PASTOR’S TIP: As the school year finishes in a few weeks, talk with your children and youth ministry leaders about how to help those children/youth “graduating” from their programs to exit well, and to encourage them to begin planning for the next ministry year (if they haven’t already). Help those children/youth “graduate” from their ministry program brings closure to that chapter in their life. There are different ways a church can
Pastor's tip: Consider asking the children and youth how Easter impacts their life, and ways that could be shared with the church family. During the lent season and as we move towards Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, consider asking the children and youth how Easter impacts their life. How comprehensive you want to go is up to you. Here are some suggestions: Have an informal conversations with at least 2
This story was submitted by Brook at First Baptist Church, Mount Forest. When I attended the First Baptist Church and Youth Group, the volunteers and youth pastor were some of the best people I have met. I was new to the church and group but when we went into lockdown, I was still treated like family. I was given my first personal Bible and it has a personal message from
Youth workers, especially volunteers, are a vital component in the faith formation of youth. Many give countless hours (if not years) of heartfelt service to ministry, and their service impacts lives. We want to honour those volunteer youth workers through your stories. HERE’S OUR CHALLENGE: TELL US A STORY OF HOW A VOLUNTEER YOUTH WORKER IN YOUR CHURCH HAS MADE AN IMPACT WITH YOUTH. Be as specific with your
Last September we launched Maximizing Ministry. Our intention was to host a monthly gathering to look at some key youth ministry issues. While we still want to provide those kinds of opportunities, we realized our ability to maintain monthly Max Min gatherings is not sustainable. Instead, as we move forward, we will host these discussion gatherings as key topics arise. We invite you to share your topics of interest for
Ask your children/youth: I wonder, what your expectations are this Christmas and New Year? It’s always good to gauge the expectations the next generation has at this time. Perhaps they notice things you may not. It could be as simple as asking a random number of kids/youth this question. You could also challenge other adults to ask this question and listen (not debate). If you want to get creative, record
Tip: Understand what your children and youth know about the key issues for Indigenous peoples, and how they would like to respond. In the last couple of years, the awareness about issues facing Canada’s engagement with Indigenous peoples has escalated. Children and youth have a deeper understanding and recognition through media reports, social media posts and in their classrooms. Understand the pulse of what your children and youth perceive about these issues. Some initial questions could be: Do you have any friends who are
Next March break, what will your youth ministry be doing? While you may still be readjusting to what on-site programming looks like now or navigating other parts of youth ministry, it’s a good time to begin discerning what could be happening a few months from now. For many youth ministries, March break is an opportunity to serve beyond what their group normally does. At this point, an overseas Compassion Experience
On Saturday, November 6, Wycliffe College (along with partners like CBOQ Kids) is hosting the Toronto Children’s Ministry Conference. This may be a great training opportunity for you. You might be asking, “What does a children’s ministry conference have to do with youth ministry?” Here are five reasons why I (Alvin) think you should consider going; There are some renown speakers at this year’s conference. There are many great workshops
On October 4-6, we had a small group of six youth pastors come to Camp Kwasind for our annual Youth Pastors Retreat. In light of the 18+ months of adapting (and readapting) youth ministry in our current times, many felt tired and weary. Together, we took time to rest. Our schedule was slow-paced. We had time to be renewed personally and sharpened in our ministries. Matt led the group
