Youth Ministry Resources Archives - Page 5 of 10 - Blog

2 Mar 2017

Members Only: March Update

By Chris Davis|2017-03-02T15:59:54-08:00March 2nd, 2017|Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

March has arrived and the Season of Lent officially begins (don’t miss these great new resources to help your students prepare their hearts for Easter), AND 9 brand new DYM Member resources are on your Members Only page (login to check them out)!

Here are your Member Perks for March:

For GOLD MEMBERS:

We released a NEW GAME in the DYM Games App on February 1st and it is already a Youth Ministry favorite! If you haven’t played PIXELATE yet, skip whatever meeting you’re supposed to go this afternoon (your senior pastor said it’s okay) and spend some time creating your own “guess the image” game– choose from modes like blur, zoom, whiteout, and, of course, pixelate! We promise you’re gonna love it! (If you haven’t played any of the games in DYM Games yet… today is your day! CLICK HERE and try it for FREE!)

All the updates to the DYM Games App are amazing! CLICK HERE to watch a demonstration of the new features by Steve and Doug “live” from our DYM Kentucky office!

SPECIAL NOTES ABOUT THE GAMES APP: If you’ve had trouble accessing the update to DYM Games, simply start the DYM Games App with an internet connection. After a few minutes, you’ll get a notification that says an update has been downloaded. Restart the app and you’ll have the newest version! (If you don’t get the notification you can manually update. Uninstall DYM Games and go to DYMGames to download and install the latest version. Don’t worry — you won’t lose any of your settings or DYM Game files. They’re safe and sound.)

For those of you DYM BRONZE, SILVER, AND GOLD MEMBERS, you have NINE MORE ITEMS awaiting! Login to your account and see for yourself:

ONE: Game. Dead Cat. Imagine your youth group was given a cat to take care of…now imagine that in order to keep this cat alive, your group would have to make some pretty ridiculous decisions when faced with even more ridiculous circumstances. The fate of this cat is entirely up to you and your students. Think of ‘Dead Cat’ as a Tamagotchi for the modern age mixed with a “choose your own adventure.” These clever DYM authors have designed this game in a way that it could be played slowly, over 2 months or completed it in one sitting… the choice is yours. It’s one of the most creative games we’ve given DYM Members.

TWO: Video. Light Up the Darkness. A text-driven, scripture-based video challenging students to live out Matthew 5:14. It offers a glimpse of how the world might look if we all lived by Jesus’ call to be the light of the world. This video could be a stand-alone element, or used as a bumper before or during a message on evangelism, outreach, or spiritual disciplines.

THREE: Video Training. Four Powerful Voices in the Life of a Student. As we seek to connect with students and spur them on in their walk with Jesus, there are different voices we as leaders can use to speak truth in to their lives. Brian Berry, a 22-year veteran youth worker, author, and trainer for Youth Specialties, shares the four voices he thinks all students need spoken by the leaders who care for them. If you haven’t been using these 10-minute training videos, they are an excellent resource for your adult leaders to continue to grow and learn.

FOUR: DYM Newsletter Builder. Summer is coming, which means there are TONS of dates and details to distribute to make sure everyone is informed! Let DYM Newsletter make those reminders look slick. You’ll look like you slaved all day in Adobe Illustrator (when you really spent 10 minutes adding in text and photos and then went to grab yourself a cup of coffee!) Wins all around! CLICK HERE to see a brief demonstration of the magic of DYM Newsletter and then CLICK HERE to login to your DYM Member account and experience the wonder for yourself!

FIVE: Mentor Me. A Conversation with Jessica Sanchez.After 14 years in youth ministry—8 of those on Josh Griffin’s team at Saddleback Church, Jessica Sanchez has come to believe strongly in the power—and joy—that comes from working alongside a team of adults who are passionate about seeing God move in the lives of students. She shares 4 key aspects of recruiting, developing, and caring for a healthy volunteer team. She’s humble, wise, and incredibly articulate as she shares all that she’s learned from her years of experience with volunteers. This is one Mentor Me you don’t want to miss!

