Relational Youth Ministry

I trust that you will fully enjoy the Christmas season and that you find some time to have a break. I am having a break from blogging but will be back early in 2008 – see you then!

One of the key issues for me when considering my work with young people is my vision to see them fully released into what God wants them to be. I know enough of life to realise that this will only happen if the young person has a fully functioning, vital relationship with God. So that [...]

I think it was in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People that I first came across this concept – the difference between the Law of the School and the Law of the Farm. In the Law of the School everything is left to the last possible moment. the essay is due in tomorrow so [...]

Earlier I introduced you to Adam [and then promptly digressed] – I am returning to him as I learnt a lot from our relationship. So much so that 10 years and 12,000 miles later we are still in contact. In prison ministry I was often asked if I was being paid to do what I [...]

The key thing to note in the very Beginning is that the blogs are in the public domain. So if you were worried about prying or uncovering secrets then that is not the case. The student has chosen to put their writing on the Internet – it is nothing like finding a diary hidden at [...]

Be prepared to be asked all sorts of questions when you begin Relational Youth Ministry – especially from young people with no prior church or God connections. I have listed below the 5 serious questions and also 5 fun questions [which need to be taken seriously] you will be asked before too long. Top 5 [...]

1. Teachers should know their subject In some senses this one is an obvious – but maybe you too have left the preparation to the very last minute [driving to the youth meeting?] and whilst the subject matter is known to a level it possible would have benefited from more advanced thought – research even? [...]

In a recent blog post, Aspen Education Group wrote: “Friends with benefits” is a term today’s teenagers and college students use for couples who have sex but are not romantically in love. I have been aware of the use of this phrase for quite some time. However, I don’t think I have ever seen it [...]

Adam is a very interesting guy with an unusual experience of life – I love him heaps. I first met him when he was 16 years old and 2 years into his 4 year prison sentence. The main charge was armed robbery. For those of you that have been involved in the prison system – [...]

The Bible says that without a vision the people will perish and I have found that people (young and old) are more vibrant and engaged when they are working towards something – some goal is encouraging them along the way. Some time ago my wife preached a sermon called Freedom from Mundane Thinking and, as [...]