Chris Kidd – applied youth ministry

Here are some random links from around the world and web for children’s and youth ministry:

Youth Ministry Has an Image Problem: Josh Griffin has posted on how youth ministry has an image problem.  He suggests we need to be more than entertainers, babysitters, and theorists.  Here is a little clip:

Be more than talk
Let your students go. Set them free to do the work of the ministry. Find what adults are doing and see if a student could do it. Look for ways to get students involved today in your service. If they learn to soak up challenges but then never have an opportunity to meet one, they are set up to fail. We say they are the future of the church (some even say they are the “now” of the church), but are we giving over the reins to them today to live out what they are being taught?

Teens Engage in Sexting: Article looking at the increase in the increase of sexually explicit texting by teenagers.

Duchess defends size 10 Beatrice: The Duchess of York has accused parts of the media of making “outrageous” claims that her daughter is overweight.  In an interview with the BBC, Sarah Ferguson said her eldest daughter Beatrice was a fit and healthy size 10.

Couple celebrate 80th anniversary: A couple thought to have been married longer than anyone in the United Kingdom have celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary.  Frank and Anita Milford, from Plymouth, exchanged vows on 26 May, 1928.  Frank is 100 and when Anita also turns 100 in June it is thought they will be the only living couple in Britain to have both reached a century.  The couple marked their “oak” anniversary with champagne in the company of their family, at the Plymouth nursing home where they live.  What a fantastic story of marriage.

Social Networking: Sarah has written a great post based on a Panorama programme about social networking, she includes some great safety tips.

Mike on Growth Barriers in Youth Ministry: a helpful article on how to move past the barrier of 10-15 young people in your group.

Grahame Knox, has created a free ebook, 40 Icebreakers for Small Groups.  It’s full of great ideas to get the blood pumping, adrenaline flowing and teens interacting with each other: 40 Icebreakers for Small Groups ebook.

The three essentials of a youth pastor’s job by Tim.  Her sums up being a youth pastor into relationships, solid Bible teaching and training adult leaders, check it out for the full article.

Ian has been doing a great series on Disability Inclusion and youth work, read part 1, part 2, part 3 (DCSF Policy update on transforming the lives of disabled Children), and part 4 (on the parents).