Month: June 2025

Quick Tip: It Never Hurts to Ask

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“Hey Nick, if you ever need any candy for youth group, all you need to do is ask!” I’ll never forget that conversation with, at that time, a new leader for our middle school ministry. From that point on any candy needs we had, he covered them.

Whether it was providing candy for special events, chocolate bars for s’mores, or just a bag of candy on my desk as a thank you; candy was simply an ask away. But you know what that simple conversation helped me understand? All I needed to do was ask if I had a need.

But here’s the thing: in the past, I have struggled to ask when there’s a need. Whether it’s a pride thing, comfortability, a lack of awareness, or a combination of all the above, I struggled to ask.

Now guess what? When I started to ask, when I shared what our needs were, our church community rallied to our cause. I would never have considered asking about candy being provided, even though we live in an area that has multiple chocolate companies just down the street from our church. But because a volunteer approached me with a way to meet a need, it helped me remember something: the church is in this together and they want our young people to succeed.

So what could you ask for? Of course we all jump to volunteers because that’s what we all need. But what if we saw beyond that? What if we asked for people who would be willing to open their homes or prepare a meal? What if you shared needs for supplies and resources? What if you simply asked?

Over the past couple of years we have begun sharing our needs more openly and it has provided us with so many amazing new relationships, community engagement, and ways to better bless and care for our students and leaders.

Here’s the rub: asking someone for something isn’t bad. It is a huge asset and a way for the church to be the church. But even if the request is denied, remember to say “thank you” and don’t let it defeat you. Keep asking. Keep sharing the need. And watch what God will do through the church body.

Resourcing Leaders

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Elise and I have each been in youth ministry for twenty plus years. That’s crazy when we step back and think about how things have changed during that time. Technology has evolved. How youth groups do things has changed (bye-bye “Fear Factor” challenges). Styles and culture have changed. Students are walking through more difficult things.

Have you seen how things have changed and evolved over the last couple of decades? What about over the past five to ten years? The reality is that our culture and what our students are walking through has changed drastically and will continue to do so. But with that can often comes a feeling of ineptness for ourselves and our volunteers.

If you’re like me you may remember the first time a student came to you about a new issue you hadn’t been taught how to respond to. Maybe it was about eating disorders or disordered eating. Perhaps it was about sex, sexuality, and gender. Maybe it has to do with cutting and self harm. Or was it the time a student talked about the reality of their mental health and how it was affecting them.

Do any of these sound familiar? Have you ever had a student come to you with these issues or any of the litany of others we deal with? Here’s the thing: many of us have had some type of formal training if we are on church staff. Whether it was a single semester class, listening to podcasts, going to conferences, or additional resources at your disposal, you probably have more knowledge than some of your lay people when it comes these issues by nature of your role and responsibilities.

That is not a slight against our volunteers, but instead a challenge for us to be aware of what our people need. Typically, those of us who are leading ministries have more knowledge and awareness of issues or we know what resources to utilize when needed. The majority of our volunteers may not have the same knowledge or background and because of that we bear the responsibility of helping to resource and equip our people.

With that responsibility in mind, we should do all we can to help our people when different issues or circumstances arise. I understand that for many ministry leaders, paying for resources may not be feasible each year or at all. The resources you stock don’t necessarily have to be resources that require you to pay for them.

You could download and print out articles to share. Podcasts are an easy option to resource to your leaders. Websites like The Bible Project have videos, articles, and more for your leaders. Some national ministries may also be willing to send you resources at a discounted rate or for free if you reach out to them about your circumstances.

If you are able to purchase items for your leaders here are some ideas for what you could utilize to resource them.

Study and Journaling Bibles: Having study bibles or journaling bibles for your leaders and students to utilize in small groups, discipleship relationships, or for individual study are great resources.

Bible Study Resources: Equipping your leaders with resources to help students study the Bible is a huge win. This will help your leaders feel prepared and ready to walk with students through God’s Word and help them understand it.

Bible Studies: We love She Reads Truth and He Reads Truth for all of their materials. Their Bible studies are great for students because they don’t speak down to them or try to be hip and cool. Instead they offer topical, whole book, and character Bible studies. While these may seem a little costly you can get digital versions for less and if you subscribe to their emails, you can watch for sales including their clearance sales when books are significantly marked down.

Topical Books: If I have learned anything throughout my years in ministry, it’s never be surprised by the questions you are asked. Whether from students, parents, or leaders, the questions will always be there and they will span a wide swath of issues and circumstances.

With that in mind, we have curated books on a variety of topics to help people think through and navigate different issues. We have books on mental health issues, books on hot button issues in Christendom, books about identity, books on community, small group leading, and more. Basically if we saw a book that would be helpful, we allocated part of our budget to begin building a library of resources.

Scriptural Citations and Resources: One thing we have started to accrue over time is a running list of Scripture references for a variety of issues. So often students are looking for answers and ask “what does God think about this” or “what does the Bible say about that.” Having a running list of references allows us to resource our leaders and to point them toward what the Bible has to say.

What resources do you make sure to give to your leaders?

