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There’s a leadership tension that every youth pastor feels. It doesn’t matter if you’re brand new or decades in. This tension doesn’t care about your passion, budget, work ethic, philosophy, preaching, casting vision, communication, or planning. More often than not,...

There have been plenty of times when I’m in my church lobby, greeting new students, catching up with leaders, or finalizing a game setup, when suddenly, two students walk in holding hands. In that moment, I feel like I’ve got...

Time. We all need more of it, yet there is only a certain amount allotted to each of us in a day, week, month, year, and lifetime. Time is both a friend and a foe, and let’s face it, most...

THE NUMBERS GAME “How many students showed up last night?” Have you ever heard that before and wondered if that’s all people really care to ask when it comes to your ministry? No doubt, numbers have long been a big...

Picture with me: You walk into your youth room for the first time. There’s an old couch placed in the center of the room that’s got a few rips and stains, but it’s not too bad. You’ve got a few...

We hope that 2025 was a fantastic year for you and your youth ministry. We are grateful to serve alongside the great work that you are doing and to bring encouraging and equipping blogs to help you win. We hope...

If you’ve ever tried to communicate something important to students or parents and watched eyes glaze over, you may know the pain of too many words. Recently at YM360, we experienced this firsthand. For years, our mission and vision statements...

“Can I get a volunteer?” A question that all of us have asked in student ministry at one point in time or another. Whether it be for a kid to volunteer to play some silly, made-up-on-the-spot game or for an...

It’s safe to say that those who work in student ministry have unique skill sets in their toolbelts. Our student team has recently taken on the task of becoming fluent in Gen-Z lingo and Memeish (although we are failing miserably)....

It’s December. It feels different. There’s a sense of something in the air. Maybe it’s the cooler weather, lights, smiles, or knowing you’re about to hit a different rhythm for a few weeks. Christmas parties, choir specials, and gift exchange...

One of my most memorable Christmas gifts was a brand new Xbox 360 when I was in sixth grade. My dad, who lived in a different state from me, got me the Halo 3 edition, the envy of all of...

“I don’t think I ever knew how much I needed this...” That’s what I thought as I sat in the easy chair in a cabin on my first pastoral retreat. No agenda, no plan, and no idea what to do...