I hear a lot of questions from youth ministry leaders I meet across the country. A few questions seem to pop up in nearly every youth ministry conversation though. These questions stem from common problems and tensions that we all face in youth ministry. I hear them from large churches, small churches, and all sizes…
It’s that time of year. Throughout Fall, we see signs that proclaim gratefulness and the tone of social media becomes more positive. People speak about what makes them thankful. They post pictures, and use words, to show their gratefulness. As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s not forget those who share our tasks, teach our…
More than anything else I hear, youth workers tell me they want their ministry to grow. They don’t want a raise or to make a name for themselves, they just want to impact as many students as possible. Numbers matter because people matter! While most all of us want to see our ministries grow, statistics tell us that most of…
And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 This passage makes me smile when I think about it in the context of children’s ministry. Have you ever been the only volunteer in…
No matter what your ministry context is or what denomination your church is a part of, we all have a common problem. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the greatest challenge church leaders face in ministry. If we don’t find a way to overcome it, we will shortchange our ministry potential. But if we…
Have you ever wondered why your volunteer keep showing up each week? Why they come back the next week after they were spit up on the week before? Why they return after spending hours cleaning up after the pizza party that got a little wild? Maybe it’s for the smell of powdery, sunshine-filled hope they…
Contributor – Heather Quiroz, Staff Consultant with Ministry Architects Celebrate Your Volunteers Bottom line, we couldn’t do youth ministry without our volunteers. I’ve heard many youth workers share their frustrations about finding good volunteers. I’ve heard comments like, “I can’t find any volunteers” or “the volunteers I have are unreliable”. You name it. I’ve probably…
