Student Ministry Resources

THANKS to FREQUENCY conference I went to last May in which I was able to be a part of a break out session, this is the results of several individuals giving input and Prof. Russ Gunsalus for putting this all together.  ENJOY & USE!

http://ayme.gospelcom.net/ Site for the Journal of Youth Ministry

http://www.youthandreligion.org/news National Study of Youth and Religion site.

www.exemplar.org Latest/Greatest National Youth Ministry Study

www.searchinstitute.org Long-standing youth development website

www.ptsem.edu/iym Princeton Seminary of Youth Ministry 

Miscellaneous Youth Ministry Websites:

www.theooze.com – Perhaps the best postmodern ministry site around.  The Ooze is a great way to stay in touch with culture.  The Ooze is a ministry devoted to people of all ages, with different people with different styles putting in their input about Christianity and Jesus.

www.teamce.com – provides youth workers with a comprehensive youth ministry program.  There are many ‘youth minister helps’ websites and memberships, but TeamCE.com is the first to combine a ministry strategy, curriculum, and online tools into ONE service.

www.simplyyouthministry.com - This website has a lot of items for sale in addition to free resources that are offered; It gives some simplified ideas for your ministry as well as suggestions on books, sermons, discipleship, training, media, and drama. It shows the newest books and programs that you can use in your curriculum and information about future conferences.

www.youthworks.com – Has a whole list of short term mission trips within the US and reasonably priced for first-time mission trippers in the program

ministryandmedia.com - Lots of info on pop culture and programming ideas that incorporate the latest trends in technology: keep up to date with the media in ministry!

www.sonlife.com – this website is for Sonlife ministry, which is a ministry that is part of training leaders as well as putting on youth conferences for youth.  The High School conference is called S.E.M.P., students equip minister peers.  It is a great conference for youth to grow and equip them in their walk with the Lord.

http://www.youthpastor.com/ -  This site has resources for youth pastors that I found very helpful.  There are lesson guides, games, and other things if you’re stuck and have no idea where to go; this site is a little more professional in its approach. It’s geared more towards the discipleship aspect of youth ministry while at the same time providing youth pastors with ideas and resources. This website not only gives ideas for topics and games but also recommended readings and a variety of youth group names.

www.churchmedia.net – Offers technology downloads and resources/seminars on using media effectively.

http://www.yfc.org- This website provides devos that go along with a story in the news each day.

www.nnym.org – Links youth workers for encouragement, spiritual growth, and sharing resources to reach and disciple every teenager.

groupmag.com - Online Christian magazine and resources, articles on current topics in the Christian world

www.ileadyouth.com – this site contains a wealth of information relating to the day to day function of a youth pastor/leader.  There are articles on leadership and various youth topics, training, event listings, publisher catalogs, etc.  This website is affiliated with Cokesbury.

www.centerforyouth.org – this site provides comprehensive information on topics of interest to youths and those working with youth. It is run and developed by the Center for Youth Studies, a Christian organization specializing in providing information to youth and youth workers.

http://www.cpyu.org/: Understanding today’s Youth Culture Website with different articles all about Youth Culture in today’s world. This website is great for helping parents and even yourself to better understand teen culture and what interests those teens.                                                                                                                         http://www.egadideas.com - This is a great site, offering ideas and resources for everything a pastor will go through. It gives insights to illustrations, events, preparations, relationships, family, games (indoor and outdoor), missions, retreats, and much more.

www.pastors.com/pcom/specials/LeadershipResources.asp - this website has recommended books for leadership and allows you to purchase them for group use, you can also download individual leadership messages.

www.thesource4ym.com - This website has a variety of free resources as well as many helpful resources and links to hiring speakers; this site provides ideas for anything from icebreakers to hard-core devotionals. It recommends speakers and has an open archive of articles to use. This site offers free resources, and ideas, games and ice breakers, event and activity ideas, curriculum and jumpstarters, video clip ideas, talks and sermons, and skit ideas. This website has some really good articles and reviews on music and movies.  I usually visit this website when I want to get some insight on certain movies and songs.  It also has some pretty good video clip ideas.

www.youthspecialties.com - This website has many resources but places an emphasis on the training that they offer; this site lets youth pastors know what’s going on around the nation so that they can keep up with fresh ideas, big events, and youth group news in general. This website gives different ways to get involved with youth conventions and other training events primarily focused on ministry. Power Source, awesome job site, resources, devos, game ideas, lessons, articles, library, store

www.pastor2youth.com - This website teams up with simply youth ministry to deliver “more resources than you can ever imagine”. The site includes hundreds of games categorized by energy level and location, tons of downloadable resources like PowerPoint lessons, PowerPoint games, Bible studies, and backgrounds. It is associated with Doug Field’s site; network with other pastors, get game ideas, sermon ideas, resources, curriculum, tips, freebies, info on ministry

www.youthworkers.net - This website has a network of youth workers that work together to achieve success.  It also has many helpful links. This website is geared to help youth workers with encouragement, spiritual growth, and sharing resources to expose teens to Christ. It does require you to have a username and password, although it is free membership.

