YM360+ Digital Credit

Written by Matt Andrews. For years now, youth workers and church volunteers have lamented that teens don't know basic Bible stories. But have you noticed more and more teens don't know anything about the Bible at all? Even though there are plenty of teen Bible study aids available, there's a giant gap between these tools and the total biblical illiteracy of many we're trying to reach.

Slaying Biblical Illiteracy contains practical tips, as well as group and individual exercises, that will inspire youth to experience God's Word for themselves. Learn to use the same creative skills you use to plan retreats and youth group games to bring the Bible to life using the unexpected in fun ways that will grab and keep your teens' attention. Learn how to help youth work through their trust issues with Scripture and learn Bible study methods you can try out as a group, so that your youth are empowered to study the Bible for themselves, slaying biblical illiteracy and unlocking the influence of God s Word in their daily lives.

As a growing and thriving youth ministry leader, you know that the health of your ministry is directly connected to the health of your volunteers. But January is a natural time for your volunteers to start slumping slightly. How can you, as a ministry leader, encourage them to remain committed to the mission of Jesus? How can you, yourself, go from surviving the winter/spring semester to thriving? In this two-session Masterclass video, we will look at three key shifts leaders should take this January to remain hope-filled, give you three tips to help your volunteers stay motivated, offer three offbeat ideas to ensure that you remain healthy/motivated, learn three things that every volunteer needs from you, and discover how you can prepare yourself to be ready to ride the natural wave of momentum that is available to almost all of us in the summer and fall.

As a youth ministry leader, we are called to make disciples. Part of that disciple-making process involves pouring ourselves into students, identifying and activating them to live out their faith by living and leading in a God-honoring way. So, how do we do that? In this one-session Masterclass video, we will discuss how to clarify what we want a student leadership team to accomplish, identify student leaders, invite them to lead, acquire parent buy-in, and activate our students to lead out in a life of service to Jesus through their unique giftings.

Mission trips can be incredibly impactful and provide opportunities for significant spiritual growth for your students. That said, mission trips can also be overwhelming. In this one-session Masterclass, we will go on a trip together to discover the benefits of taking students on a mission trip, how to plan for a mission trip, tips for fundraising, and some best practices while on the trip.

Youth ministry leader, how are you going to lead students well if you aren't leading yourself well? In this single-session Masterclass video, you will learn ten critical principles for leading yourself and leading others.

Technology is one of the most frustrating and confusing issues parents in your church are trying to navigate regarding their teenagers. They spend countless days and nights feeling overwhelmed, under-equipped, and completely outmanned when it comes to knowing how to respond to screens. This MYM Live Online Training Event is not the typical “technology is evil, so let’s run from it and teach parents to do the same.“ Instead, technology and parenting expert Brian Housman is here to provide you, as a youth ministry leader, with some practical steps and prudent boundaries regarding technology so that you can educate and equip the parents in your church on leading and loving their students through setting healthy boundaries with screens without using shame or blame.

Middle school ministry is not the dressed up kids ministry or dumbed down high school ministry, and we need to intentionally pray, plan, program and present in ways that are effectively meeting the unique needs of these students. Especially after a national pandemic and cultural changes, now more than ever is the time to understand middle years ministry to the emerging Generation Alpha entering our student ministry.

Middle school ministry is not the dressed up kids ministry or dumbed down high school ministry, and we need to intentionally pray, plan, program and present in ways that are effectively meeting the unique needs of these students. Especially after a national pandemic and cultural changes, now more than ever is the time to understand middle years ministry to the emerging Generation Alpha entering our student ministry.

Now more than ever, teens are struggling with stress, anxiety, and fear. The issues young people are facing are complex and wide-ranging. So how can parents and youth workers understand them better? What are the best ways to meet young people where they are and help them feel seen, loved, and known—by our youth ministries, by their parents, and ultimately by the God who cares for them so deeply? Coming off of his latest book, The Anxious Teen, Brock will provide in this seminar a context to help us understand today’s anxiety-ridden reality, he will teach skills and practices that will impact our youth ministries as well as help parents guide their children in moving forward in a lasting and healthy faith and life.

Can your students name some famous friends, be it from real life, fiction or history? See who can be the first to correctly figure out who the famous friends are. The faster a player locks in an answer, the more points he or she can win or lose.

If 1=A and 2=B and 3=C and so on... let's see who can decode these words the fastest.

As youth workers and ministry leaders, we’re all trying to get better at making disciples. Maybe some of the answers to our questions about discipleship can be found by looking back at the Jewish roots of our faith—the very roots that produced our Master and Messiah, Jesus. But how can we say that we know about Jesus and His methods of making disciples if we haven't taken the time to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural way of life that surrounded Him? To know how Jesus did discipleship, we need a strong grasp of the ideas, practices, and beliefs surrounding the Jewish people of the first century. This live training event with author and youth worker Heather Quiroz will help you get to know Jesus from within His first-century setting and apply his disciple-making methods as you lead in youth ministry.

Before celebrities were well known, they were just ordinary kids and teens? Who among your students can best guess who’s who through some photos and clues? Play in teams or have two students face-off!

See if you can answer these questions about leprechauns... according to legend.

Awaken is a four-session sermon series that will help your students see the Easter story from a new, and perhaps an uncomfortable, perspective. Easter is a time when we celebrate the culmination of God’s redemptive plan, but what Jesus had to endure in the days leading up to His death, burial, and resurrection is something we tend to leave out so, wake up and Easter afresh!

He Is, is a four-week series that looks at the story of the burning bush and what God says about Himself while revealing Himself to Moses. Oftentimes we make up characteristics about God or have no clue who God really is. Our belief is formed by the culture around us and how we grew up. The goal of this series is to take this story and focus on how God reveals Himself so students can have a better idea of who God is.

How well do your students know some facts about DC heroes on screen or from the comics? Guide them to spot the one lie hidden among two truths!

You will be given the name of a pro wrestling move. Decided whether the move is real or fake.

Authors use Pen Names all the time instead of their Real Names. See if you can guess which of these names is a Pen Name or the author's Real Name.

Some of the greatest movies were books first, and other epic films were original but then launched a book series. You get to guess at which is which in this fun game. Play in teams or have two students face-off!

When was the last time you learned something about someone in your group? Use these fun prompts to see who has or hasn’t done something unique. Have them move from one side of the room or the other (or raise a left or right hand, if you group is large) to indicate if they “DID” or “DIDN’T” do it.