Articles

"We want to build up teens who are willing to serve in the church, and as appropriate, might consider careers in professional church work. As we seek to encourage young people in their faith journeys, the most beneficial things we can offer them are opportunities to get involved with service and leadership in the church. When done the right way, this allows youth to feel valued and deeply connected to the Body of Christ."

At every LCMS Youth Gathering we ask participants to take the Lutheran Youth Poll. This is the executive summary for the 2025 Gathering held this in New Orleans.

Teens in our youth ministry are wrestling with how to use AI, not just for schoolwork, but in their person lives. This article is designed to help you think about how you might help youth manage this newest technological tool.

Many ideas initially sound excellent, but we do not take the time to consider them in terms of Biblical accuracy. This article considers the potential impact of the message "You can be whatever you want to be" and how youth ministry may want to share something closer to Scripture.

An exciting part of being a rostered church worker is when a Director of Christian Education (DCE) or pastor answers God’s call to serve another congregation. Though it’s an exciting time, it can leave their present congregation with a vacancy and no one to serve in that role. I experienced this twice at the same congregation, and this article describes some valuable lessons.

Programming should be designed for your youth ministry's size and needs. More importantly, it should be designed to build relationships around Jesus Christ. This article is a great encouragement and idea sparker for those with small youth groups.

Youth ministries need a plan for using social media to connect with youth and their parents. This article has six practices to help you create successful engagement.

A review of the book Ten Questions to Ask Every Time You Read the Bible and it's applications to youth ministry