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YOUTH ARE EITHER LEADING OR THEY ARE LEAVING
They are needed or they are gone. Youth have plenty of other groups who are anxious to use their talents. Every group from sports teams, garage bands, 4-H clubs, to the local street gangs are saying, “We have a place for you. We need you!” And here is the clincher. These groups actually do need […]
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Peer Ministry Leadership’s DNA
A few things I love talking about! YOUTH MINISTRY from PEER MINISTRY LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE
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An Essential Model!
I had the privilege to meet the St. Luke’s Peer Ministry team in Middleton, WI. I get very excited when I discover a church that understands the importance of equipping and then takes the next step of allowing youth to lead. Some of the things I heard! I love helping on 7th and 8th grade […]
Read More Spirit Nudges
Here is the question! “What Spirit nudges did you sense this week?” What did you see, hear, or sense that caused you to be concerned for another? How did you celebrate another? Or affirm? For whom did you say, “Yay!” for? How So what? Now what? How do you respond, or want to respond to […]
Read More PRACTICALITY IN PEER MINISTRY LEADERSHIP by Nikki Rud
Nikki Rud, Zion Lutheran, Grand Rapids, MN From the very beginning, we saw the benefits of training senior high youth in the skills of PML. Invaluable assets such as how to listen with their hearts, noticing non-verbal language, deepening their relationship with Christ by loving their fellow peers – all of these things and […]
Read More Why Youth Ministry? Letters to Parents
SIX FREE letters to adapt for your parents. Go ahead! Steal, use, rewrite, make them yours! Greetings, Parents of High School Youth! Lyle, here. I am an adult volunteer with high school youth ministry. Last night we had a fascinating conversation in our youth-led “candle time” groups where we sit close, around a candle, […]
Read More PEER MINISTRY LEADERSHIP SKILLS
What Kind? And Why? Face-to-face, heart-to-heart, person-to-person, practicing real life people skills is the most effective way we know to move a living, caring faith from theory to reality. “Skills result in change.” I remember Dr. Varenhorst, the pioneer of peer programs in schools and then churches, also one of my mentors, driving that statement into […]
Read More PEER MINISTRY LEADERSHIP PLAN
We want every church to equip their youth with the caring, welcoming and affirming skills of Peer Ministry Leadership. What follows is an explanation of the PML plan to get your church started! Most often, two or more congregations work together, sharing costs and allowing participants to learn from people they may not know as […]
Read More MEASURING MINISTRY
What if… ministry is not only measured by how many show up for events, (we always will!) but is also measured by the number of caring and welcoming acts? One group tallied over 2,000 conversations. Who new that every day conversations are really the very front lines of ministry! PML — CARING CONVERSATIONS BEHAVIORS […]
Read More Adults Saying, “YAH!” Strategy!
Changes need plans! Plans have to be written! It is the best way to remove them from just being ideas, swimming around in your head. Written plans bring about clarity, gives others something they too can own, and, most importantly, can be passed on. Adapt the following sample plan for your congregation. RATIONAL Recognizing that […]
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ASK YOUR STUDENTS
Ask your students the following. Listen closely. The responses will give you crucial implications for your ministry. Think about all the people you know, school, neighborhoods, work, family, teams, choirs, bands, church, where ever you get to be with others. I won’t ask for names or details, just a show of hands. How many of […]
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YOUTH SHAPING FAMILIES FAITH
15. What if-youth leadership ministry helps grow family ministry, and family ministry helps grow youth leadership ministry? Youth learn the most about faith from the people closest to them. Whatever is modeled and mentored by the family is what will stick. Family faith development takes intentional work, including side-by-side learning and leadership opportunities. Help families declare, […]
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