www.youthministrytools.com - this site basically provides youth ministers and volunteers with resources that they can easily access on the web, such as ideas for Sunday school or youth group and links to other youth ministry sites.

 www.myministrybuilder.com - this site gives free resources and ideas, as well as providing a bookstore where youth pastors can find a variety of books discussing everything from skits to crafts to Bible studies.

www.teenlifeministries.com - aside from the usual resources and tips, this site also gives what they call a “Youth Print,” which is a student management system that helps youth pastors know how to manage each and every teen as an individual as well as the whole group. Information on evangelism and discipleship.

www.youthministry.com - this site provides resources, a media guide, missions tips, ministry ideas, and trends. This one caught my eye because this will help youth pastors and volunteers keep up on what’s hot with teens so that they know how to relate to them better. This website gives great ideas for object lessons, Bible lessons, and devotionals. It also gives ideas on events, games, and group building activities. YouthMinistry.com provides free tips, ideas, resources, and strategies for *ministry*. Everything from Bible studies and games to icebreakers, resources to links to other youth ministry sites.

http://www.youthresource.net/ – this is a site you pay for $10 a year but it is supposed to have a lot of power point lessons and other materials to be able to use for lessons

www.studentimpact.com - Willow Creek’s High school ministry. They have ideas about programs and how they run their ministry.

www.troubledwith.com  ~ this is a website of Focus on the Family.  It is an excellent website to consult when you or teens have questions about anything.  Seriously, it is all found here!

www.biblegateway.com - The best online Bible ever—comes complete with over 50 translations. Find Bible verses quick, search topics in the Bible.  I love this website because I am able to read almost any translation of the Bible.  I can also listen to the bible online.  This website also has a good concordance.  This really helps me when I am trying to find scripture to go with what I am teaching teens.

http://www.worship.com/ - This is all about the music.  There are links to band’s sites and worship music. A good way to get youth to listen to other music than their “junk” on the radio.

www.zjam.com  – this one gives stuff about radio and teen music

dare2share.org ~Instructing teens in how to live out their faith on a daily basis

www.ymnetwork.net - I did not realize at first that this was the catholic youth ministry network, but it still has some helpful resources.

xxxchurch.com- This website talks about the issues of sex.

cenational.org/urbanhope ~Urban Hope is located in the Kensington district in inner Philly, PA—provides you with updates and opportunities to serve

xtremeyouth.org- This website gives teens a chance to learn about the word of God with other teens around the world. It also sets up events for teens all around the world

christianteens.net- This is also a more mature focus teen site. It has lessons that are for those with a strong faith.

www.leadertreks.com This site helps youth pastors develop student leadership by using trips, training and curriculum to help identify and develop their leadership skills.

www.reach-out.org/ This site tries to give youth pastors all of the needed resources to influence as many teenagers as possible to become followers of Jesus Christ by equipping leaders for Jesus-Focused Youth Ministry.  There are discussion forums about your ministry several times a month in order to bounce ideas off each other as youth pastors.

younglife.org ~Equips those who are passionate for teaching tomorrow’s generation, today

creativepastors.com - sermon ideas, games, activities, Bible studies and lessons

sermonillustrations.com - Great sermon ideas and topics

pluggedinonline.com - Christian Movie Reviews on the latest flicks; this website provides reviews and updates about what is popular in music, movies, and TV.

http://www.gamesecretary.com/: Game database                                           

breakawaymag.com - Christian online magazine for teens – see what issues are in the minds of teens today

http://www.ministryinmotion.net/ministry_youth.html: Youth Ministry Resources

www.realteenfaith.com  ~ This website is more directed to the youth, but it looks like it is really great!  It gives practical advice in all areas of life and supports it with the Bible.

http://www.youthministryhelper.com/ - Resources and Ideas, tons of links to other stuff

http://www.radiatefilms.com/ - Website has backgrounds, countdowns, and custom videos, to go along with different topics.

syatp.com ~Encourages teens to take a stand for what they believe at their school 

crosssearch.com ~This site references web pages that can provide you with more information for your youth group setting http://www.sbcstudents.com - Provides insight into all places of the ministry by tackling the main purposes for ministry and giving helpful hints and suggestions.

http://www.gbod.org/youth/ - This site shows leadership tips for helpers and small group leaders. It even has information about grants and scholarships.

