For all of you volunteer youth leaders...

Our friends at Youth Specialties have created a video in honor of those who volunteer in youth ministry. Thank you what you do for teenagers...

A new kind of structure for the church as a whole

Over the course of church history, we've tried the monolithic one-church-for-all structure and we've tried the every man (or every church) for himself structure. I think both have had serious shortcomings. Now pastors in Argentina are modeling a structure that I think could be the key to churches REALLY making a difference in the world, making the body of Christ relevant again.

'Something Better Than Revival' | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Women in Youth Ministry Working Together

Most of our youth ministry networks are made up of guys in full-time youth ministry. But our Fayette County Youth Network is a mixture of full-time, part-time, and volunteer youth leaders. And the group is made up of several couples. So it is a unique but really active group. Over this past school year they have done 8 events together (almost once a month) – a See You At The Pole concert, a rock-climbing day, a bus trip to a concert, two movie outreaches, a purity event, school assemblies, and a conference for teenage girls. In addition to our monthly network meetings, our ladies have Youth Pastors Wives Club meetings which they started a year or so ago. This group of ladies felt led by God to do a conference for teenage girls together – it took place back on Saturday, June 5th and it was an amazing event. The day included dramas, testimonies, a Christian version of “The View”, a q & a time with a panel made up of the ladies’ husbands, times of prayer ministry, worship, videos, and a concert by Francesca Battistelli. We had 250 girls from five counties come to the conference and we heard so many great comments afterwards such as what this mom said: “My daughter and I had a most blessed time. You hit home on so many things. I could see the Holy Spirit working in so many girls and moms, including myself! It was an eye opening, life changing experience. Thanks so much for all your efforts and obedience to the Lord.” Incredibly these ladies pulled off a $15,000 event and, by God’s grace, came out in the black. During the process of putting this conference together, we got the sense that there is a big need for gender specific events in youth ministry. To get 250 girls to an event that no one had ever been to before was an indication that there is a hunger for ministry with a focus on what girls deal with. We’re also thinking about what we can do specifically for our guys, but that’s a whole other blog post. I want to end by thanking Michelle Georgiana, Heather Rankin, Starla Beachy, Shelly Jenkins, Lauren Ellsworth, Joy Hertlein, Leigh Hudson, Denise Swenglish, and Melissa Toomey for making history by doing something that’s never been before in our area. You ladies most definitely rocked what you got!

You can visit www.facebook.com/rockwhatugot to see pictures/video from the event.

A new resource for youth ministries in western Pennsylvania

A couple months ago, we totally revamped our website so that it would be more helpful and useful to youth pastors, parents, and students anywhere in western Pennsylvania. Now you'll find regional and national events on our front page with links to local areas and events, as well as resources that are specific to youth ministry in this area. Please let us know what you think!

www.youthministrybulletinboard.com

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