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31 May 2019

Four Weeks of Programming Done For You!

By |2019-06-01T00:50:54-07:00May 31st, 2019|Help Me With..., Membership, Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources|2 Comments

Every season of Youth Ministry includes programs and events, but none is quite as busy (and, often, crazy!) as Summer. The end of a school year leads right into a new routine/rhythm of events, camps, and (hopefully somewhere in there) a week to breathe before Fall planning begins.

Often, weekly programming can falter because of the influx of tasks in your head.

We get it. We’ve been there. And we’re here to help!

On the first of the month, every month, DYM Members receive a digital delivery of new, top-of-the-line programming elements. Gold Members get a new video, game, Sidekick file, Student Leadership resource, and Mystery Item every month. That’s about $25 of free resources every month, not to mention an additional $20 Store Credit they receive every month, and the discount of 35% OFF store prices every day! (Not yet a Gold Member, try it free for 30 days–no credit card required–and you’ll get access to all of these resources, discounts, and $5 Store Credit!)

A handful of new resources can feel a little overwhelming if you’re not sure quite how to plug them into your weekly program. So, this month, we’re helping shoulder some of the heavy lifting with a curated month of suggested programming combining the June 2019 Member Items with some of our favorite resources in the DYM Store.

**Already have your series for this month? No problem! Download the member items now and use this programming plan another time!

Let’s start with the Series:
Blood & Guts by Sabrina Hadro.
(FREE to DYM Members this month as the Member Mystery Item! Log in now to download this free resource.)

Building around this series…

WEEK 1:

Message: Blood and Guts Week 1: Jesus’ Divinity and Humanity // Bottom Line: Jesus was fully God and fully man

Welcome Video: we suggest Service Welcome Video OR grab this WELCOME VIDEO 4-Pack and use a new one each week of the series!

Icebreaker/Mixer: we suggest Extreme Row Makeover Volume 2 (Or check out Volume 1 rated 4.5-stars!)

Game: Hot Hands (FREE to DYM Members this month as the Member Game! Log in now to download this free resource.)

WEEK 2:

Message: Blood and Guts Week 2: The Old Testament Sacrificial System // Bottom Line: Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law

Icebreaker/Mixer: we suggest Find 2 (DYM Members got this video pack for FREE in February 2019. Try DYM Gold Membership FREE!)

Video Illustration: we suggest supporting the bottom line of this week’s message with Magic Illustration: Jesus Took Our Place

Game: we suggest Will It Burn: Summer Edition

WEEK 3:

Message: Blood and Guts Week 3: The Hall of Faith // Bottom Line: It takes guts to change the world

Icebreaker/Mixer: we suggest One-Question Interview

Video: We suggest you kick-off your service with the finest bad jokes around: Bad Joke of the Day or Vol 2 or Vol 3

Game: we suggest Blender of Doom (included in the 45 file starter kit that comes with Sidekick!)

Response Element: we suggest challenging your students to serve their family and community with Wheel of Service

WEEK 4:

Message: Blood and Guts Week 4: Perseverance & Hope // Bottom Line: Don’t quit—hope has come and will come again

Sidekick: we suggest adding a little flavor to your announcements with Announcement Roulette (included in the 45-file starter kit that comes with Sidekick!)

Game: we suggest Nailed It or Failed It: Pool Party Edition (or Cat Edition Vol 1 or Vol 2, or Marriage Proposals… Honestly, you can’t lose with any Edition.)

Creative Programming Element: we suggest Ultimate Escape Room. A tangible lesson in perseverance and not giving up!

Video: we suggest this Countdown Video Ft. Party Llama (Hilarious and FREE in the DYM Store!)

Looking for a little more to round out the month of programming?

• Add The Retro Animation Transition Videos each week to create continuity in your program throughout this series. (FREE to DYM Members this month as the Member Video! Log in now to download this free resource.)

• Grab this Countdown Video 3-pack and kick-off each program with energy! (DYM Members got this video pack for FREE in June 2018. Try DYM Gold Membership FREE!)

• Use these summer-themed Instagram images. Giving new meaning to ‘insta-content’.

If you’re using this plan in June, add a top-rated Father’s Day to Week 3: Dad Texts Real or Fake, My Dad is Smarter Than Your Dad, Who’s Your Daddy?

