“We will not hide them from their descendants; We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:4 What does it take to run a youth ministry? The simple answer is whatever is available at your church. Perhaps you might feel that your church doesn’t have the resources or personnel to run an effective youth ministry. Let’s
Every summer, Canada Summer Jobs provides funds for organizations (like churches) to hire youth/young adults (ages 15-30) for paid positions during the summer. Their deadline (although the 2023 edition has not yet been published) is typically in late January; the deadline in 2022 was January 25. With a couple of months before the deadline, some considerations: Review the criteria and timeline established by CSJ. This includes the criteria of eligibility,
Download the Reopening Considerations doc With insights from a group of youth leaders, here is a working document on 8 considerations for the coming months as the Quebec and Ontario services open up. If you have additional insides, you can either: Share them in the comments below. Email Alvin. Share on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Next week, many schools in Ontario begin spring (April, not March) break. Some are asking for ideas on how to best engage their youth. For those in Quebec, what suggestions did you find most helpful? Feel free to share them in the comments below on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. Here are some ideas (ensuring to follow all current Public Health guidelines): Do a physically-distanced porch/driveway visit and drop off a care package Hosting a
It’s been just over a year since the first comprehensive lockdown happened. For many of our senior youth and young adults, this was a curveball like no other. Graduations and milestones changed. Work opportunities were in flux. Some students were helped by programs like CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) and CESB (Canada Emergency Student Benefit), although these programs also may have influenced their expectations of what work-life and remuneration means. For those in school (whether secondary or post-secondary), the expectations of this summer will need to be
In 2012, Matt Wilkinson wrote a book that guides a conversation between the lead pastor, youth leader(s) and parents in how their church can move towards a youth ministry that is youth-led, adult-mentored and family-empowered. From October to May, each month, we'll spend an hour together with Matt as he shares some key considerations followed by a group discussion with those on the Zoom call. The 10-min sharing by
Back to school feels more stressful than ever before. Parents, educators and kids are all asking what the best step is to take. More than ever, churches and youth ministries will need to be available to navigate the new few months. So how can you best support your students, your church family and your neighbourhood in the coming months? Here are some considerations and questions. Make room for students to discuss what they’re experiencing. Some
High school grads in the 2020 cohort will experience a summer and fall unlike previous generations of grads. Grads who are continuing to post-secondary studies will experience orientation events and the first weeks of classes (if they exist in person at all) in completely new ways. Some grads are deciding to defer their acceptances for a year. (Note: If you are looking to defer but haven’t done so already, you’ll need to check with your respective institution to see if any conditions apply to that deferral.) Other grads made the decision to defer a while ago. If you
Things keep changing in light of COVID-19. Since March break, youth leaders have been triaging the situation while trying to maintain relational connections with students individually and collectively. What we originally thought would be 3 weeks off is turning into months (at least two since this started) and who knows? Things will look differenteven beyond that. So how do you support your youth at this time? SCHOOL AT HOME There will need to be a resetting of boundaries and expectations, especially with schools initiating more formal online platforms. The average amount of
In the past couple weeks, many churches have started using technology (especially streaming and video conferencing) to meet and connect with one another. As this form of connection becomes more familiar to us, here are some tips, ideas and considerations moving forward. DIFFERENT TOOLS FOR DIFFERENT AUDIENCES No one tool will work for everyone, and different tools serve different purposes. Many churches are streaming their services through Facebook Live or YouTube Live. Zoom is the choice for many who need a group discussion setting. Instagram chats,
