The other day I was the recipient of correction that could have been done better. It’s been almost a week, but I’m still finding myself wishing it had been handled differently. This event has my mind also thinking about other issues  that became conflicts because of how they were handled. They still make me cringe [...]

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I rarely miss teaching my small group or being present for our weekend services. If I’m consistent, it helps me hold my students accountable to also be consistent. It also shows my dedication. Being self-employed, I rely on appointments for my income. I’ll typically lose a good amount of money each year for the sake [...]

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Many things can enhance or kill your ministry effectiveness. Behavior is a biggie. When I served as youth pastor in small churches, this was a bigger deal than it has been as a volunteer in a large youth ministry. That was one of the biggest surprises when I transitioned to this church. We have hundreds [...]

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In my conversations with students, I frequently use phrases like, “When you’re a high school volunteer…”. I always plant the ideas in their head that they will be youth ministry volunteers one day. I want them to see it as a natural progression for them to go from student to servants of students. The hope [...]

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As a volunteer Sunday School teacher or small group leader you probably don’t have much of a say in which curriculum to teach. Over several years of teaching students, I’ve had fantastic and horrible experiences teaching what others have written. There are several factors that determine whether or not curriculum will mesh with a ministry. [...]

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Encouraging words are powerful. They can build others up, restore, begin or build relationships, and give confidence among many other things. The problem is that often times we assume people know how we feel through our actions. We show how much we care by investing our time, buying a gift or remembering a name. None [...]

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As an adult working with people half my age, it can be easy to allow the age difference to create a relational gap. I determined a long time ago to blow that out of the water. If I know a student, I rarely settle for a handshake. I always bring them in for the hug. [...]

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Preface: If you’re an extrovert, you may want to skip this… unless you are surrounded by introvert youth volunteers who need help connecting with students. Unless you’re a flaming extrovert, you probably have noticed that painful awkwardness when trying to connect with new students. I’ve listed 5 techniques that have made that initial conversation a [...]

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