Working with teenagers, especially post-pandemic, you are most likely fully aware that adolescent mental health issues are as significant and debilitating as they are widespread (and growing). In fact, according to the Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, “The average high school student today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s.” So what can we do, as youth ministry leaders, to lean in and help our students who are coping with or struggling to navigate mental health issues? In this single-session Masterclass, Jon provides seven thoughts to help you get started.

In this single-session Masterclass, Josh addresses a leadership topic that is oftentimes frustrating for people. We love the joys of student ministry. We love it when we can cast a vision for something that sticks and that people get excited about and want to follow us to see it come to fruition. But what about those other seasons where we cast vision, and nothing happens? What about those times when you get super excited about something—a new program a new idea, a new initiative, whatever it is—and we cast that vision to church leadership or families or our volunteers or our students, and they look at us with a little bit of confusion like we have four heads? So, let’s talk about what to do (and not do) when our vision doesn’t stick.

I think that we are all familiar with the Great Commission that is found in Matthew 28. I want to suggest, as a starting place, that the Great Commission is what youth ministry is all about. I think we'd all agree that we're not just about entertaining; we're not just about enculturating teenagers into the way of the church; we're about making disciples. And most of us in youth ministry are highly intentional in one way or another about how we go about doing that. That's what we want to consider in this video: reframing discipleship and what that could look like.

Fair warning to all my fellow youth workers: in this video, I’m going to step on some toes (youth worker toes, parent toes, church leadership toes) and challenge you to join me in doing something that, for some reason, in our culture, sounds wildly controversial. My challenge isn’t for your youth ministry to go vegan. My challenge isn’t for you to stop playing games. I’m not even going to suggest that there is a correct timespan for a sermon. What I am going to do is to tell you why I disabled all my push notifications on my phone, and strongly suggest that you consider doing the same.

If you’re anything like me, you are always on the lookout for event ideas for your student ministry that feel fresh, don’t break the bank, aren’t solely focused on games/physical activity, and capture the attention/imagination of your students. In this video, I want to share one of the ideas we created to do just that: a student-led film festival that still has our students talking and counting the months until we host it again next year. 

How are you being intentional about ensuring that your current students feel seen, welcome, and pursued by your ministry? How do you help a new student feel like they belong? One of the things I’ve been experimenting with lately is sending postcards or cards to students and leaders. Let me tell you just one of the things I’ve noticed: There’s power in writing postcards! A handwritten note or card is not only a lost art form, but it’s also a unique and simple way to say, “I saw you,” “You are welcome/wanted here,” and “You matter to us because you matter to God.” So, let me share some tips and even an example of what sending some cards to your students, guests, and leaders could look like in your ministry context.

As youth ministry leaders, we all have things that we’d love to do (know that we need to do) but often don’t have the time or clear vision for. Sunday and Wednesday are always coming, and the teenagers in our care need our attention. But what about their parents? What about the people who actually have the biggest influence on them? What are we doing to engage, equip, and empower those who God has called lead their children? In this MYM training, Family Ministry Pastor Chris Sasser will share a few ideas and tips on how we can engage, equip, and empower parents in our church as they seek to love and lead their teens.

Whether in life or in ministry, change is inevitable. Hopefully, no student ministry leader says yes to the Lord’s calling or His leading, only to “give it a little while to see how it goes.” But change is part of life, and as ministry leaders, we need to be able to navigate change well. The Art of Change is a comprehensive guide written to help you navigate the transitions within youth ministry with grace and purpose. In this three-lesson module, we will explore essential strategies for departing from a ministry role with integrity, seamlessly transitioning into a new role with confidence, and maximizing personal growth during the interim period. Whether you’re a seasoned youth pastor or embarking on your first ministry position, this module will equip and challenge you to navigate change effectively, ensuring a smooth transition and continued personal and professional development.

Social media consumes more than our time. It distracts us from what’s most important. It takes away part of our humanity. Most importantly, whether we care to admit it or not, it affects the condition of our souls. You can certainly use social media, and it can serve a purpose in your life and ministry, but ministry leaders, we need to stop looking at social media as a necessity for human connectivity. In this four-lesson, Brian Housman will share three big lessons that he learned during his social media sabbatical with the hope of helping you to ponder your own relationship with social media.

