Articles: Youth

Inga attends Tacoma Life Center in Tacoma, Washington. She has quizzed for one year and has memorized two books of the Bible. This is her first person account of how memorizing the Word of God transformed her life—and a friend’s!

Imagine thousands of missionaries entering a mission field with the resolve and the skills to make an eternal impact...

The late Elton Trueblood, advocate for Christian learning and discipleship, once compared the state of the church to that of Rome in the moments when its empire began to wane...

The youth teacher can find success in instructing teens by recognizing the unique ways they learn. Consider the following 10 habits of a youth teacher who successfully instructs teens.

Great teachers use class time well by being effective teachers. And they know that time outside of class — not as teachers but as students — is just as important.

God’s Word is absolutely relevant to the lives of teenagers. Their perception of that, however, depends on how we deliver the truth. Your best way of doing this is to build a bridge of relationship.

Regardless of our position in ministry, our purpose is to bring people to Jesus. In everything, we must be effective at communicating the good news of forgiveness and new life in Christ.

The circumstances are not unusual. Attitudes change during the teen years. Expectations become unreasonably high as to what merits attention. Some feel as if they have seen and done it all. They’ve put in their youth group time, and it’s no longer relevant. Perhaps they are just busier and more discriminating with their time. Church involvement takes the brunt of many schedules.

Youth classes, especially Sunday School classes, have traditionally followed one of two grouping patterns: Plan "V" or Plan "G."

Seldom will your students be involved in a more intense spiritual experience than summer youth camp. I’ve seen students practically dragged to the departure by their parents, sleeping bag in tow, only to return at week’s end ready to take their city for God.

The letter from a distraught mother to her daughter’s college professor is full of pain. The mother is hurt, miserable, and feeling rejected by an adolescent daughter. At the same time, she is ashamed and apologetic, thinking she has failed as a parent. "Karen is impatient and reckless," the letter continues. "She compromises too much with the world and she doesn’t realize how dangerous it is." I am Karen’s professor. In class, I hear Karen say, "Parents never listen to our ideas. They are critical of everything we do.

Statistics indicate that churches lose nearly 50 percent of graduating seniors who enter the work force and close to 90 percent of those who attend a secular college. For all the activity and challenge churches have been providing for teens, Christian service has not been embedded in their priority structure. Of all the avenues our students will travel in pursuit of "success" the local church may not even be on the map.

It was evident at the Ascension, that the disciples were in desperate need of the boldness and insight of the Holy Spirit. Yet the implications of Jesus' parting command were quite clear–they would soon be doing with others what He had done with them. What happened in their lives between the call to come and be and the commission to go and make was discipleship in its purest form.

by Billie Davis

A sad dark face seemed to accuse me as I opened my morning paper. "Tears rolled from the eyes of the African-American teen," the front-page story began. She had found ugly racial words scrawled on her art-class project. The article called black/white relations in the school a "racial divide," and asked, "What can we do to bridge it?"

By Wes Haystead

Methods for teaching youth

This four-part presentation is designed to help your members understand God's purposes for the Church, the structure and needs of the local church, and their calling to serve God by discovering their gifts and learning they can fulfill themselves through service in the local church.

a quick guide to becoming a good storyteller

Hands-on Bible learning can occur at one table or at interest centers positioned throughout a room. Teachers who want to use hands-on learning in interest centers can refer to the checklist below for possible ways to equip different centers. Resourceful teachers can equip Sunday school rooms for enjoyable hands-on Bible learning on almost any budget. The items with asterisks (*) can be brought from home or made inexpensively.

Permission Slip Template

By Billie Davis

by Billie Davis

Wes Bartel interviews Youth Pastor Rich Skerbitz in 2004

A recent study conducted by the Barna Group provides new insights into the question, "What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment?

As you watch this touching video about Ben Comen, an 18 year old high school cross country runner who is afflicted with cerebral palsy, consider the various discipleship analogies that it contains. Perhaps the most compelling analogy is the role of the church and fellow believers coming alongside others in the discipleship process.

A program for introducing the basics of Christianity to those interested.

by Earl G. Creps

Three shifts to reunderstand the challenge of discipling those who are navigating the postmodern turn.