Trauma-informed care and focus on mental health in youth ministry

trauma-informed

The Church has been a central component in the lives of youth for generations, and for good reason. As research shows, a young person’s faith can be a protective factor against negative behaviors and outcomes. However, despite one’s faith and the church, trauma-informed care is often not emphasized enough or even talked about within the…

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Set Free: What Juneteenth Means For ALL of U.S.

juneteenth

Today we celebrate. But we also grieve that it’s taken 156 years for African Americans to be included, truthfully, within the history of America and the American Dream. TEARS WELL UP IN MY EYES As I sit here watching the signing of Juneteenth as a national holiday, tears well up in my eyes. I think…

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How To Lead Through a Crisis

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We are called to lead. When you rest in the assurance of Christ’s power over death we are reminded that we are more than conquerors. It is the Church—the people of God—that are on the frontline, and we do not back down, even from a pandemic.

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UYWI BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPOTLIGHT: ALEXANDER JAMES

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Native to South Central Los Angeles and raised by a single mother, Alexander took pride in being the black sheep in most circles growing up. Now, he is a young adult director, social activist, youth advocate, and full-time spoken-word artist. An undaunted wordsmith fueled by a heart of passion and a soul forged by a plethora of complex and enriching experiences.

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Motivation for Your Ministry: We’re All in This Together

Collaboration is defined as the act of working with another or others on joint project.   If there is any context where this should be modeled, it should be in the work of advancing God’s Kingdom.  Yet, what should be common is rarely happening.  Perhaps it is the underlying messaging of the America culture, which encourages…

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Devotional: Charting a New Course for Your Youth Ministry

“The captain of the Costa Concordia was distracted by guests he had invited onto the bridge in the crucial moments before his cruise liner rammed into rocks off the Tuscan island of Giglio”, one of the ship’s senior officers has claimed.  Perhaps all the details my never be disclosed but what we know for certain…

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