Planning ahead? Here are some 4th of July games loved by the DYM Community: Crowd Charades: United States Edition, United States Citizenship Test, ‘Merica Trivia Volume 2, (or Vol 1)

19 Aug 2018

Help Me With… Small Groups

By |2018-08-20T11:37:45-07:00August 19th, 2018|Help Me With..., Small Groups, Training, Volunteers|4 Comments

There is no end to the list of the way God can use a small group leader in the life of a student. If you grew up in youth ministry and were to name a leader who impacted your life and your relationship with Jesus, chances are, that relationship was fostered in the context of a small group.

We’re given such a unique opportunity to walk alongside teenagers as they begin their faith journey, and we hope to steward that time and authority well.

Our DYM Team searched through thousands of resources, blog posts, and podcast episodes to bring you only the best to help you train and equip your small group leaders to succeed in this new school year.

Leader Training

Leader Tools

Kick-Off Curriculum

Blog posts to help you with all things small groups…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

5 Things Students NEED to Know From Their Leaders

Podcasts to help you with all things small groups…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

Episode 9: Hacks on Launching/Starting/Training Small Groups from Scratch (start at 15:30 for tips on launching small groups: finding leaders, encouraging students to sign-up, setting the foundation, choosing curriculum, and more!)

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 238: Katie is In Rwanda (start at 12:50 for tips on maximizing the effectiveness of tables in the larger programs to move students into small groups)
Episode 256: Jessica Steps In For Matt (start at 6:36 for tips on small group leader training and getting involved in students’ lives outside the church)
Episode 262: The 3 Amigos (start at 7:00 for tips on clever ways to find new small group leaders)

Episode 332: Grown-ups Are Teenagers, Just More Stubborn… with Jess and Kurt (start at 6:10 for tips on transitioning to small groups for the Fall–the importance of shaping and communicating the vision and purpose of your groups to your leaders, and a brief chat on follow-up.)
Episode 333: LIVE at Orange 2018 w/Sound That’s as Good as Rethinking YM’s podcast (start at 21:00 for tips on restoring health in your small groups and the importance of defining your strategy.)

Videos to Help Train Your Leaders…

The DYM Leader Training Library is full of 10-15 minute videos designed to help you train and equip your volunteers as they care for the students entrusted to them. Here are a few we think might help as you prepare your leaders for another year of small groups:

Students spend their days trying to fit into their group, class, culture or school… and in doing so they try to push down or stifle the uniqueness God has put in them. Imagine if we, as shepherds, we’re able to know and call out that uniqueness in each teenager. Heather Flies gives 4 easy-to-remember steps to help each of us identify and call out a student’s individual gifting so we might better help each student discover and embrace who God created them to be.

Doug Fields teaches leaders to consider 3 very important questions as they disciple, lead small groups and mentor teenagers. Do you care about me? Can I trust you? Do you know what you’re talking about? The answers to these questions are essential for all caring adults.

We all want to grow ministries and students that are rooted in God’s Word. In this short, 10-minute training video, author and professor Crystal Kirgiss, offers three levels at which students can engage with the Bible and easy steps leaders can take to help them dive deeper.

Click HERE to see more from the Help Me With series!

6 Aug 2018

My Fall Programming Picks Bundle

By |2018-08-06T15:59:07-07:00August 6th, 2018|Games, Help Me With..., Teaching, Teaching/Programming, Uncategorized, Youth Ministry Ideas, Youth Ministry Resources|5 Comments

Hey friend!

I’ve done Fall planning in youth ministry for more than 20 years. Summer is over and I even managed to sneak in a few days of “staycation” – it’s time for Target “back to school” sales and Old Navy’s endless ads. I’m excited about what God did at summer camp and watched students grow, and I’m now asking God’s Spirit to guide me as I set the course for the Fall.

There’s a lot to process heading into this season—and a lot of opportunities and obstacles to be aware of. Here’s what I feel like learned over the years about heading into Fall:

Back to school means back to Jesus
Many students take off in the summer months or their schedule is just so random with vacations, sports camps and beach days that they can’t always be counted on to be a part of our youth ministry. My own kids experienced summer school, a first job and intense sports camps the past few months making for a crazy, always-running house. But going back to school is the grounding force that brings everyone back and the more formal schedule allows church to be dropped into the mix and a priority once again.

Momentum for the whole year starts in the fall
Momentum is a fickle thing, so the start of the school year with a big Fall Kickoff or Back to School bash feels like a good chance to rally students together and encourage them to make the right friends and participate in the right community. So I carry over any momentum from summer (a great camp, baptisms, etc.) and go right into a big Kickoff event and felt-need series to get everyone back in the groove. I want to launch small groups or mentoring around this time to keep the momentum rolling through Christmas to get to the New Year.

