committee. He’s not lying. Hey youth pastor Paul Turner here from thediscipleproject.net and I have been serving students for over 30 year and I want to help you build a successful youth ministry. Today, I want…
Are you and your pastor on the same page when it comes to the definition of success? Success is a word that is truly open to interpretation and you and your Pastor could be inches or miles apart. Here’s we what the wider version of a discussion about success could look like. Their version of…
January 1 is day many people make commitments. Somewhere around February 14 these commitments have softened if not disappeared altogether. There are commitments though, especially for Christians, that should never soften or disappear, and I’m pretty sure you know what those are. What you may not know are the qualities students are looking for in…
If you are a new youth pastor, there’s a lot to learn about youth, you church, programming, parents, relationships and more. These 12 question will get you started to not only understanding your role as a youth pastor but will help you make better choices when it comes to programming for success. I’ve broken down…
It’s a been strange week and by strange, I mean God was up to something. Earlier in the week I was writing this article about how it’s really the students and volunteers who build the culture of the youth ministry. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and decided to post a short thank you, on Facebook,…
“What are you thankful?” will be asked around hundreds if not thousands of tables this year. The majority of people will answer things like my life my family my job All things one should be thankful for, but what if you and 5-6 other youth pastors were sitting around that Thanksgiving table? What would you…
Over on my Youtube channel I had someone leave this comment, “I enjoy your podcast and store as well. I have a small youth group and been praying for wisdom how to grow Question I have and I don’t mean any disrespect at all. Why do you have a small youth group? Blessings!” I take…
Many youth ministries are in decline and dying. Yes, there are cycles, ups and downs and seasons, but there are some youth ministries that are just plain dying. If you’re one of these youth pastors whose youth group is in decline, I feel for you. I’ve been there. A declining youth ministry is hard on…
