Help Us Build the Leadership Pipeline Resource Library
There is no shortage of ministry content online today. Podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs, social media posts, PDFs, trainings, and there is information everywhere. But for many churches and interns, the real challenge is not finding information… it’s finding the right information with wisdom, discernment, and practical application. That’s why the Leadership Pipeline is excited to
- Published in Ideas, Leadership, Leadership Pipeline, Training, USMB, usmb nextgen
An Important ASCENT Worship Update
I wanted to personally share an important update regarding worship for ASCENT 2026. Unfortunately, Generation Worship will no longer be able to lead worship at ASCENT this summer. Due to personal matters that are not our story to tell, Generation Church made the difficult decision to cancel all summer tours for their traveling worship band.
- Published in ASCENT, usmb nextgen
Why People Are Leaving the Church: What The Research Actually Says
I recently came across a Reel from @Bradyshearer sharing that two research groups independently reached similar conclusions about why people are leaving the church, and the readings have been fascinating. This is a summary of the Pew Research Center and PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute). And while many Christians assume the answer is simple, the
- Published in News, Resources, USMB, usmb nextgen
A New Tool for Your Youth Ministry Toolbox: YouthGroupGame.com
We’re always looking for resources that are practical, affordable, and actually helpful for youth workers and this is one worth putting on your radar. YouthGroupGame.com is a simple, easy-to-use platform that gives you ready-to-go games you can use in your ministry immediately. No overthinking, no scrambling last minute, designed for those weeks when you just need
- Published in Free Download, Games, Ideas, Small Group, Student Leaders, Tech Tips, usmb nextgen
Camp Isn’t an Event, It’s a Spiritual Marker
Every summer, youth pastors everywhere load up vans, triple-check permission slips, and hope the snack budget somehow stretches just a little further. We experience games, sessions, and late-night chaos, and if we’re honest, it can start to feel like camp is just another big event on the calendar. But it’s not. Camp is something far
- Published in ASCENT, Training, usmb nextgen
What Leaders Need to Know for ASCENT 2026
Getting ready for ASCENT? Here is everything you need to know to make sure your group is ready. THE PACKING LIST Here is everything you need to know about what to bring to ASCENT. Feel free to send this to your group. Please bring a pillow and bedding (the camp only provides a mattress). CLICK
- Published in ASCENT, usmb nextgen
Youth Pastor Compensation: What You Need to Know (and What To Do About It)
If you’ve ever sat in your office, looked at your budget, your schedule, your late nights, your camps, your messages… and quietly wondered, “Am I being paid fairly for this?” you’re not alone. The latest 2026 Youth Pastor Compensation Report: CLICK HERE gives us one of the clearest pictures yet of what’s happening across the
- Published in Network, Resources, USMB, usmb nextgen, Youth Worker Life
Knowing, Doing, Being: A Leadership Framework for the Next Generation
If you’ve been in student ministry for more than five minutes, you’ve probably asked this question: “How do I actually help students grow and not just show up?” Because let’s be honest… Students can know all the right answers and still struggle to live it out. They can do all the right things and still
- Published in Resources, Senior High, Teaching, Training, usmb nextgen
20 Proven Fundraising Ideas
If you’re a youth worker in a smaller church trying to get students to camp like ASCENT, you already know: Budgets are tight. Families are stretched. Your youth group doesn’t have 200 students to sell 10,000 candy bars. Good news: you don’t need a megachurch to raise meaningful money. You need creativity, ownership, and a
- Published in ASCENT, Ideas, Parents, usmb nextgen
How ASCENT Creates Space for God to Speak in a Noisy World
If you spend any time with teenagers, you already know this: silence is rare. Between group chats, streaming, sports schedules, school pressure, social media, and don’t forget the constant pull of notifications, most students live in a world that is loud all the time. And if we’re honest, youth workers and pastors aren’t that different.
- Published in ASCENT, usmb nextgen, Youth Worker Life
Free Youth Ministry Training
Where you’re at in youth ministry right now — both the challenges you’re facing and the areas where you feel confident. What feels heavy or unclear? Where do you wish you had more training, support, or perspective? At the same time, what’s going well? What strengths or skills do you feel are already in your
- Published in Adult Volunteers, Leadership, Leadership Pipeline, Resources, usmb nextgen
You Don’t Have to Be Loud to Lead: Redefining Leadership for Gen Z
For a long time, leadership in the church has been associated with the loudest voice in the room. The confident speaker. The outgoing personality. The person who always seems sure of themselves and ready to take charge. Personally, I am constantly in front of people teaching, leading, even giving announcements, and for far too long
- Published in Adult Volunteers, ASCENT, Leadership, Leadership Pipeline, Resources, Student Leaders, Teaching, Training, usmb nextgen