Familiar themes work great in the fall
I like to focus on some familiar themes in the Fall. They’re timeless… Honestly, I can get tired of teaching the same things every year, but they are too important to pass up – so I find a way to “reskin” these themes every year: purpose/identity, relationships and spiritual growth.

So having done this more than 20 times, I thought it might be fun to show you a plan for what the fall could look like, and wrap it up in one sweet bundle if you want to a) get a great deal and b) let me do the planning for you.

FALL KICKOFF

Weirdo (1-wk series)
T-shirt Frenzy (Sidekick file)
Locked Up for What (Game)

FIRST SERIES OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Swipe Right (a completely revamped version of Facebook Official: a 5-wk series from me and Doug Fields)

Pair it with these games with an easy connection to a biblical truth from a purity/relationships series.

Maybe Baby Game
Ice Cream or Nail Polish
Who’s the Baby Daddy?
Birds Bees and Other Animals

SPIRITUAL GROWTH SERIES

Charged (2-wk series)
Week 1 game FAIL GUESS 2 (Sometimes we start a spiritual habit and fail. Enjoy some other failures!)
Fun countdown video Simon Says False Facts (The Bible is always true, when things all around us aren’t!)

A FEW ADDITIONAL TOOLS:

Instagram Story Icons (to help take your social media to a new level for Fall)
Parent Texts (Helping bridge the connection between your ministry and parents)

All of these resources have been written and created by youth pastors and trench-tested. That’s what DYM is all about! This is a great deal–$97 worth of resources for just $50–BUT if you become a yearly DYM Gold Member, you’ll get this bundle for FREE. We already call the Gold Membership ‘The Greatest Deal in the History of Youth Ministry’: (a new game, video, student leadership lesson, and mystery item on the first of the month every month, PLUS monthly store credit and DAILY discounts) but adding an additional $97 of free resources? That’s just too good to pass up! Click here to find out more about becoming a Gold Member.

Praying for an incredible fall!
Josh Griffin

20+ years youth pastor

Co-founder, Download Youth Ministry

P.S. – ADDED BONUS: Fall is also THE key time to train your volunteers, so I’m tossing in a $25 off code to unlimited, on-demand video training courses for you and your team on Download Youth Ministry University. It’ll revolutionize the way you train your leaders! https://www.dymuniversity.com/ (Psst! If you go Gold, you’ll save $50 on DYMU!)

29 May 2018

Help Me With… Camp

By |2018-05-25T16:28:51-07:00May 29th, 2018|Help Me With...|0 Comments

Summer Camp holds some of the funniest, most encouraging, and biggest life-change moments we encounter in youth ministry. The kid who drank the entire pitcher of leftovers in the cafeteria, the leader who broke an ankle taking rec a little too seriously, and the girl who was so angry at her mom for signing her up accepting Christ during night three chapel. God uses camp in a really unique way to draw His kids close to Him.

The impact camp makes is undeniable. We’ve all seen it–and many of us have experienced it ourselves. But the orchestration of an amazing week often requires months of planning.

To help you take this year’s camp to the next level, here are some resources to add to your program as well as lessons and insights from our decades of camp experience:

The Details

Cool Countdowns

Next Level Fun

Blog posts to help you with all things camp…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things volunteers…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 52 (start at 30:12 for tips on how to keep camp costs down)
Episode 87 (start at 19:18 for tips on student freedom at camp)
Episode 125 (start at 27:56 for tips on running your own camp)
Episode 138 (start at 7:09 for tips on activities for camp)
Episode 157 (start at 28:29 for tips on the cost of covering your own camp)

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

From 15 Minutes with Frank:

Episode 33: Youth Ministry Summer Camp Reunion Nights (start at
Episode 58: Camp Scholarships and Sex (start at 13:37 for tips on scholarships for camp)
Bonus Episode: Youth Ministry Summer Camp Resources

Videos to Help Train Your Leaders…

In this video from DYM’s Leader Training Library, learn from Doug Fields and help your leaders maximize every minute God has gifted them with the students He chooses for your next trip.

15 May 2018

Help Me With… Volunteers

By |2018-05-11T15:57:14-07:00May 15th, 2018|Help Me With...|0 Comments

We know full-well how important volunteers are to our ministries. These leaders are how we multiply ourselves so each student has a caring adult in his or her life. These are the people who show up early and leave late, who are willing to take a pie in the face for the team, who know students’ stories and are on a first-name basis with parents.

At least, that’s the dream…

Recruiting and training new leaders, helping them catch the ministry vision, equipping them to lead small group, camp cabins, and ministry teams…all the while caring for, supporting, encouraging and inspiring them to show up and keep showing up (especially during that seemingly never-ending period between spring break and summer) — it’s all easier said than done.