SIX: Mystery Download. Hipstergrams Vol 1 and 2. Two ready-to-use image packs that feature awesome photos (mostly of young people) paired with Scripture and inspirational quotes. These high-resolution, modern images with captivating fonts are perfect for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Each resource volume contains ten (10) new Scripture images and three (3) quotes (one each from A.W. Tozer, Bob Goff, and C.S. Lewis.)

SEVEN: Student Leadership: Leaders Are Creative.Leaders stay grounded in God’s truth while keeping an open mind as they navigate life. When faced with obstacles or challenges, leaders don’t stop and wait for the perfect circumstances, instead they think outside the box. This lesson will challenge students to be creative as they engage the world around them and overcome the many obstacles leaders face.

EIGHT: FREE Group Texting. What if, instead of having to scroll through the list of names on your phone—or in your head—to remind each leader and/or student about an upcoming event, you could click a few buttons and send one text to a saved list of contacts?! What if you could write three or four reminder texts and schedule them to go out at various times throughout the following days?! Well, if you use DYM Text, you can do all that and more! Remind your students, leaders, and parents of amazing upcoming events, service schedules, and/or deadlines using DYM Text! Visit DYMText. The details are on your Members Only page, so be sure you’re signed in to access this.

And, finally (NINE), for DYM SILVER AND GOLD MEMBERS, your $20 Store Credit is ready for you to spend! Lent begins today and we are so proud of the authors who have written great resources to help prepare students for the glory of Easter. PLUS sermons and series and small group curriculum for Easter. Not to mention, the great games, videos and administration resources that have hit the store recently… We could go on and on, you should check out the New Releases for yourself! For more info on how Store Credit works, click here.

As always, we LOVE seeing your comments and how you’re using DYM stuff. Please keep tagging us on Twitter and Instagram (@downloadYM) so we can see DYM resources in action!

DYM Power-User Tip: the more active you are on social media, the better we recognize your name… which helps as we identify “Insiders” for our DYM100 selections.

It’s not too late to get all this great stuff for yourself if you aren’t a member yet. Visit DYMMembership.com to learn more and sign up.

22 Feb 2017

GUEST POST: Relevant Lent – How to Make it Effective and Long Lasting

By Chris Davis|2017-03-07T09:12:02-08:00February 22nd, 2017|Teaching, Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

Guest Post by
Sam Pettersen

The word Lent may bring different experiences to mind. Maybe some of you experienced the stuffier version of a traditional Lent that had no breathing room. Maybe it feels like a Bible Calendar that isn’t relevant to your walk. Or maybe you’ve experienced something profound that changed the landscape of your spiritual life.

I’ve talked with youth workers across the nation and everyone has a different thought about the practice of Lent, but one thing we can all agree on is this: Our lives and our student’s lives are filled with chaos. Everyday there are several things that claw at our attention, and each distraction wants to be your priority. For you it could be your family, your ministry, your bills, or the latest Netflix original. For our students it could be their future, relationships, or school.

These are just scratching the surface of what can distract us, and with distraction come the things that we run to in order to comfort us in the chaos. That’s where Lent comes in. Lent was never supposed to be 40-day bible study where you give up sugar and then binge eat at the end. Lent is an odyssey of self-discovery and reorienting our lives with the one who gives us life. Its not designed to just cut things out but to add value to how we live. I like that word: odyssey. Odyssey: an epic adventure filled with challenges that lead to character development. That’s what Lent should be: an epic adventure that leads us to be better followers. Its not designed to just cut things out but to add value to how we live. When handled effectively, Lent does 3 things for us:

1 // Lent Forms a Habit

Matt Cutts does an amazing Ted Talk called Try Something New for 30 Days and he notices that something amazing happens when he commits to trying something new for 30 days. Matt realizes that a habit is formed, and with that habit comes joy. Lent is an amazing season where we, as the church, can encourage this idea of forming new habits to make a better life.

