Youth Ministry Curriculum and Resources

If you are like me, you spent your childhood years watching Nickelodeon and people getting slimed. Whether you were growing up during the time of You Can't Do That On Television, Double Dare, Family Double Dare, Figure It Out, or over the last 21 years of the Kid's Choice Awards, you know that the famous green slime made it cool and made you wish it was you getting slimed. In my ministry, we give adults and students alike the ability to live out that slime-coated dream. Let me tell you how we do it.

One of the things that I learned very early in my years in youth ministry was that the ministry I was doing WITH my students was about a lot more than just the ministry I was doing FOR my students. No middle schooler and less than half of the high schoolers who participate in your ministry actually get to your ministry events or activities on their own. And pretty close to 0% of your students pay for your ministry's camps, retreats, lock-ins, or other events. Parents are essential. And your ability as a youth pastor to earn the trust, respect, and buy-in of parents can quickly make or break your ministry's reach and impact. That's why I want to share three "must-do's" if you want to build trust and relationships with parents.

All of us in youth ministry have upset a parent and had to deal with the ramifications of it. If you haven’t had the experience yet, trust me; it’s coming, and it’s not fun. So, what do you do when you have upset a parent? How do you approach making it right or even winning back any lost trust? There’s no need to make a mistake when dealing with angry parents when you can learn from mine! Let me share with you three things that I’ve learned over the years to do when you need to deal with an angry parent.

In most youth ministries and with most youth pastors, saying the words "All-Nighter" is equivalent to speaking the name of Voldemort; you just don't do it. But what if I told you that a well-planned, well-placed, and well-thought-through All-Nighter could become a favorite (and valuable part) of your ministry year? Let me show you how and why we do an annual All-Nighter in our ministry.

P.T. Barnum once famously said, "Without promotion, something terrible happens...nothing!" I would argue that the same can be said when it comes to leading games in a youth ministry environment. In my experience, without consideration, planning, and attention to these four things, your games will fall flat.

Every Youth Pastor longs for dedicated help, an extra pair of boots on the ground to assist you in reaching, leading, and discipling teenagers. But are you and your church really ready for a youth ministry intern? Do you have a plan in place for training them up to do the work of ministry? Having served as an intern in multiple churches, I've seen firsthand the good, the bad, and the ugly of internships. So, let me share with you some important do's and don'ts of bringing on a youth ministry intern.

As the founder and director of GENERATE camp, I get questions all the time about the games we create and how others can do the same. So allow me the honor of sharing with you some methods that we use at GENERATE and how you can implement those methods to make the games at your next big event, DNOW Weekend, or camp/retreat absolutely amazing!

Are you looking for some ways to be a team player, increase the serving opportunities for your students, connect with the kids/parents who be your future ministry audience, and grow your ministry in the process? Let me show you how our ministry has learned to be intentional with connecting children's ministry to youth ministry.

Recruiting volunteers isn't seasonal; it's constant! Or, at least, it should be. Let me share with you three tips that our ministry uses to successfully recruit our volunteers.

What is your strategy for youth mission trips? How are you making missions accessible to as many students as possible, no matter where they are in their faith journey? Let me share with you have we have done it by creating a multi-tiered youth missions strategy.

Every youth pastor is excited to have first-time guests checking out the youth ministry. The question is, are you ready for them when they arrive? When a first-time guest shows up at your ministry's front door, does it look like you were expecting them, or does it look more like you are surprised they came? Let me share with you some ways we are intentional in welcoming first-time guests to our ministry area.

The months and weeks that lead up to your youth ministry's camp or retreat can be a bit chaotic for youth workers, volunteers, parents, and students alike. But they don't have to be. Let me share with you five things that we do and send in our ministry before we leave for any camp or retreat.

You'll be scrambling to identify these ordinary kitchen items. How many will you get?

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Calling all history buffs! Name these presidents in the order of which they served as president. 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 12 games slides

It's up to the people to decide. Fill in the blanks with what you think the majority of the room will answer. As they say, majority rules! 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 10 games slides

Up, up, and away! What universe do these fictional planets belong? 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

You have a 50/50 shot: left or right? Who will answer the most questions correctly? 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

How many sides, how many teeth, how many legs? Give it your best shot to determine the right answer!

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

This game is choc-full of fun! Identify the candy bar from the inside. 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Is it an orange? Choose yes or no from these distorted photos. 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 12 games slides

Everyone knows Christmas is in December and Thanksgiving is in November, but what about those obscure national holidays? Put you knowledge to the test! 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Looking for Disney trivia with a twist? Identify the movie title in English. Pro tip: If you know German, it might come in handy. 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Rank these video games by the dates they were released. Let's go! 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 12 games slides

There is so much to know about the color blue. Test your knowledge with these trivia questions! 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Can you figure out the one common bond these three words share? You may have to think outside the box!

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Did you know there is this much to know about the color red? You're about to. Let's go!

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

Let's go on a little trip and put your navigation skills to the test. Here's your location. What direction do we move next? 

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 20 games slides

What was invented first? Rank these famous inventions in the correct order. Good luck!

Game includes: Title slide, rules, and 12 games slides

"The Holy Spirit", a three-lesson Bible study, will help students understand who the Holy Spirit is and what His presence in their life means, the role Jesus played in ushering in a new way of relating to the Holy Spirit, and what exactly the Bible means by the “fruit of the Spirit.”

Worship, a three-lesson Bible study, will help your students understand that worship is the response that results from our encountering God; that seeing Jesus for who He is and responding to Him in worship is vital; and that responding to God looks a lot of different ways, each of them a vital way of interacting in relationship with Him.

Holiness, a three-lesson Bible study, will help your students understand what holiness is, how Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross makes holiness available to them, and that choosing to live a holy life means choosing to identify with God instead of the world.

God’s Word, a three-lesson Bible study, will help your students see the power of God’s Word throughout the Old Testament, how Jesus was the physical embodiment of God’s Word (God’s living, breathing Word to us), and how their lives can be used to spread God’s Word.

Spiritual Gifts, a three-lesson Bible study, will help your students understand that the Holy Spirit works in Christ-followers to grow the Church, that Jesus paved the way for the Holy Spirit to empower all believers to serve, and to understand what spiritual gifts they’ve been given.

Humility, a three-lesson Bible study, will help students learn that humility is one of the core components of a Christ-follower’s identity, that humility is the mark of a true Christ-follower, and that living out God’s vision of what it means to be a Christ-follower means having an overall posture of humility towards others.

Prayer, a three-lesson Bible study, will help students understand that prayer is an essential component of a personal relationship with God, that their prayers are made possible and effective through the person and work of Jesus Christ, and that they would understand the Lord’s Prayer and why Jesus uses it as a model for us to follow.

Obedience, a three-lesson Bible study, will help students understand that the foundation of our relationship with God is built on obedience to His commands, that our obedience of God must be motivated by our love for Christ, and that because of Jesus, they’ve been set free from sin to live lives of obedience.