Acquire a long roll of butcher paper for this game and invite each person in the youth group to create a cape (similar to Superman's cape) that each can attach to his or her back with masking tape. Once everyon...

For this game, you will need a skein of yarn. Gather your group in a circle and invite each person to hold onto the yarn, and then toss the skein to someone across the circle. Continue this holding and throwing...

"The battle belongs to the Lord." (Song lyrics) Not long ago, I was having lunch with a pastoral colleague who recently had emerged from a protracted difficulty in the congregation. "Really," he said, "I...

"The heavens proclaim the glory of God and the firmament proclaims God's handiwork" (Ps. 19:1). Not long ago, my wife and I vacationed in California and spent two days hiking through the Redwood National For...

Many years ago I worked with a very talented youth leader who taught me about doorways with teenagers. Essentially, he recognized that not all teenagers enter the church or into a youth ministry in the same f...

This fun indoor game is perfect for a small group or retreat. You will need a stop watch (digital display works best). If your cell phone has this feature, it also can work. Here's how to play: Invite ever...

This indoor game only requires PostIt Notes—at least 100 per team. Divide the group into two teams (or more if you desire), and then give each team at least 100 PostIt Notes, ensuring the same amount f...

Many years ago, when I was a young and aspiring pastor, I was offered a staff position as youth pastor—a position I accepted and served in for nearly three years. What I didn't know at the inception, howe...

In the summer of 1977, my home church hired a young and energetic youth leader. This young man, I soon learned, would have a great impact on my life. He had many gifts, but two of the most important were his ab...

Ministry is filled with many pitfalls—and as youth leaders gain the confidence and trust of teenagers, parents and other church staff, many people begin sharing secrets. How youth leaders handle these confide...