As a youth pastor, not only are you responsible for preparing/preaching weekly sermons for your students in a large group setting, but you’re also tasked with equipping your leaders to teach the Bible in a weekly small group/discipleship setting. Each of these settings is unique and come with their own issues to navigate. Each of these settings has significant value. Each of these settings requires a youth ministry leader to think and prepare differently. In this two-session Masterclass video, Matthew will share some of the different needs that students have when they are sitting in a large group environment versus a small group environment. In session one, Matthew will explore the uniqueness of preaching in a large group setting and some tips that may help you in your leadership and preparation. In session two, Matthew will delve into the nuance in preparation, student needs, and leadership that comes with teaching/leading others to teach in a small group environment.

Do you ever find it odd that, as student ministry leaders, one of the things that so many of us struggle to do well is celebrate with/alongside the students in our span of care? You’d think that with the word “student” or “youth” being half of our job title, celebrating with/alongside students would come more naturally…or that we would at least be more intentional with it. In this single-session Masterclass, Josh points out four important spiritual milestones and three easy personal milestones that we need to pay attention to. He also provides some thoughts as to how we can be more intentional in celebrating with/alongside the students we serve.

Welcome to the “The Ultimate Guide to Harnessing the Power of Summer Interns for Church Success.” In the first session of this dual-session Masterclass, we dive into strategies and tips that will help you and your church recruit, develop, and maximize the potential of summer interns and achieve results that are a win-win for everyone. Nick will also share a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” of leading interns from the mouths of some of his own interns. In session two, Nick will talk about moving from summer interns to having your own residency program and the phases of a residency. He will also discuss how to equip a resident to leave their experience prepared for ministry. Lastly, Nick will cover what to do when you have to let an intern or resident go. If you have interns and/or residents in your church (or you would like to), these videos will both challenge and equip you to do it well.

Hey student ministry leader, how is your relationship with your senior pastor? No, really. This is an honest and completely serious question. How is the relationship between you and your senior pastor? Are you cordial? Are you on mission together? Are you distant? Are you close? Are you at odds with one another? Do you trust them? Do they trust you? Maybe a more important and impactful question would be this: What are you doing to build the relationship between you and your senior pastor? In this single-session Masterclass video, I want to provide you with nine thoughts on how you can build a healthy and fruitful relationship with your senior pastor.

Delegation is a buzzword in many churches and amongst many of us who lead in ministry. On the one hand, delegation in the context of leading in youth ministry is incredible because it leads to empowerment. On the other hand, delegation in the context of leading in youth ministry is challenging because it requires giving up control. In this video, I want to share five tips that I’ve learned and utilize in my ministry to intentionally loosen my grip in an effort to empower others.

Partnering with parents intentionally and success in student ministry go hand in hand. We all know that parents are hands down the biggest influencers in the lives of their students. So, it makes sense that if we want the parents in our churches and communities to invest in their teenagers’ spiritual lives, one of the best things we can do is invest in these parents. Most parents I’ve spoken to would say that they have a desire to grow in their parenting and in their ability to invest in their students’ spiritual lives at home. However, most also say they don’t know how or where to start. This is where I believe the church can come in with great intentionality and provide parents with a space to learn and grow alongside a community of other parents who are in the same boat. One of the ways our church looks to create spaces for this is through parenting events. These are events that are geared to help parents by providing them with great insights from quality experts, practical tools and resources they can use at home, and connecting them to other parents in our church or community for support and encouragement. We are in the middle of planning one of these parent events right now, and I thought you might find it helpful to get a look into the four big questions we ask/answer before we start planning or promoting a parent event.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable of a man going on a journey who gives three servants a certain amount of money before leaving on his trip. After a long time, the man returns home and praises/blesses the two servants who used what they had been given to increase what the man had given them. However, to the third servant, who had hidden what he had been given instead of using it to make more, the master is angry with this servant. He calls this man wicked, takes away the money that the servant had been given, and gives it to another of the servants. We usually look at that parable as an end-times type of language, but when Jesus is talking, the Jewish audience’s perspective would have been about living life, and those questions that Jesus is raising are actually about stewardship. Jesus is kind of building this picture of how God has given us so much, so what are we doing with it? Not later, but right here and right now. So, I wonder if there’s room for us to explore that parable with our youth groups. Not through the lens of “Where are you going to go at the end,” but “What are you doing with what God has given you. . .your time, talent, and treasure?” In this video, we wanted to explore that with you and share eight thoughts to help your students to realize that they actually do have resources to steward.

