These are trying times for those of us who are in the realm of youth ministry. Since March 2020, youth ministry has been completely flipped over on its face. But, YM360 is here to equip you to continue to make an impact in the lives of your students, regardless of if you're seeing them face-to-face, digitally, or not at all.
YM360 stands ready to crush whatever hassles stand between you and your students Check out some of the resources below! If you have any questions, you can chat into our team at the box in the bottom right corner!
- Team YM360
Youth Ministry Doesn't Stop
Useful Online Article and Training Posts
Does this game work over Zoom? Could I play this game in person without people having to interact? How do I play a game in this current setting? If you have been questioning your games lately, let me begin by saying you are not alone. The entire youth ministry world is trying to figure out how to still have games while remaining safe for students.
With in-person gatherings happening more and more, we want to take a quick moment to solve your games problem for you. Here are three games that stand the test of time as well as give your students an incredible experience for your next gathering. These games work over Zoom, in-person, or even via smoke-signal. Well maybe not the last one, but you get the picture. Let’s play some games!
COVID is likely not going away anytime soon.
In our rush to return to “normal,” how do our expectations contribute to our frustration?
The key to being efficient and healthy in this environment is to be flexible. Easier said than done. But it’s true.
When we are rigid, when we have strong expectations, when we have an agenda, and it doesn’t go our way, it leads to frustration.
Uno is a fascinating game. It was created with such simplicity, and yet every game of Uno feels different. This could be due to house rules, a loose interpretation of the game, or many other factors. Yet every new place I play Uno in, I feel as if it needs to be relearned. The beauty of the game is how quickly we can pick it back up even with new rules.
Games in your youth ministry might feel exactly like Uno over these past several months. There were games we believed would be successful, which struggled, and others, which have become impossible to play. I wanted to take a quick moment to share five games with you, which will keep your students safe and having a fun time as you return to this school year. Here are five socially distanced games for youth ministry!
I was reading an article at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak that examined how historical Presidents led amid a crisis. The author made a very important observation: while we can make educated guesses based on someone’s personality or experience, we don't know how someone will respond in a crisis until they are in the midst of it.
The author noted that some Presidents who would have seemed able to handle a crisis failed, while others rose to the occasion. This truth is a universal one. Whether it's parenting, athletic performance, public speaking, or any other pursuits, there is nothing that tests us quite like having to step up and execute when everything is on the line. The same is true in youth ministry.
“We aren’t having our retreat till October, so things will be back to normal. This Covid-19 thing is only going to last for a few months." Do you remember the days when we said things like this? If you're like me, my heart is heavy coming out of a summer lacking big events.
Youth ministry and events have always gone hand in hand, and the coronavirus has done hard work to separate the two. As we approach the fall season where we would have fall retreats, disciple now, and event weekends, I want us to have a glimmer of hope. This virus is no surprise to Jesus, and with the right preparation, I believe we can still have incredible events this year. Here are five things for you to consider to COVID-Proof your retreat!
FREE RESOURCES FOR YOU DURING THIS DIFFICULT SEASON
Have You Started Gathering Face-to-Face with Your Students?
Praise the Lord; we are all beginning to see glimpses of the light at the end of this dark and isolated tunnel. While every city/state/country will open at different paces, we must start thinking about transitioning back to face-to-face meetings with our students. The planning and preparation that you do in the coming weeks will give you the opportunity to increase (or decrease) your impact once you get the opportunity to gather with your students face-to-face.
At some point or another, you will likely have the thought, "when I see my students next, we will do X, and Y, but also make time for Z!" Which is a great thought! The thought of getting to return to a normal bible study, sermon series, or whatever your weekly gatherings look like is exciting!
However, we believe that there are SEVEN different things that you CAN NOT forget to do when you get the opportunity to return to a face-to-face model of gathering with your students. Some of these 7 things are big, others are small, but regardless, they will make for an impactful and celebratory time back with your students!
Are Your Students Missing Zoom Meetings?
Praise the Lord; we are all beginning to see glimpses of the light at the end of this dark and isolated tunnel. While every city/state/country will open at different paces, we must start thinking about transitioning back to face-to-face meetings with our students. The planning and preparation that you do in the coming weeks will give you the opportunity to increase (or decrease) your impact once you get the opportunity to gather with your students face-to-face.
At some point or another, you will likely have the thought, "when I see my students next, we will do X, and Y, but also make time for Z!" Which is a great thought! The thought of getting to return to a normal bible study, sermon series, or whatever your weekly gatherings look like is exciting!
However, we believe that there are SEVEN different things that you CAN NOT forget to do when you get the opportunity to return to a face-to-face model of gathering with your students. Some of these 7 things are big, others are small, but regardless, they will make for an impactful and celebratory time back with your students!