But its not enough to cut something out. If you give up playing video games for 30 days, you’ll probably just replace it with a new distraction like Netflix. Healthy habits come from subtracting distractions and adding disciplines that bring value to your life. Maybe its you giving up TV time and replacing it with family time. Maybe for your students it could be giving up one day a week and serving inside or outside the church. Out of Lent we can form healthy spiritual habits as well. Like when we run into trouble, where do you run for comfort? Is it Netflix, a pint of ice cream, or do you go to God? Lent gives us the space to start healthy habits that will lead us to the next thing it adds: Confidence

2 // Lent Builds Confidence

When done right, with the right material, Lent can lead us to a greater spiritual confidence. In this time of self-evaluation, we gain strength in our understanding of who we are and how we can grow. Lent can do that, but it has to be done in a way that challenges us the right way. Remember, an odyssey builds character by presenting trials. A good Lent devotional has to have good challenges that lead to growth. These challenges can be self-reflection or even a challenge to live differently that week. When a student can meet a challenge’s demands they gain confidence. But in order for a student to gain confidence the challenge needs to be worth their attention, and it needs to be attainable.

Its not enough to tell students to go read 40 different chapters of the bible. If we’re going to point students to scripture, it has to be relevant and attainable for them to gain confidence. One of my biggest pet peeves with devotionals is when they tell me to go read a verse and I can’t figure out how it had anything to do with the topic that day. I don’t like wasting my time, and when the challenge or intention isn’t clear, your students will tap-out and give up.

The challenge must be achievable in a way that they can gain confidence no matter how spiritually mature we are. When the challenge isn’t feasible, students gain doubt in the place of confidence. Lent can give the framework to build spiritual confidence, but we have to give them the right material. When you give something up and add something in its place, there is satisfaction knowing that you did it. You can feel accomplished in what you’ve started, and that confidence can lead you to even bigger challenges and bigger expectations of God.

3 // Lent Makes Room for a Relationship

When you spend 30-40 days being challenged by God’s word and adding value to your life, you’ll find yourself in a new spiritual depth. Why? Because application will always bring understanding. Lent puts us in a place where we have to invite the Holy Spirit into our self evaluation. Its in this transparent process that God reveals where we’ve been struggling, and it shows us why we’ve been so exhausted. It forces us to apply what we’re reading, and out of application comes understanding.

Its not enough to just read the Bible. Reading the bible will only make you smarter, and to students that can come off as shallow. When we’re put in a position to interact with God as a person, we shift from trying to gain more knowledge to wanting to know God more. Relationship is the key word here. Lent makes room for us to strengthen our relationship with the Creator. Application will always lead to understanding, understanding will lead us back to application, and out of the two will come a deeper relationship with the Father.

Come Alive in 40

I hope you can see how Lent could be a game-changer in your ministry. I’m not a traditionalist in any sense, but I can see the value of what God can do in your life, if you only gave Him those 40 days. I think that time could be the doorway to something even bigger in your student’s walk with Christ. That’s why I created “Come Alive in 40”.

Come Alive in 40 is a devotional that is designed to take you on a spiritual odyssey. It doesn’t follow a liturgical calendar; instead it takes your students through 40 days of evaluation and challenges. This is a journey that will make you ask yourself, “Am I merely existing, or am I alive?” Because at the end of the day, there is a difference. The idea behind it all is to take you from your spiritual death, all the way to the death of Jesus. This is a journey that will embolden new believers and reinvigorate the more spiritually mature. I’ve seen student and adult ministries use this devotional and the response is usually the same: “This is the first study I’ve ever completed, and I can’t wait to do it again.”

I believe this study has the power to start something great in your ministry, and if you’re still unsure check out the first 5 days for free.

Whether your church annually practices the observance of Lent or this is the first time you and your youth ministry are considering it, check out some great resources to stir-up life-change in the hearts of your students and revival in your ministry: Lent Resources.

