Episode 79
RYM 079: How To (Not) Emotionally Manipulate Your Students In Youth Ministry
There’s a complicated relationship between emotions and faith. And if we’re honest, as youth ministry leaders, sometimes it can be tempting to leverage our students’ emotions to help them make big faith and life decisions. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Join us this week as we talk about how we can avoid accidentally emotionally manipulating our students, and what it looks like for our students’ emotions to play a healthy role in their lives and faith going forward.
Voices In This Episode
EPISODE RECAP
- How podcast guests Candice Wynn, Brett Talley, and Stuart Hall have seen emotions handled poorly in different church environments (2:35)
- When emotions are not considered a good thing (8:05)
- What happened to make emotions so complicated (20:15)
- Tools we can give students to help them be able to better use discernment (32:05)
- Practical tips to talk about emotions in a healthy way (40:10)
- Tools youth leaders can use to equip their students to help them discern the emotions they have (49:54)
QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE
To develop into a well-rounded follower of Jesus, a student has to be in touch with their emotions. —Stuart Hall Click To TweetWhen we try to convince students their emotions aren’t valid or healthy, we’re helping them create unhealthy patterns that can cause more issues down the road. —Brett Talley Click To TweetIf we don’t help students tend to their emotions now, we risk them becoming emotionally constipated adults. —Candice Wynn Click To TweetWe're doing students a disservice if they become so accustomed to engaging God through the thunder that they don’t know how to hear God when He speaks in a still, small voice. —Candice Wynn Click To TweetAs youth leaders, we need to remember that the Spirit of God is doing the work in our students, not us. —Stuart Hall Click To Tweet
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Resource: XP3 Middle School Curriculum
Resource: XP3 High School Curriculum
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