fbpx
Featured

YS Blog 2019 | A Year In Review

Tim Balow
December 30th, 2019

1 year. 250 posts. Have you read all of them? Probably not. That’s okay…here’s some of our favorites as we close out the year 2019 with the fabric of what makes the YS Blog so powerful and connective: Youth workers serving youth workers with their best thoughts, ideas, and inspiration to help you do youth work better for students and Jesus.

In no particular order, here’s some of our favorites from the year:

3 Faith-Building Tips Any Youth Leader Can Offer

We’re convinced that for a church to grow young, its families need to grow with one another. Growing With encompasses multiple aspects of family relationships, but parents are especially eager for your help in growing with their teenagers’ and young adults’ faith journeys.  Here are three Growing With tips to help you support the parents in your ministry.

When Church And Leaders Go Wrong

How do youth workers navigate through the challenges of church + leader wrongs, both personally and professionally? How can they help the young generations of church find a way forward? How can youth workers reach for healing if they themselves wronged or even the wrong-doers? Here’s some drivers and handles to help navigate challenges that come with the conversation about “when we get it wrong” with church and leadership.

Job Search Help For Youth Workers

Part of development may mean you are interested in exploring possibilities for a new youth worker or ministry position, or even as a graduate from seminary/college and are looking for your first one. Either way, there’s some common themes that run through the practice of exploring and actually getting that new opportunity in ministry.

5 Years From Now, This Ministry Will Look Like…

The things that they’ve always done just aren’t working anymore. At some point, every youth ministry leader experiences that jarring moment when they realize their reliable, go-to program activities are losing effectiveness. That’s when we need to look beyond the limitations of our own vision and think bigger. 

5 Dying Trends In Youth Ministry

We live in a fad filled, trend heavy culture. From fashion to sports, news to influencers, we are always looking for what is #trending. While youth ministry may not have such fleeting trends as Instagram or Twitter, there are still trends that surface and disappear slowly over time. Below, I have compiled a short list of 5 dying trends in youth ministry.

Why Kids Choose Sports Over Youth Ministry

I wonder if “what makes a teenager choose youth group over sports or sports over youth group?” is the wrong question? What if the question were “what makes a youth choose youth group or sports?”

8 Hacks For Managing A Room Full Of Teenagers

Corralling teenagers can be exhausting, frustrating, and even a little bit exhilarating at times. Honestly, managing a roomful of teenagers is an art. But when you learn to do it well, you’re opening the door to communicating the truth of Scripture clearer and louder than before, cultivating an environment where teenagers want to listen.

Being A Brown Face Youth Worker In A White Church

As I have moved to a church that is intentionally and unapologetically multi-ethnic, I have been able to lower the double consciousness and be (no pun intended) a bit more comfortable in my own skin. However, occasionally, well- intentioned people will say something they don’t realize is subtly racist or post things on their social media that is racially insensitive towards others who look like me. I think as long as there’s sin in the world, this will be the struggle all ministers of color will deal with.


We had a great year for the YS Blog! We look forward to posting and sharing more life-giving content and ideas for youth workers in 2020! Close the book on 2019 and welcome the new decade with all the excitement being a youth worker in the 21st century can bring!

Tim Balow

Youth Specialties exists to elevate the role of youth ministry and the youth worker to grow the faith of the next generation.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the YS Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of YS.

close