MTV host bashes purity rings, abstinence

thanks to One news now for this article.

A pro-life youth organization is demanding an apology from MTV.

 

 

 

During MTV’s Video Music Awards program, British comedian Russell Brand referred to President Bush as “that retarded cowboy fella.” Brand was also critical of Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter and fiancé, and he took numerous jabs at the family-friendly Jonas Brothers, who are Christians and wear purity rings — a symbol of being sexually pure until marriage.
 
According to Christianpost.com, the Jonas Brothers wear the rings on their would-be wedding ring finger as a reminder of their “promise to ourselves and to God that we’ll stay pure till marriage.” The brothers, with encouragement from their minister father, also refrain from using from drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
 
Erik Whittington with Rock for Life responds to Brand’s comments.
 
“What happened on MTV really shouldn’t surprise anyone because MTV really isn’t about music any longer,” Whittington contends. “It’s about glorifying sexual immorality and objectifying women.”
 
He believes, at the outset, Brand was the wrong pick for the show. Apparently, many in the United Kingdom know of Brand’s former alcoholism, heroin, and sex addictions, and numerous police run-ins. ”Russell Brand has been arrested 11 times, once even for indecent exposure,” Whittington explains.
 
The youth activist argues that youngsters and parents do have a choice as it relates to MTV. ”MTV should be turned off, and parents should be investing in filtering programs to keep that program off their TVs,” Whittington urges.

So what are your thoughts?  What are you doing about it in your working with students?

Youtube Video

Regardless which candidate you are supporting, this is pretty funny, and took some time…more time that I have.  THANKS Stevan for the video.

Planned Parenthood

Thanks to Shan and Ben for this article

Planned Parenthood Action Fund has a tough new ad responding to McCain’s attack on Obama’s support for some sex-ed for kindergartners. The ad defends Obama, and suggests McCain is indifferent to the plight of sexually abused children.

“Every eight minutes a child is sexually abused. That’s why Barack Obama supported legislation to teach children how to protect themselves. Now John McCain is twisting the facts and attacking Senator Obama,” says the female narrator, over images that suggest abused children.

“Doesn’t McCain want our children to protect ourselves from sex offenders? Or after 26 years in Washington, is he just another politician who will say anything to get elected?”

A reader noticed the ad in Planned Parenthood’s YouTube account; I’ll add details about where it’s airing when they’re available.

UPDATE: Planned Parenthood has taken the ad off YouTube, but others posted it, so I’ve restored it.

UPDATE: A Planned Parenthood spokesman, Tait Sye, says the ad is airing in the Denver and Pittsburgh markets — the only markets where, as far as they could tell, the McCain ad aired. They’ve also written a letter to McCain asking him to take it off the air.

The letter from Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards, which notes that the disputed bill was a Planned Parenthood effort, is after the jump.

