The Youth Worker Exodus
According to a recent study, the average stay at a church in America is about four years for the senior pastor but only 2.5 years for the youth pastor. Including unpaid volunteer youth workers is down to 16-18 months. Think about high school students. They are there for 4 years and could possibly have 3
- Published in Free Download, Ideas, Podcast, Resources, usmb nextgen
Are You Struggling to Find an Intern?
Are you a church struggling to find a summer intern this year or even every year? The Leadership Pipeline wants to give you some practical help, so we created this tip list on how to increase your chances of finding an intern. But remember this is no guarantee to find an intern only to help
- Published in Leadership, Leadership Pipeline, Resources, Student Leaders, Tech Tips, USMB, usmb nextgen
Understanding Mental Health in Adolescents Webinar Recordings
If you work with adolescents (age 10 – 25) then we have something for you. USMB NextGen offered a two-part webinar about understanding adolescents’ mental health. Mental health is the top issue that is being discussed in our world today. The worldwide pandemic has brought mental health even more to the forefront. Today’s adolescents face a
- Published in Free Download, Parents, Teaching, Training, usmb nextgen, Webinar
Speaker & Band Announced for ASCENT 2023
Every year we ask a worship band and speaker to lead us based on our theme. And this year our theme is BE we will be going through all the verses where we Christians are called to live out their true identity instead of what the world says we should be. For this reason we
- Published in ASCENT, usmb nextgen
Church Leaders Guide to AI: Making the Most of Technology in Your Ministry
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s here and now. While most people think of AI as something only tech giants use, churches can benefit from using this technology too. But how do you make sure you’re getting the most out of AI while staying within the confines of biblical principles? Let’s
- Published in Training, USMB, usmb nextgen
Exploring the World of Gen Z
Gen Z, also known as Zoomers or igen, are the generation born between 1996 and 2015. Today’s youth pastors and ministers are meeting them in church and interacting with them on social media. But who is this mysterious generation? Let’s explore the world of Gen Z to better understand their values, habits, and influences. A
- Published in News, Uncategorized, usmb nextgen
The State of Youth Ministry 2023
Since the mid 70’s a ministry focused on the teenage years has become pretty much standard for most churches and denominations. But even throughout a single denomination things can vary when it comes to ministering to teenagers. USMB NextGen wants to know how are different ministries reaching the next generation, what are they struggling with,
- Published in News, Uncategorized, usmb nextgen
USMB Youth Will Now Be…
When you work with teenagers, what works one year doesn’t always work the next. To be effective you must constantly be willing to adjust and change. For some, that much change is exciting, challenging, and enjoyable. To others, it is scary, and difficult, and may even freak them out. At USMB Youth, we never want
- Published in ASCENT, Leadership, Network, News, usmb nextgen
ASCENT 2022 By The Numbers
ASCENT 2022 was our second annual national summer camp for high schoolers. With 2021 being overshadowed somewhat by COVID restrictions this year was more in line with the original vision of ASCENT. God blessed us with a great year and we are excited from all the stories we heard from people’s camp experiences. Thank you
- Published in ASCENT, Senior High, usmb nextgen
How To Follow Up After That Camp High
We all know or at least have seen the spiritual euphoria after returning from summer camp. We call it the “camp high” it’s not a bad thing but a result of what happens to most students who spend a week with their friends, away from most distractions, having fun, being challenged by dynamic speakers, and
- Published in ASCENT, Ideas, Resources, Uncategorized, usmb nextgen
How to Spice Up Small Group Time
Even the most exciting group can lose energy over time and with teenagers sometimes routine actually hurts the atmosphere rather than helps. If you notice your group not engaging as much as they did before then here are some suggestions for re-igniting the group relationships and fighting the boredom routine. ONE – BUILD A NEW
- Published in Ideas, Leadership, Resources, Small Group, Training, Uncategorized
How to Better Promote for Summer Camp
Promoting events is always a struggle for youth workers. And one of the most important events that happen every year is summer camp. Have you found yourself struggling with keeping up the promotional energy year after year? Here are some tips and tricks to help keep your summer camp promotion excitable and impactful. START EARLY
- Published in ASCENT, Ideas, Parents, Training, Youth Worker Life