2 Feb 2017

How To Make Your Volunteer On-Boarding Process Simple, Clear & Effective

By Justin Knowles|2017-02-02T09:22:18-08:00February 2nd, 2017|Leadership, Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

I don’t think I have ever heard a youth worker say, “I think we are good on volunteers”. One thing I didn’t know when getting into youth ministry was that I needed the skills of a college football recruiter. Always on the prowl for people whom I could sucker… I mean get into youth ministry and pour into the lives of teenagers.

Many of us have mastered the ability to ask and we know where we want them to end up but what is the point if you lose them along the way. Our job as the leader of the ministry is to make sure the people who do get have a clear and directed path to be on their way serving and not to lose them or set them up poorly to not thrive when vetting and training is all done.

Here are some things to think through when regards to getting, keeping and training leaders for success:

Make it easy to apply.

How easy is for them to sign up to serve? Do they know how to apply? Do they even need to apply? If you have an application, do people know where to find it? Access it? Know where to turn it in when they are done?

We already know we wont get as many volunteers to go into youth ministry as there will be volunteers to usher in main service (because that’s easy and requires no commitment…. Can I say that? I just did). Make the application easy to find and when they find it, make sure it’s clear on where it needs to go when done

Side note: if you don’t have an application process, are you just letting anyone walk in to work with minors? I highly recommend getting one because it is a nice way to sit down with that potential leader and get to know them a bit. You can take a look at ours if you want to get started. Click HERE.

Have a sit down before they get serving.

Our leaders go through a few week process before they are “official” (more on that in a bit) but I think the most important meetings is the first one. Many people who don’t have youth ministry experience think, “All I have to do is hang out with the kids.” In the first meeting we go over the application, I get to hear their story and why they want to serve with the youth ministry.

Its in this meeting where I can get a feel where they are at in their spiritual life and where they could be a good fit for our ministry, because they might not be. We don’t want to take any warm body, we want to make sure it’s a good fit on both sides.

It’s in this meeting where we let them know the process from here on out and let them know it’s more than just “hanging out”. We give them a new leader flash drive (click HERE to find out more about this) and we set them up to shadow a veteran leader for a few weeks.

Set them up for success.

In order for leaders to do well they need to know what doing well looks like. They need to know what a “win” is for you and your ministry. To set our leaders up for success, we have all new leaders shadow an existing one for 3 weeks. What we have found is that if you just throw leaders out on the patio before service saying, “Alright go hang out with students” you can literally see the fear in their eyes. Setting them up with a different leader for 3 weeks gives them a buddy to be with, show them the ropes, introduce them to new students and they get to see yours already on board leaders do their thing. It gives them something to tangibly see.

This also gives your existing leaders some awesome abilities to be able to speak into, take ownership and give feedback and power to you because they feel like they are a part of the process.
We also give them different leaders each week because we split up junior high and high school half way through service and we want the potential leader to experience both sides before making a decision.

For us, this step is HUGE because it sets up leaders for success. They get to actually see what a great leader does. They have something to grasp onto and glean from when they become official leaders and they know what to do.

Give them space to ask clarification questions.

Now this is where most people are surprised because we actually have a second and final meeting. I value this meeting greatly. Here is why:

They now know the expectations as a leader.
They now have seen our program and ways to serve
They have seen what a great leader does and what that entails
They have the ability to really ask questions about the ministry
We see in what grades they want to serve in
We give them their leader shirts (which means they are official leaders)

Celebrate loud, hard and often.

When a leader gets their shirts, at the next service in our leader meeting, we announce them and people go nuts. We believe there is nothing more fun than serving with the people we love and they are now a part of our team. When we are excited as leaders, our volunteer teams get excited to be there and it bleeds into the youth group. We as leaders are needing to make sure we celebrate when our new leaders “win” because then they know they are doing what they need to be doing for the ministry in order to see it grow.

That is a huge deal and it keeps them coming back. If you want to loose your leaders, don’t have clear expectations of what a “win” is and don’t celebrate when they do something right. I don’t have the gift of encouragement, but I have had to learn how to be an encourager.