We get it.

Let us help you create a volunteer culture that’s as legendary as you are!

Along with our Leader Training Library and DYM University, we’ve gathered up some of our downloadable resources, blog posts, and podcast episodes to help you win with volunteers.

Build A Vision

Build Your Team

Train Your Team

Equip Your Team

Blog posts to help you with all things volunteers…

We combed through our blog to find the posts we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things volunteers…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 227: The GOOD Volunteer Show
Episode 228: The WORST Volunteers
Episode 287: Perception, Volunteers, and Bible Translation (start at 24:15 for how to handle flaky volunteers)
Episode 306: Successful YM, Solid Volunteers (start at 23:59 for tips on volunteer experience)

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

Episode 11: Hacks on Turning Glorified Babysitters into Real Authentic Leaders (start at 15:37)
Episode 10.5 Mini-Sode Hacks on Volunteers with Frank “The Beard” Gil (start at 7:03)

From 15 Minutes with Frank:

Episode 14: Youth Ministry Volunteer Training (start at 15:10)
Episode 42: Determining Your Youth Ministry Wins with Your Leaders (start at 18:11 for tips on how to help leaders see tangible wins in your ministry)
Episode 47: Leader Meetings and a Fun Game (start at 14:46 for Frank’s outline of a typical leader meeting)

Videos to Help Train Your Leaders…

In this video from DYM’s Leader Training Library, learn from Karl Romeus about how to help your leaders “set the temperature” of the room so students have a personal encounter with Jesus.

Be on the lookout for more Help Me With posts in the future!

27 Mar 2018

Help Me With… Student Leadership

By |2018-03-21T15:40:45-07:00March 27th, 2018|Help Me With...|0 Comments

I can vividly remember a handful of times in junior high and high school when a leader looked me in the eyes and told me he or she believed in me. They saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. They let me take risks. They gave me responsibilities and watched me succeed… and sometimes they let me fail. They walked with me through my moments of great celebration and coached me through moments of embarrassment.

The time they took to develop me as a leader not only made me feel loved and valued… it was also instrumental in developing my walk with Jesus.

When we as youth workers invest in students and give them opportunities to lead, we spark something in them that has lasting results. We at DYM know Student Leadership is a time-consuming venture, so we want to equip you with tools and tricks to invite students to lead, set you up for successful student leader meetings, and offer some ideas for projects to get them dreaming.

Even if you don’t have an existing student leadership program, there are students in your ministry just waiting for someone to pour into them. Below are some of our favorite downloadable resources, blog posts and podcast episodes to help you take your student leadership program to the next level.

Nuts and Bolts

Leadership Experiences

Teaching Series

Individual Teachings

Blog posts to help you with all things events…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things events…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 106 (start at 5:13 for an inside look at the Student Leadership Conference)

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

Episode 22: Hacks on Student Leadership with Jen Bradbury

From Mentor Me:

Episode 8: Doug Franklin

PLUS we just released this NEW DYMU Course, Developing Student Leaders with Doug Franklin, President of LeaderTreks, designed to help you and your adult leaders feel confident to develop student leaders in your ministry!

20 Mar 2018

Help Me… Talk to My Students About Sex and Dating

By |2018-03-16T11:40:20-07:00March 20th, 2018|Help Me With...|4 Comments

The quickest way to get a room of teenagers giggling and squirming in their seats is to mention the word sex…or anything to do with sex…or anything that even sort of sounds like the word sex.

In the sexually-charged culture we live in, students are exposed to many points of view on the subject and we, as youth workers, want our students to hear God’s truth–to help guide them towards His best for every area of their lives, including their sex life, sexuality, and sexual desires.

And we know teenagers aren’t the only ones who might be a little uncomfortable talking about sex, we rounded-up some of our favorite downloadable resources, blog posts and podcast episodes to help you tackle this tough topic.

Teaching

Games

Complete Programming

More Help

Blog posts to help you talk about all things sex and dating…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you talk about all things sex and dating…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 287: Perception, Volunteers and Bible Translation (start at 8:43 for tips on how to talk to middle schoolers about sex)

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

From 15 Minutes with Frank:

Episode 56: Blonde Flat White is a Gross Drink (start at 12:24 to hear how Frank is utilizing Derry’s Super Sexy Pack)
Episode 57: Play Dough and Sermons on Lust (start at 5:38 to hear how Frank programmed for his youth group talk on porn)

Be on the lookout for more Help Me With posts in the future!

