"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
CHECK OUT the psalm 139 ESCAPE ROOM
There's also a free Easter Escape Room. Our first escape room has been played by over 4000 people! Or try one of our other escape rooms.
DAVE'S RECENT BLOGS
Welcome to churchyouthministry.com, home of the book Raising the Bar: Nearly Everything You Need to Know about Christian Youth Ministry.
One reader writes:
"I've finished 'Raising the Bar' and wanted to write to say thank you.
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I've made a series of changes, found someone to lead with, and have really felt the change in the levels of trust with the young people across the last number of sessions.
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Tonight two of my youth said it was the best session we've ever had. I don't think it's a coincidence that it's coming after having finished you book. I love the encouragement to "Stay long enough to get good at it" at the end - I am now "no longer floundering"... let's see if I can stay long enough to get good!
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Thank you for sharing your wisdom and experience and for staying the course in youth ministry!"
Rachel Mander
Volunteer Youth Leader, St Polycarp's, Hillsborough, Sheffield
WANT A NEW CHAT STARTER?
Try: "What's exciting you at the moment?" or "What do you do for fun?" They're likely to provoke a more positive reaction than "Have you got a lot to do at the moment?" or "How's the revision going?"
PAID WORKER SURVEY
I often have conversations with paid youth workers who speak of their felt lack of support in their churches - definitely not the whole story, but a common theme. At the same time, I receive emails from senior church leaders saying they're struggling to fill YCF positions. I think those two things might be linked.
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So, I've just finished a survey on supporting paid YCF workers. I asked nearly 100 paid youth, children and families' workers about the support they have already experienced and what they would like to see to enable them to stay and to thrive.
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If you're a paid worker, is what I've written fair? Do get in touch to tell your story. I spoke to one experienced youth leader who has recently changed post. He sent a link to the survey to the church he was leaving, suggesting they supported their next youth worker in these ways. He also sent a link to his new church suggesting they support him in these ways. Why not point your senior leader towards the survey and ask to meet up afterwards to discuss it?
Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
ABOUT THIS WEBSITE
Why does this website exist? Because over 30 years of youth ministry, I'd realised that, by God's grace, despite all my awful mistakes, I'd managed to learn some things that were worth passing on to other youth leaders. I want youth leaders to stay in youth ministry. I also want youth leaders to get really good as quickly as possible. Our young people need that. So, Raising the Bar is the most important thing that any youth leader can read on this website.
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The other resources help you put into practice the things in the book and so, get really good as quickly as possible. I once called Raising the Bar a manual for youth ministry. My friend and colleague looked at me as if I'd said something outrageous and said it was way more than that. It's not just a how-to guide for pretty much everything you'll need to do in youth ministry, though it is that, it also tells massively encouraging stories of God's neverending grace and kindness, worked out in the lives of real young people and their leaders.
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"For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."
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Romans 11.36
ABOUT RAISING THE BAR
"'Raising the Bar' comes highly recommended. If you are a paid youth worker or a volunteer this book is invaluable. The book is a handbook that will help you week on week as you serve your young people. It has chapters on the 'why' of youth work but also the 'how to'. So for instance, if you want to run a residential this book will help with both the planning and the delivery of a safe week or weekend away. Likewise, the book will give you tips and frameworks on how to run a quality evening session from the games right through to the talk.
A fantastic book that is written for the church - buy a copy and also buy one for your friend in ministry."
Tim Neale
Insight Christian Schools Work Trust
MORE RESOURCES FOR MINISTRY
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ABOUT RAISING THE BAR
Aimed at both paid and voluntary leaders, Raising the Bar has been called a 'youth ministry handbook' and 'youth work bible'.
The book gives enough help to start a group, and gives you the skills, ideas and encouragement to keep going. Learn to deal with conflict. Grow values in the ministry. Build a strong team of leaders. Plan a residential. Respond to a disaster. Leave a legacy.
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It's full of stories to inspire you.
"Each time I open it, I come away from it encouraged and equipped to do what I can for the Lord.., thinking 'I'm going to make mistakes... BUT LOOK WHAT GOD CAN DO DESPITE THAT.'
It reminds me that there is only one thing we need to get right - Jesus - and He'll take care of the rest."
Eleni Brooks
Youth Intern
"To have a resource like this to put into the hands of my leaders is invaluable. It's so helpful to be able to say to them 'the chapter on X will help you with this'. My leaders love it too because it makes them feel more confident in the ministry we share. Thanks Dave!"
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Ross Mungavin
Youth Pastor
"Comprehensive, practical and soundly theological"
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Becky Hepworth
Youth Worker
Park Church, Stoke-on-Trent
I've written this practical manual to help you grow effective Christian youth ministry from start to finish. Reading this £10, nearly 400-page book gives you over 27 years of experience. It's packed with loads of how-tos, from writing a Bible talk to leading a small group, dealing with conflict, to working with parents and the wider church. It also has key values for church youth work to remind us what's important - all shared with lots of STORIES involving God's power to transform lives.
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"An invaluable resource"
Scott Rushby
Youth Pastor
Testwood Baptist Church
Southampton
What’s new with churchyouthministry.com?
www.churchyouthministry.com has just had a big reordering, to hopefully allow you to find what you need faster. When I first published the website, I didn't know it would get this big. Do please let me know what you think and if you find any glitches.​ There's a new page for Teaching Sessions, one for The Law, Health and Safety and for Question Panels.
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I've just published a new two-minute training video on Leading a Small Group. Check out my survey on supporting paid youth, children and families' workers here. We're still losing two many good youth workers. I think you'll find it suprising, challenging and a helpful discussion starter. There's also a new blog on doing exit interviews with youth volunteers.
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Let me know what you think here or get in touch if you need any more help. If you've been on the site a few times and I've never said 'Hi!' in the Chat, it's probably because you've turned off cookies. Turn them back on and I'll try and say, 'Hi' some time!
