Youth Ministry In-Services

The key to good youth ministry is not the quality or the quantity of programs and events, but the quality of the relationships the youth ministry leaders build with the teens. Youth ministry leaders should be relational ministers. Meaning, their goal is to genuinely care for young people. This workshop will explore six must know strategies for becoming a more relational youth minister.

Puberty! Questions! Emotion! Drama! Yup. That’s what being a teenager is all about. To be effective ministers to youth, we must know what they are going through physically, mentally, emotionally, morally, and spiritually. Good youth ministry engages all the developmental levels. This session is all about learning what’s going on with our teenagers and using that knowledge to effective minister to them

In 1997, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote a document on youth ministry that forever transformed Catholic youth ministry in this country. Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry. It’s not about youth group. It’s about comprehensive youth ministry!

Who is at the center of your youth ministry? We get so excited about programs and creative ideas. Why not? That’s what youth ministry is about. It’s also about remembering why we do what we do in ministry. Sure, it’s about community, fun and food. It’s also about following Jesus and being disciples who live out the Gospel. Keep Jesus at the center AND effectively reach out to our youth.

Youth ministry is not about re-inventing the wheel. It’s about taking proven practices and making them work within your own ministry context. This workshop is all about learning those proven and effective practices and utilizing them in your own youth ministry.

Comprehensive youth ministry can be difficult to plan and calendar for. But a good calendaring process can allow you to look at a 3-month block of time and effectively minister to the youth of your parish. This works will give you the framework you need to plan three months worth of ministry in one hour.

You’ve looked everywhere! There is no session that covers what you want to do with your youth this week. I guess you’ll have to write it yourself.

Developing a good gathered youth ministry session (i.e. youth night) takes practice and time. However, there are tricks to the trade that will make your planning time better. This session is all about helping you and your team write better sessions that will engage your teens.

Retreats are a staple youth ministry event. Why? We know they work! This workshop will give your team the skills and knowledge to put on great retreats that will touch your youth and effectively build momentum for your youth ministry efforts.

All youth ministry has time for small groups. In fact, small groups during retreats, youth nights, and other youth ministry events are essential. This workshop is all about the strategies that allow you and your team to be effective small group facilitators.

Help! I have a group of youth I’m supposed to catechize, but what I did when they were 10 years old doesn’t work now that they are teens!

That’s right. Adolescents come to the table of church ministry in a much different place then they were at 10 years old. Adolescent catechesis requires a whole different set of skills and planning. Gone are the days of lecturing teens about the 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (they get enough lecture at school and home). Today, it’s about engaging the whole person in catechesis. We’ll learn all about what works and what doesn’t when trying to catechize and teach adolescents.

When doing good ministry, we recognize and respond to the cultural realities of those we minister to and with. Middle Schoolers sometimes seem like foreign entities because middle school has a culture of its own and is no exception when it comes to requiring a culturally aware response from youth ministry leaders. This module provides an overview of the middle school culture, how to stay in tune with changes and fluctuations on the middle school culture, and how to be adaptive and responsive in your ministry to middle schoolers.

Youth Ministry leaders put a lot of time and energy into reaching young people, but sometimes we feel like we’re not making as big of an impact in the lives of our middle schoolers. This session delves into the insights and realities of how to make a deeper connection with your middle schoolers and the key people to minister to that have the most influence on our ‘tweens, including parents and schools.

You are able to get ‘tweens to your youth group meetings, but how do you get them to stay and come back with friends? Common experience tells us that middle schoolers are high energy and kind of flighty so we often underestimate their ability to go deep with the teachings of our faith or delve into a relationship with God. This session provides structure and best practices for meaningful, relevant, and effective gathered youth nights for middle schoolers that will have you taking your middle schoolers to depths most people wouldn’t think possible.

Do you have a vision for your middle school youth ministry but feel like you’re not moving anywhere when it comes to programming and gathered youth nights? Our youth ministries can gain momentum, direction, and vision when we are intentional with our curriculum and youth ministry framework. This session looks at how to be intentional with incorporating a curriculum and framework into your middle school youth ministry, including a look at Diocesan catechetical standards and comprehensive calendaring, but without sacrificing the heart and soul of your middle school youth ministry.