1110 Vermont Ave, NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005 · PHONE: 202.973.4800 · www.plannedparenthoodaction.org
McCain-Palin 2008
P.O. Box 16118
Arlington, VA 22215
FAX: 703-752-2515
Delivered via Fax, email, and postal mail
Sept. 11, 2008
Dear Steve Schmidt/McCain-Palin campaign,
I am writing to ask that the McCain campaign immediately take down your false and misleading
ad attacking Senator Obama for his support of a bill that would have helped protect young
children from sexual predators.
This ad is a misleading attack on Senator Obama AND on the substance of the bill itself. As one
of many organizations the supported the bill, we are outraged that the McCain campaign would
seek to play political games with children’s health and safety. We are also disappointed that
Senator McCain has reneged on his own promise to refrain from such tactics.
In 2003, Planned Parenthood worked with Illinois state legislators to introduce the bill
highlighted in Senator McCain’s negative ad. The bill, SB 99, would have taught kindergartners
how to recognize inappropriate touching and how to defend against sexual predators. In addition,
the bill “was supported by a coalition of education and public health organizations, including the
Illinois Parent Teacher Association, the Illinois State Medical Society, the Illinois Public Health
Association and the Illinois Education Association.” (New York Times, 9/11/08)
Bill SB 99 of the 2003 Illinois Legislative session explicitly states, “Course material and
instruction shall teach pupils to not make unwanted physical and verbal sexual advances and how
to say no to unwanted sexual advances and shall include information about verbal, physical, and
visual sexual harassment, including without limitation nonconsensual sexual advances,
nonconsensual physical sexual contact, and rape by an acquaintance.”
Several analyses and fact checks of the McCain campaign’s attack ad have criticized the ad, and
found that it is a “factual failure” and “seriously distort(s) the record.”
The New York Times: McCain’s ad “distorts” Obama’s record: The New York Times reports
that McCain’s ad “severely distorts” Obama’s record and is “recycling old and discredited
arguments.” The Times goes on to report that “The advertisement, then, also misrepresents what
the bill meant by “comprehensive.” The instruction the bill required was comprehensive in that it
called for a curriculum that went from kindergarten and through high school, not in the sense that
kindergarteners would have been fully exposed to the entire gamut of sex-related issues.” [The
New York Times, 9/11/08]
The Washington Post: The McCain ad “fails test”: The Washington Post examined the
“education” ad created by McCain and said that political ads “should not misrepresent the record
of the other side and should clearly distinguish quotes from non-partisan news sources from
standard political rhetoric. The McCain ‘education’ ad fails this test.” [The Washington Post,
9/11/08]
Factcheck.org: McCain ad is a “Factual Failure”: Factcheck.org writes, “A McCain-Palin
campaign ad claims Obama’s ‘one accomplishment’ in the area of education was ‘legislation to
teach “comprehensive sex education” to kindergarteners.’ But the claim is simply false, and it
dates back to Alan Keyes’ failed race against Obama for an open Senate seat in 2004. Obama,
contrary to the ad’s insinuation, does not support explicit sex education for kindergarteners. And
the bill, which would have allowed only ‘age appropriate’ material and a no-questions-asked optout
policy for parents, was not his accomplishment to claim in any case, since he was not even a
cosponsor – and the bill never left the state Senate.” [Factcheck.org; 9/10/08]
Congressional Quartely: McCain makes “dubious” claims about Obama’s character. CQ
writes, “McCain appears to be banking on the assumption that he has enough credibility with
voters that he can maintain their faith in his character even if he makes dubious claims about
Obama’s…. [T]he underlying suggestion of ‘Education’ — that Obama favors teaching 5-yearolds
the kind of sex ed taught to high school students — is a significant stretch.” [CQ, 9/11/08]
We all want to protect our children, and we should be able to agree not to politicize issues that
are critical to the safety and well-being of our children. That is why Senator Obama supported
this bill. With that in mind, I respectfully ask that the McCain campaign stop airing this
misleading attack ad on Senator Obama’s education record, and on the bill itself.
Sincerely,
Cecile Richards
President
Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Obama Tidal Wave

An article written by Bill Brown of the Billy Graham Team

Bill Brown, is a highly respected retired member of the Billy Graham team.

We are witnessing a political phenomenon with Barak Obama of rare magnitude.

His speeches have inspired millions and yet most of his followers have
no idea of what he stands for except platitudes of 'Change' or that he
says he will be a 'Uniter'.

The power of speech from a charismatic person truly can be a powerful
thing. Certainly Billy Graham had charisma. Both his manner of speech and 
particularly the content changed millions.

On the extreme other hand, the charisma of Adolph Hitler, too, inspired
millions and the results were catastrophic.

Barack Obama certainly is no Hitler or a Billy Graham, but for many
Americans riding on the Obama Tidal Wave it is just like a surfer who
might be ecstatic and euphoric while riding a tidal wave, but the
reality of the ride is what happens when it hits shore.

Just Some of What Defines Barack Obama:

    . He voted for  partial birth abortion.
    . He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state
abortions.
    . Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government  (quotas)..
    . In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing as being
too severe.
    . Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as  minimum wage
affair.
    . Admitted  his use of marijuana and cocaine in high school and in
college.
    . His religious convictions are very murky.
    . He is willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung Il
and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
    . Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be
to have a conference with all Muslim nations. Why?
    . Opposed the Patriot Act.
    . First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance
reform.
    . Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.
    . Supports universal health-care.
    . Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
    . Supports granting driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
    . Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.
    . Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.
    . Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social
Security.
    . Wants to make the minimum wage a 'living wage'.
    . Voted with Democratic Party 96 percent of 251 votes. (241 votes
Demo, 10 votes Republican)
    . Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
    . Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead
supports increasing the amount of tax paid into Soc. Sec.
    . He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax which now
hits middle income brackets. Tax Increase.
    . He voted No on repealing the 'Death' Tax. Tax Increase.
    . He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. Tax Increase.
    . Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded...which is
not true.
    . He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and
that takes some doing.

I don’t know whom you are planning on voting for this coming election, but for me there are too many things about Obama that as a Christian I just can’t support.  What do you think?