“Justin, this is not simple. It seems like it’s pretty extensive.” Maybe, but here is where I think the simple comes in: Do it right and thorough upfront and you don’t need to spend time re-training a few weeks from now. It’s simple and effective in the fact that you have now set up your leaders for success and they know what is expected of them. Now you can watch God work through them.

@justinknowles3

1 Feb 2017

Members Only: February Update

By Chris Davis|2017-02-01T16:32:09-08:00February 1st, 2017|Games, Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

Hello DYM Members!

Have we told you lately that we love you? We really do… really! Everything we do—the resources we create, the resources we curate, the events we attend, the events we plan *cough* DYM100Round2comingsoon *cough*—ALL for you!

As if you needed more proof that we’re constantly dreaming up ways to make your ministry life easier… just look at the AMAZING new game AND features in DYM Games we’ve designed from your suggestions. You asked and we listened! Not only that, but you have 9 more incredible resources and tools waiting on your Member page… check them out! (after you’ve logged-in of course)

Here are your Member Perks for February:

For GOLD MEMBERS:

We released a BRAND NEW GAME in DYM Games today! We mentioned in the midmonth email that it was coming soon—and here it is: PIXELATE! You no longer need fancy tools like Photoshop or MS Paint to create your own “guess the image” game! With PIXELATE you can add your own images, choose from modes like blur, zoom, whiteout, and, of course, Pixelate, gradually decrease the intensity of each mode to slowly reveal the correct answer, and display the correct answer on the screen as you reveal the photo.

Pixelate in action:

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! This new version of DYM Games also has a new display feature that will make you jump up and down chanting “DYM! DYM!” (If you do this, please send us a video…we’d like to see this!) Watch Steve and Doug walk you through the details of these amazing new features.

(If you and your students haven’t played DYM Games yet… today is the day! You’re gonna love it! Click here and try it for FREE!)

For those of you DYM BRONZE, SILVER, AND GOLD MEMBERS, there are 9 more resources and tools waiting for you! Login to your account and see for yourself:

ONE: Video Training. Helping Students Discover and Embrace Who God Created Them to Be. Students spend their days trying to fit in to their group, class, culture or school… and in doing so 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. If you haven’t been using these 10-minute training videos, they are an excellent resource for your adult leaders to continue to grow and learn.

TWO: Game. Name That Sound. A fun new video-based, screen game challenges students to listen closely to a strange sound and choose from three given 3 options what is making that sound. If they choose correctly—or should we say, guess correctly since the noisemakers are obscure—they win! It’s very clever—be sure to check it out.

THREE: Video. God Loves You. A high-quality, text-driven, scripture-based video that will help students understand the true meaning of the word ‘love’ and gain a deeper appreciation for the depth of God’s love for them. This video would work well as a stand-alone element in your program, or as a bumper before or during a message on relationships, God’s love, or identity.

FOUR: DYM Newsletter Builder. If you haven’t used the DYM Newsletter Builder yet, today is your day! You may be thinking, “I don’t even know where to begin!” Well, worry no more—our DYM Apps Wizard, Steve, made this video just for you! Watch this short, helpful tutorial video:

And then Click here to login to your DYM Member account and experience the wonder for yourself!

FIVE: Mentor Me. A Conversation with Jon McCallon. Jon McCallon, a 13-year Student Ministries veteran currently serving on the pastoral staff at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, is passionate about building disciples as Jesus did. Not just delegating tasks to students and volunteers, but empowering the hearts of student and adult leaders to do the work of Jesus. In this Mentor Me, Jon shares the journey that led to this shift in mindset and how it has affected his ministry with leaders and to students.

SIX: Mystery Download. Doer D-Now. (A $55 Value!) This 3-session D-Now study from 228 Publishers, is designed to encourage students to become doers of God’s Word. Don’t miss the special DYM Members Only offer from the publishers included in the download!

