Episode 31
RYM 031: How To Keep Your Youth Ministry From Being Shallow
If you’ve been in youth ministry long, you’ve probably heard parents, volunteers, or even other youth workers tell you their students want to “go deeper” in their faith. But how do you set your ministry up for depth? How do you keep your ministry from being shallow? This week, join ministry leaders as they talk about the characteristics of a deep youth ministry, wrestle through some common tensions youth workers face, and discuss practical ways you can take your youth ministry deeper.
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EPISODE RECAP
What is a deep ministry and what is a shallow ministry? (1:30)
Oftentimes, we think fun and deep are opposites, but many times they coexist. (4:30)
What are some tensions youth leaders are feeling when it comes to creating a deep ministry? (7:00)
What you count reveals what counts to you. (8:00)
How do you prioritize what you teach to your students? (10:00)
If the truth of the Bible doesn’t change, it means the truth students need to learn doesn’t change either. What will change is the way you present it. (12:30)
There’s a difference between teaching the Bible to kids and teaching kids the Bible. (13:00)
More information does not equal more retention of the information. (15:30)
True spiritual maturity is learning to feed yourself and wanting to feed yourself. (18:00)
It’s one thing to know Scripture and it’s another thing to practice it. (18:30)
What are the characteristics of a deep youth ministry? (25:00)
You have to define what deep means for your context. (34:00)
If you want to go deep in your ministry, you have to figure out who you are talking to and who you are leading. (35:00)
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Book: It’s Just A Phase by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy
Podcast: Understanding Teenage Brains With Mark Oestreicher
Book: Teen Stages by Ken & Elizabeth Mellor
Book: Untangled by Lisa Damour
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