Where are you headed? What do you need to get there? As youth leaders, we pour into others, but what are ways you allow God to pour into you? A few weeks ago, we suggested creating a learning track for your student leaders to help identify specific elements in building that person and who could provide those learning opportunities. It's no different for you as a leader. Below is a
We want our students in our youth ministries to thrive both in their faith and in their lives for the glory of God. Do you know what areas to focus on? Do you know how they can best be trained? Below is a suggested template for tracking those developmental elements in a student's life. You may have other elements to add as well (if so, leave those in the comment section). The key to this tool is for youth and youth leaders/mentors/parents to discuss what areas to develop
You likely have a group of students whom you’re trying to develop in their faith and leadership skills. They may even be involved in other ministries in your church or volunteering in the community. But how do they piece all those parts together? Here are some suggestions for helping that student make sense of all they’re experiencing. Do they have someone (or group of people) who they can bring all
Continuing education is vital for people in all walks of life, and this includes those involved in youth ministry. While paid staff are more intentionally encouraged to pursue professional development, it's also important to recognize the need for volunteers who give their time and energy for this call to also have opportunities for professional growth. Professional growth and development comes in various forms, such as conferences, workshops, podcasts, books, and
Over the years, we've coordinated what we called an event internship where youth and young adults came to serve at Avalanche and Blizzard while honing their ministry skills. Over the last 12 months, we've redesigned that program into what we call "Slingshot". We recognize that today's young adult isn't always able to commit to a program long-term (some don't even know what they're doing the next hour). We also recognize
In all areas of life, we continue to change (whether progressively or regressively). Our ministry skills are no different. It's not to say that you must make a major investment in every area of your life all the time. But, to ensure you're not neglecting one area over another in the long term, you need to balance where you're placing your energies in your next steps. Ministry development can happen