13 Mar 2018

Help Me With… Events

By |2018-03-12T17:19:03-07:00March 13th, 2018|Help Me With...|0 Comments

Every moment we spend with students is an opportunity to create a memory. As youth workers, we hope the memories that stick are of those in which they felt loved and known, but we know that it’s often laughter that helps us break down walls and build trust that leads to the vulnerability which results in life change. Which means that, sometimes, the starting point for a student being open to receiving the gospel is watching you get hit in the face with a dodgeball.

Fun is essential to great youth ministry, but it it’s easier said than done. Let us help you round-out your Spring (and maybe even Summer!) calendar with trench-tested events… without shouldering the creative process alone!

We gathered up some of our favorite downloadable resources, blog posts and podcast episodes so you can spend more time perfecting your bob-and-weave and less time mapping out the court.

Already have your calendar planned?! Way to go! Check out tips and tricks from the DYM Bloggers and Podcast Hosts for making the most of every event–from planning to execution!

Event Nuts and Bolts

Big Events

Fun Nights

Worship Nights

Guys/Girls Retreats

Blog posts to help you with all things events…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things events…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 69 (start at 13:15 for tips on how to price your events)
Episode 97 (start at 20:01 for tips on event planning strategy)
Episode 160 (start at 28:59 for tips on how to pick volunteers for events)
Episode 306: Successful YM, Solid Volunteers (start at 6:30 for taking over a ministry and what events/programming to invest in)

From Youth Ministry Hacks:

Episode 21: Hacks on Running Effective Big Events (start at 16:45 for what makes a gospel/event night effective or skip ahead to 20:45 to hear the hacks on running big events)
Episode 23: Hacks on The Review Process (start at 8:23 for hacks on the review process for events and programming)

From 15 Minutes with Frank:

Episode 04: Laser Tag & Youth Ministry (start at 9:40 for tips on running your own in-house laser tag night)

Be on the lookout for more Help Me With posts in the future!

6 Mar 2018

Help Me With… Missions

By |2018-03-12T12:52:56-07:00March 6th, 2018|Help Me With...|0 Comments

As youth workers, we know that missions matter to the heart of God. We also know that it’s essential for students to serve as their faith becomes their own. We might just be a little less confident that we can take a group of teenagers somewhere without losing one of them, having to clean up the repercussions of a carsick Johnny, or make sure no one does anything so culturally offensive that we get sent packing.

Because missions matter we at DYM want to help all the details feel a little less intimidating and more doable. Whether you’ve taken students on a trip before or are just looking into what it might take, we gathered up some of our favorite downloadable resources, blog posts and podcast episodes to help make the planning process a no-brainer for you. Looking to serve locally this year instead of planning a trip? We’ve got resources for that too. Let us help handle the nuts and bolts of missions so you can focus on helping your students grow.

All-In-One Kits

Before You Go

Mission Trip Devotionals

Serve Locally

Blog posts to help you with all things missions…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things missions…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 65 (start at 51:20 for tips on trip discipline)
Episode 310: Single in YM, Side Hustle, and Missions Trips (start at 14:48 for tips on mission trip covenants)
Episode 311: Katie’s Back! (Start at 14:38 to hear about the trip she takes students on to Rwanda every year and what makes it magical)

From 15 Minutes with Frank:

Episode 11: Youth Ministry Mission Trip Training (start at 6:23)

Coming soon: a round-up of our most helpful resources on events, student leadership, events, and more.

27 Feb 2018

Help Me With… Admin

By |2018-02-28T10:25:27-08:00February 27th, 2018|Help Me With...|5 Comments

Not all youth workers double as masters of administration. (It’s okay, you’re good at so many other things.) If you’re anything like us, you really love Jesus and you really love teenagers and somehow found yourself in this role that happens to involve a ton of other stuff you aren’t necessarily an expert in.

We want to help make your battle through the youth ministry administrative jungle a little easier. We gathered up some of our favorite resources to help slice through the pain of budgets and scheduling with downloadable resources, blog posts, and podcast episodes. Have no fear, DYM is here.

Help Me With… Budgeting

Help Me With… Scheduling

Help Me With… Everything Else

Blog posts to help you with all things admin…

We combed through our blog to find the posts that we thought would be most helpful.

Podcasts to help you with all things admin…

We combed through the podcasts in our network to find the episodes that would be most helpful.

From The DYM Podcast:

Episode 313: The New Studio (for tips on meeting etiquette, start at 23:33)
Episode 150: The Ultimate Administrator (for tips on background checking your volunteers, start at 24:30)