Here’s an illustration I used during small group time at our Winter retreat this weekend. Setup: 1. I grew my facial hair out into a nasty out-of-control mess for a couple of months leading up to the retreat for this...
Dennis Beckner
Dennis Beckner is a volunteer youth worker who trains volunteer youth workers. From 1999 to 2020 he was a leader at Saddleback Church’s Student Ministry. He is the author of Volunteer Youth Ministry, A Roadmap For Effective Leadership, and owns VolunteerYouthMinistry.com. Graduated from Point Loma Nazarene College in 1994, BA Religion
Yesterday I met somebody who is a new believer and has started serving at our church. He told me a story that, at first, angered me, then challenged me about my role as a volunteer. He plays in one of...
Here’s a fun dessert I did with my Life Group students last week. It’s super easy and they can each do their own pretty quickly. 1. Buy as many canisters of cinnamon rolls as you will need 2. Have them...
I’ve used this a couple of times with pretty good results. “You’re not in trouble, but…” is the perfect medium I’ve found between the lands of Knuckleheadville and You’reawesomeistan. When student isn’t really being “bad”, you just need him to...
The real reason I do youth ministry is for the stuff I inherit when my boys forget to take their stuff home. 🙂...
First off: Never say the word ATTITUDE to students if you want to them to hear anything you would say following the word attitude. That word is more like a weapon than a tool. A student is coming to help...
Here are a few tips I’ve learned by counseling students with their parents: – Don’t be available at a moment’s notice. If you can delay the appointment for at least a few hours after the explosive argument, they’ll have a...
To raise up a crop of believing servants, youth workers must: – Watch for potential: You can’t mentor every student. Look for the ones who are open to being molded, eager to serve, and are, on some level, dedicated to...
I’m kind of kicking myself this morning. I’m in Dallas visiting family. The other day I noticed President Bush would be signing books at Barnes & Noble. I was there early, but didn’t get a ticket because I was in...
I don’t blog often enough about my own spiritual journey. This weekend has been a time when God has especially called me into fellowship with him through worship, though. That sounds very churchy… “called me into fellowship with him through...