Tanita MaddoxFigures and stats regarding the downward trend of church attendance in the United States over the last few decades—especially among younger generations—are commonly shared in books, articles, and on the internet. That downward trend has not changed...
Josh StewartAs the Israelites said of the manna that fell from heaven, so it must be said of the youth pastor: What is it? Empirically speaking, youth pastors are half-friend, half-pastor, half-parent, half-can’t-decide-what-it-is types of things. But what...
Ryan NelsonA lot of Christians think they aren’t cut out to be a youth leader. But if you love Jesus and you care about kids, everything else falls into place. In my five years working with middle school students I’ve met multiple 80 year olds who...
Guest AuthorTwo years ago, I transitioned from leading and overseeing our church’s youth ministries to overseeing and leading our children’s and youth ministries. Practically, that’s an eighteen-year gap of kids under my care—not to mention their older...
Mary JahnkeMillennials and Gen Z are weighing heavy on pastors’ hearts these days. According to Barna, When presented with a list of possible challenges facing their church today, half of Protestant pastors note that “reaching a younger audience” (51%)...
Dan Lovaglia, director of leadership development at Awana, says there’s a disconnect between the church’s objectives and our results—particularly in children’s ministries. Across denominations, ministries and churches share many of...
If you had told me a few months ago that I’d be a youth leader leading the high school and junior high groups at my church, I’d say you were crazy. Working with kids is something I’ve always told myself I wasn’t cut out for...