Every thriving youth ministry is only as strong and as healthy as its team of dedicated volunteer leaders. Without these volunteer leaders, your reach and overall effectiveness as a youth ministry leader are extremely limited. This is your team: men and women who are bought in, sold out, and willing to love teenagers where they are so that they can point them to Jesus. The question is this: What are you doing to celebrate and appreciate these amazing people? In this video, I want to share five quick tips for appreciating your leaders well.

Teaching teenagers the Word of God is both an incredible privilege and a weighty responsibility. Scripture itself says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1 ESV).” So, how do we best honor the Lord, His Word, and His calling upon our lives to teach and disciple His sheep? In this two-session Masterclass, we will discuss tips and methods to effectively teach teenagers the Word. In session one, I will share eleven tips for teacher preparation and spiritual preparation. I’ll also point out a few helpful resources that you can use. In session two, we will discuss lesson planning and explore seven different teaching models that you can utilize in your youth ministry.

Do you want to get on the good side of your finance committee? Are you tired of coming back from camp or D’Now Weekend celebrating incredible spiritual highs, only to be scared to face the incredible lows of having a meeting about all the money that you’ve spent? Are you ready to never go over budget again? In this two-session Masterclass, we dive deep into the essential aspects of mastering your youth ministry finances. In session one, we will explore the art of planning and navigating a solid operating budget, discover the power of operating out of your church’s purpose, and enable you to take complete control of your financial situation and get the most out of the budget you’ve been given. In session two, I will share the principles behind a solid budgeting technique and my sure-fire negotiating tactics that will save you money on those trips/camps. Oh, and I’m also giving you my “Ultimate Trip Calculator” (100% FREE) so you’ll never blow out your budget again.

Have you ever had the thought or said out loud behind a closed door (after checking for listening devices, of course), “Youth ministry would be soooooo much easier if I could just get parents out of the way and actually do ministry with the students!” Don’t worry, you aren’t alone (and I won’t tell them you said that). Youth ministry leaders and parents often seem like baking soda and vinegar; mix the two, and you’re going to get a reaction. But this doesn’t have to be the case. In this single-session Masterclass, I will share eight thoughts that can help you turn the parents in your church from foes to friends (and maybe even your biggest cheerleaders).

When it comes to teaching and leading our students to serve others (locally or globally), how do we show them the importance of serving others with dignity and respect? I think that starts with the beginning of the Bible. In Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"' (ESV). The very first page of the Bible tells us that we are image-bearers of God. When we (and the students we lead) begin to see ourselves as image bearers of God, as the Imago Dei, we can start seeing others as the Imago Dei. That's how we are to serve others! We see them as Imago Dei and serve them with dignity, respect, and love. So, how does that play out today? In this video, I want to give you four tips to equip you and your students to serve others with dignity and respect that may be helpful.

Have you ever gotten better at something simply because you began to realize through some experience just how bad you were at it? In a world where our teenagers live at such a break-neck speed, constantly wired in with a phone in one hand and a speaker in one (if not both) of their ears, I wonder what it would be like if we invited them into a new place—maybe a place that would cause a little bit of discomfort and disruption. What if we took our group not to necessarily go and save the day or do a project but to go into a place they wouldn’t usually go to and just watch—kind of practice noticing? That’s the topic for this video—considering what it would look like to invite your students into practicing what it means to slow down a little bit and notice what’s (and who’s) around them, helping them experience something beyond themselves and learn how to notice the needs of others.