SEVEN: Student Leadership: Leaders Give Away Power. When students step into leadership, it can be tempting for them to hold tightly to their newly-found influence. Sometimes this can turn into students who try and do everything themselves because they believe that this is good leadership. But time and time again, Scripture gives us examples of people giving away leadership and raising up new leaders. Paul did this with many of this partners, Barnabas, Timothy, and Silas. Even Jesus spent much of his time with the 12 Disciples. Use this lesson to help your students evaluate their leadership and see areas where they need to move from being a leader who does it all to being a leader that empowers others.

EIGHT: FREE Group Texting. You have the information that people in your ministry need. (And, based on the number of emails and texts you receive before an event, we’re guessing they need to be reminded of this information over and over and over.) Remind your students, leaders, and parents of amazing upcoming events, service schedules, and/or deadlines using DYM Text! Visit www.dymtext.com. The details are on your Members Only page, so be sure you’re signed in to access this.

And, finally (NINE), for DYM SILVER AND GOLD MEMBERS, your $20 Store Credit!

Resources for Super Bowl weekend, Valentine’s Day games and sermons have just been released… and some killer Lent and Easter resources are headed your way! Check out the New Releases and grab what you need to make your programs smoother and your life easier! For more info on how Store Credit works, click here.

It’s not too late to get all this great stuff for yourself if you aren’t a member yet. Visit DYMMembership.com to learn more and sign up.

1 Feb 2017

DYM Games – Switching between DYM Games and _____

By steveostudios|2017-02-08T21:26:16-08:00February 1st, 2017|Games, Youth Ministry Resources|2 Comments

Switching between DYM Games and other presentation tools has never been easier!

Ask and ye shall receive! Our most popular feature update is now here.
Now you can easily switch between DYM Games and other presentation softwares (ProPresenter, Powerpoint, Keynote, etc.)! As always… it’s so easy, even Doug can do it.

Each app sits as a window layer on your presentation screen. All you have to do is turn off the layer(s) above the layer you want to see.

Watch this video and see how easy it is to switch between apps!

Start Your FREE Trial Today

We believe DYM Games is one of the best youth ministry tools around–If it’s not already, it will become your creative programming sidekick!

Don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself!

Download the DYM Games app today and you’ll have full access to try Pixelate and other great games (including Emoji Hunt, Poser, Survey Says and more!)

Build and customize your own incredible and engaging games in just a few clicks.

Download and start your FREE trial today!

1 Feb 2017

DYM Games – Pixelate

By steveostudios|2017-02-08T21:32:41-08:00February 1st, 2017|Games, Youth Ministry Resources|6 Comments

Hey folks! Another gigantic UPDATE to DYM Games is here. In this version (1.4.0) we’re introducing Pixelate!

DYM Games is your new creative programming sidekick—allowing you to build and present engaging, reusable and customizable games that are ready in minutes and good for groups of all sizes (from 5 to 5,000!). All easily-operated from your computer.

No longer will you need fancy tools like Photoshop (or less-fancy tools like MS Paint) to create your own amazing “guess the image” game! With Pixelate you can:
– Add your own images!
– Choose from image modes like “Blur”, “Zoom”, “Whiteout”, and of course “Pixelate”.
– Step through the intensity–making the ‘blur’ or ‘pixelate’ gradually less–as you reveal the correct answer.
– Display the correct answer text when the intensity is all the way at zero!

Check out the video below to see it in action!

To update, all you need to do it start up DYM Games with an internet connection. You’ll get a notification that says an update has been downloaded. Simply restart the app and you’ll have the new version!

Start Your FREE Trial Today

We believe DYM Games is one of the best youth ministry tools around–If it’s not already, it will become your creative programming sidekick!

Don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself!

Download the DYM Games app today and you’ll have full access to try Pixelate and other great games (including Emoji Hunt, Poser, Survey Says and more!)

Build and customize your own incredible and engaging games in just a few clicks.

