"It's a powerful thing when you can empower someone and give them ownership because then they are involved and bought in because they have a stake in it." - Brain Preston Brian Preston is the Lead Student Pastor at Battlecreek Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and says he is the type of leader who ...
Read More

There is a serious deficit in many of our youth ministries. Yes, I’m serious. Yes, it’s significant. It  And oh, it’s theological... but it is not whatever theological issue you just thought of... Our youth ministries are seriously lacking in FUN! Now, wait, I said fun and you immediately ...
Read More

"When you look at the overall picture of a curriculum, and that application is not driving your student to understand scripture and apply scripture in a practical way in their lives, then its not worth the time your leaders will spend in studying and preparing to teach your students. " - John Paul ...
Read More

This month on Student Ministry That Matters on YouTube, we are focusing on launching student ministry small groups. A lot of focus and energy in student ministry goes into worship and large group gatherings, but small groups can be the discipleship and care engine of your ministry! It's time to take ...
Read More

"You cant play the short game in student ministry" - Jeff Borton "You can't just think just a few weeks ahead and not think about what are we going to produce ten years down the road from now." - Jeff Borton "Who are you becoming as a student ministry leader and who are you developing as a ...
Read More

Ministry to parents is something that has been rising in importance and attention in student ministry over the last decade. While this is true, the pandemic revealed that there is still work to be done in closing the gap between providing information and partnering with parents in the ...
Read More

How do you get your student ministry to the next level?  John Maxwell famously has 5-levels of influential leadership and aspirational leaders should seek to grow their capacity all the way to level 5. Well, I would like to offer I think there are three levels of student ministry leadership ...
Read More

"I wonder what would have shifted if I would have equipped my volunteers to shepherd students and I focused on volunteers and the parents." - Daniel Im Daniel Im is the Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church, co-host of the New Churches Q&A and IMbetween Podcast, and author of several ...
Read More

“You have to learn to fight with tools.” One of my ministry mentors said this cryptically early on and it has taken me years to learn it’s value.  Here’s what I think he meant: In the fight for ministry excellence and longevity, our capacity for faithful discipline, spiritual practices, ...
Read More

"So much of who I was as an individual was wrapped up in the ministry. In these seven months, I was able to pull back and say I don't have a ministry anymore, so what will I be defined by." - Paul Sitka Paul Spitka is the Pastor of Discipleship and Outreach at First Baptist Sapulpa in ...
Read More