Our world is fast becoming a village.  We’ve advanced from radio to television to satellite TV.  We now have the World Wide Web; everyone knows what everyone else is up to.  The pressure is on to keep up!  No one group is more vulnerable to pressure than our youth.  No other demographic sheds its skin…

RESOURCES FOR THE UNCHURCHED Every youth group has some students that we would consider “unchurched.” These are the youth who never in their life have been exposed to church life of any kind. We may not realize it but there are A LOT of nuances that we speak on in youth programs that assume our…

Video gaming has gone from being a subculture to being a dominant cultural influence. Currently 97% of males and 94% of females under 18 years of age are video gamers. Many play in small amounts (an average of 18 hours per week), but some gamers report that they play 40 hours or more a week.…

The following is a list of warning signs that a student may be getting bullied.  Please make a copy, edit it, be creative, add artwork or whatever, but place it publicly where your students can see it.  Consider making a copy and editing it for your parent’s newsletter/email. – Shows an abrupt lack of interest…

I am horrible at directions.  You know the old joke, “She couldn’t find her way out of a paper bag?”  Yep, that’s me.  My husband, on the other hand, can go somewhere ONCE in HIS WHOLE life and find his way  back to the exact location without looking at a map.   I can know you…

“Don’t judge a book by its cover book.” This amazing curriculum is written for both leaders and their students. “Talks Your Dad Never Had With You” by Dr. Harold Davis. It walks through topics that are at the core of growing a student. Everything from how to follow Christ, to life skills, to avoiding joining…

Each of us have at least one of “these” students in our youth program.  The one who shows up a little hungry,  a little tattered and a lot proud.  We pull them aside to “talk,”  and assess the need.  How can we help?  The more we probe, the tighter lipped they seem to become.  Do…

Red Brook Baptist church sits right outside of Atlanta, and resembles many churches across the American landscape. The church hit its peak back in the 1970’s, according to its Chairmen of the Deacons. In 1970 they were running well above 3,000 in worship and in student ministry attendance running 400 or more. They were also…