25 Jan 2017

Program and Communicate Like a Rock Star

By Chris Davis|2017-01-25T21:38:46-08:00January 25th, 2017|Games, Technology, Youth Ministry Resources|2 Comments

We want to do everything we can to save you time to focus on what’s most important in your ministry: the people!

We do that by giving our DYM Members turn-key resources that can be adapted to their unique ministry context quickly and easily.

But we realize that it’s tough to “download” everything you need to do ministry. In fact, you use tools to help you do ministry everyday: presentation tools like ProPresenter to run your programs, word processing and design tools to put together effective promotional materials, communication tools to send those materials out…the list goes on.

What if we told you that DYM has created some tools specifically for youth workers to help you accomplish the very same things even more effectively?
Imagine…

A ProPresenter sidekick with youth ministry games, countdowns and other programming elements INCLUDED…

A tool built for youth workers to create beautiful email newsletters in minutes to share with anyone. With dozens of helpful articles for parents and volunteers INCLUDED…

Usually when something sounds too good to be true, it is.
But this is one of those rare “good AND true” moments.

Enter: DYM Games^TM

Your new creative programming sidekick—allowing you to build and present engaging, reusable and customizable games that are ready in minutes and good for groups of all sizes (from 5 to 5,000). You will have access to a growing digital library of games to customize. And, this is all easily-operated from your computer!

Learn More and Try it for FREE.

DYM Newsletter^TM

Get the right information to the right people in the midst of constantly changing details. Create a simple yet beautiful newsletter in seconds to share with anyone. The newsletter lives online and is completely editable, accessible and shareable until you decide to remove it.

Learn more and try for FREE.

Don’t forget your DYM Gold Membership also includes:

$20 store credit—EVERY MONTH you get your money back to use on anything you want in the DYM Store…no joke…that’s worth the price of membership right there!
SIX NEW downloadable resources: a game, a video, a 10-minute video volunteer training, a 20-minute audio mentoring file, curriculum to develop Student Leaders, AND a bonus mystery item.

Become a DYM Gold Yearly Member anytime in the month of January and, in addition to all of the amazing things listed above, you’ll be entered to win one of three INCREDIBLE prizes in our Gold Rush 2017 contest:

1st Prize – A FREE Registration to DYM100. You’ll be the first to be officially registered for this exclusive event. No need to panic about getting one of only 100 spots available—yours will be guaranteed! What is DYM100? Learn more. It’s definitely one youth ministry event you won’t want to miss!

2nd Prize – $250 in DYM Store Credit. Who doesn’t love free money?

3rd Prize – Stolen from Doug’s office. T-Shirts, coffee mugs, framed family photos…we’ll steal you something good.

19 Jan 2017

NEW RELEASE: Inauguration Day Game Just Added!

By Josh Griffin|2017-01-19T15:18:47-08:00January 19th, 2017|Teaching/Programming, Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

We just had a great submission we had to sneak into the lineup today! Check out this terrific idea – FLASH: inauguration is a hilarious game which shows images of inaugurations of various presidents and makes you remember certain colors from the picture when they are removed.

It is SO great and very clever, and just in time for youth groups to use this week during this season. Enjoy!

18 Jan 2017

What Do Members Say about DYM Membership?

By Chris Davis|2017-01-18T21:33:34-08:00January 18th, 2017|Youth Ministry Resources, Youth Pastor Life|0 Comments

There are so many great things about the DYM Gold Membership, and nobody knows that more than DYM Members themselves. Here’s what a few of them had to say about it:

“You spend a little bit each month and you get resources that make you a better youth pastor…you get to engage with the students in your student ministry and focus on them and make them a priority.”

Kyle Nieman | DYM Member since Dec 2013

“The amount of material you get for price of membership is beyond expectation.”

Ken Leslie | DYM Member since April 2012

“The quality is such a big win.”

Derry Prenkert | DYM Member since Aug 2013

“It’s the cheapest way to look good.”

Allison Williams | DYM Member since Feb 2012

“All the excess administration that take up your time is taken care of…with the DYM resources.”