Quick Tip: Invest in a Label Maker

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I know, I know. You probably read the title of this post and thought, “really, that’s the topic for today?” I get it, it may not seem like a post that should be on a site devoted to helping youth workers succeed in ministry. But trust me, it is a much needed post. Let’s think about this for a moment.

What do label makers do? They make labels. And why do we need labels? To help us and others know what different things are and where they are stored. Within each of our ministries, we probably know where everything is. I bet if I showed up at your ministry and asked for a specific item’s location you could tell me in a heartbeat. You also probably know how much of each item you have.

But do your volunteers know where everything is? Do they know what items you have and how many? What would happen if you got sick on a Sunday morning or youth group night? Would your team know where everything is and how to operate it?

Here is where the unassuming label maker comes into play. Your game supplies are labeled so they know what you have and if the supplies they need are present. The log in for the laptop or computer is labeled on the laptop. Instructions for the sound system are adhered to the sound board. Essentially a label maker removes ambiguity and allows everyone to be able to utilize the necessary aspects of your ministry even if they aren’t the normal lead person.

This is also a great way to care for your team and ministry, as well as setting up the next person in your position for success. You are helping your team and volunteers succeed by making things foolproof and helpful, and you are preparing your ministry for handoff when that time comes.

For those of us who have moved into new ministry positions, we know what it’s like to step into someone else’s world. You don’t know where everything is. Storage and organization isn’t how you would do it. You’re unsure of what items are in closets and what supplies you actually have. But when you label things you are setting up your ministry for a beneficial handoff and whoever comes after you for success. In essence you are being a good steward and caretaker of your ministry and setting it up for the long haul.

Never underestimate the humble label maker, and instead use it to enhance your ministry and to help your team succeed.

Product Review: GoSports Gaga Ball

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If your middle school students are anything like ours, they probably love Gaga Ball. Our students could play this for hours and keep coming back for more. Last year we decided to make an investment for our middle school ministry and we purchased a 20 foot GoSports Gaga Ball Pit.

We used to utilize some of our older wooden tables to build an improvised Gaga Pit whenever we hosted outdoor events that brought students in by the droves. We longed for a set that was easier to set up and could be utilized indoors. I searched for hours online trying to figure out what our options were but everything was either too expensive or was a DIY option that required more building skills than I could ever have.

Eventually one of our volunteers built us a semi-portable set out of two-by-fours but it wasn’t meant to last. So we found ourselves back where we started: no real options. And I’ll be frank, I had given up hope of finding something that would work for our ministry setting and within our budget.

That’s when my middle school director came to me with a great option. After searching through Amazon, she had found a viable option: the GoSports Gaga Ball Pit. These come in three different size options (10, 15, and 20 feet) and seemed to have a quick set up and tear down feature.

I was skeptical about this set at first. It seemed too good to be true and way too easy to set up and store. But I figured let’s see what happens, and I am so happy we did. This set is incredibly easy to set up and it has stood up to heavy (weekly) use.

Not only is it easy to set up and durable, GoSports also has great customer service when it comes to obtaining replacement parts. And don’t assume that it broke or isn’t up to the task because we needed replacement parts. One of our pieces got run over and still worked but was slightly off.

The set comes with three different types of pieces that when all put together, form an octagon. You place the poles into each of the openings in the net and put them into the upright stands and there you have it: a ready-to-go Gaga Ball Pit. This even comes with two rubber balls that you can use in your pit.

One thing I will say is be mindful that this pit isn’t like one made out of plastic or wood where the ball will rebound quickly off of the sides. The netting actually cushions the ball and slows it down a little. That means play may not be as fast paced as other sets but it does allow players of all skill levels to have a blast.

At the end of the day, this set is totally worth the investment and we will be recommending it to everyone!

Quick Tip: Intentionality at Grad Parties

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If you’re like me, graduation season is in full swing and graduation parties are popping up every weekend. But have you ever asked yourself, “why do I go to these?”

I know I’ve been to ones where I only knew the graduate and their family, and in some cases just the graduate. I’ve been to ones that felt awkward for a variety of reasons. And still others where I stayed for hours on end.

But still, the question of “why do I go” hasn’t been answered. So why do we go? Of course we go for the graduate and to celebrate them, but that cannot be the only reason.

Let’s be honest for a moment: while the graduate may be happy to see us, their focus will be on their friends and family. So if we limit our reason to going to simply to celebrate the graduate (and eat good food), I think we are missing a broader opportunity.

When we practice intentionality at graduation parties, it allows us to have a broader impact as we love and care for our community. If we simply go to just celebrate our graduates, we miss out on intentional moments with parents, families, friends, our leaders, and even complete strangers we may meet in line for the guestbook.

What I would encourage is that we go to celebrate our graduates but also to intentionally engage and invest in the other people who are at the party. If we take the moments we are given and seek to have intentional conversations, love the people present, and celebrate the graduates, we will see the opportunities for engaging with our community flourish and be much more fruitful.

So when you go to grad parties this year, practice intentionality and love your community well. Not only will this make the parties more meaningful but you will also see relationships flourish because of the impact your ministry will have.