I’ve been spending time lately meeting with a youth pastor that works not to far from where I live. We’ve been talking about purpose and aligning all the “stuff” of youth ministry around a guiding purpose.

Last week she told me about a youth group activity she came up with to help reinforce the lesson from their Bible study. It was a simple idea, but I thought it was the best activity ever!

Just thought I’d share a few of my apps that get me by when I am in a pinch. Am I missing an important app that would be beneficial for youth workers? Let me know.

When people say the words “young people” they are really saying “youngpeople.” One word, as a noun. Try it, out loud say young people the way you would normally say it. Why does this matter? Because when you say “youngpeople” instead of young people, you change the meaning of the words.

Youngpeople are a kind of quazi-human creature that are outside of the realm of normal expectations.

God doesn’t want his children holding grudges. Yet it is so easy to hold a grudge. Wrongs done, even among those or between those in the Body of Christ, easily submerge to become awful, dividing barriers.

A while back, Joshua Griffin posted a ton of cool online resources. I have two outstanding favorites that I think could be useful for almost every youth pastor:

Sometimes a student will reveal something monumental in their lives that we’ll need to help them through. Conversations I’ve had or other leaders have told me about include such topics as drug use, gender identity, sexual impurity, abuse, thoughts of suicide, among others. These can catch any youth worker off guard. However, it’s always an honor to be trusted enough by a student for them to reveal such big issues. When we know how to help them share, we can make experience easier for them.

Below are some great scriptures to pray over your students.

This doesn’t mean that you read them once and then use them to browbeat your students and demand they change. Theses are verses to empower your prayers.

I encourage you to take them to the Lord in prayer again and again, asking Him to work so that the love, truth, and grace of God described in these verses would come to be reflected in the lives of your teens.