Frank Gil | DYM Member since Jan 2013

What’s Included?
DYM Gold Members get NINE things EVERY MONTH:

• $20 in store credit—EVERY MONTH you get your money back to use on anything you want in the DYM Store…no joke…that’s worth the price of membership right there!

• SIX NEW downloadable resources: a game, a video, a 10-minute video volunteer training, a 20-minute audio mentoring file, curriculum to develop Student Leaders, AND a bonus mystery item.

• PLUS unrestricted access to the DYM Games app, DYM Newsletter Builder, and DYM Text. All three apps are available exclusively to DYM Members!

1st Prize – A FREE Registration to DYM100. You’ll be the first to be officially registered for this exclusive event. No need to panic about getting one of only 100 spots available—yours will be guaranteed!
What is DYM100? Learn more. It’s definitely one youth ministry event you won’t want to miss!

2nd Prize – $250 in DYM Store Credit. Who doesn’t love free money?

3rd Prize – Stolen from Doug’s office. There are still unopened Christmas gifts in there…we’ll send you one.

11 Jan 2017

Start 2017 with a DYM Membership

By Chris Davis|2017-01-11T21:22:47-08:00January 11th, 2017|Youth Ministry Resources|0 Comments

New Year’s resolutions are made to be broken. We should know…we got to Leviticus in our “Read Through the Bible” plan and it all came to a grinding halt. So much detail about the temple. So many sacrifices. (We may have said some ceremonially unclean words at one point out of frustration…)

Hopefully, your resolutions are off to a stronger start–way to go if you’ve already dropped 20 pounds and finished the Old Testament! Either way, we’re here to help you keep one resolution we know you strongly believe in: spending more time on what’s important in ministry. Maybe, for you, this means building up your volunteer leaders, partnering with parents, or making your budget dollars go further…well, the DYM Membership (a.k.a. the “Best Deal in the History of Youth Ministry”) can help you do all of this AND more!

The DYM Membership. Focus on the things only you can do and let us help you do the rest.

What’s Included?

With the DYM Gold Membership you get these NINE things EVERY MONTH:

$20 in store credit—that’s right, you get your money back EVERY MONTH—to use on anything you want…because you know exactly what you need.

Programming Resources

Game
1 brand new high-quality, silly, relevant, or creative slide- or video-based game.

Video
1 brand new video (from encouraging to ridiculous) available exclusively to DYM Members.

DYM Games™ app
Unrestricted access to a game- building and presentation tool with a growing digital library of engaging, reusable and customizable games.

Development

Student Leadership
New curriculum designed to challenge student leaders to change the way they think about serving.

Mentor Me
A 20-minute audio interview with an experienced leader, hosted by Josh Griffin.

Video Volunteer Training
A 10-minute video training from a veteran youth worker (Doug Fields, Josh Griffin, and others) to help develop your leaders.

Communication

DYM Newsletter™ app
Unrestricted access to the only newsletter builder built specifically for ministry.

DYM Text™
Access to a free, members-only group texting plan on DYM’s group text tool.

Bonus

Mystery Item
Anything from incredible curriculum by partnering ministries to major discounts on conferences—it’s always different and always awesome.

Become a Member Now!

If you become a DYM Gold Yearly Member anytime in the month of January, you’ll be entered to win one of three AMAZING prizes into our Gold Rush 2017 contest:

1st Prize – A FREE Registration to DYM100. You’ll be the first to be officially registered for this exclusive event. No need to panic about getting one of only 100 spots available—yours will be guaranteed! What is DYM100, you ask? Learn more about the event HERE. It’s definitely one youth ministry event you won’t want to miss!

2nd Prize – $250 in DYM Store Credit. Outfit your ministry with the perfect resources to start the New Year.

3rd Prize – Something stolen from Doug’s office. You never know what treasures are hidden away in Doug’s home-away-from-Del Taco, but Josh will make sure he smuggles out something great just for you!