The Download Youth Ministry Blog/
5 Dec 2023

Sidekick … the Beta Testers Have Spoken!

By |2023-12-12T19:55:45-08:00December 5th, 2023|Sidekick Hero Blog|0 Comments

The DYM team has been working on Sidekick for months already. And people have already been playing with Sidekick for weeks. And launch day for everyone is … TODAY!

And we couldn’t have done it without a very special group of people: OUR BETA TESTERS!

Sidekick is made for YOU:

  • It’ll work in youth room basements!
  • It’ll AirPlay in Sunday School classrooms!
  • It’ll command youth buildings with giant LED walls!
  • Even church sanctuaries with orange pews get a serious upgrade!

Because they were willing to use Sidekick before it was ready for release, these beta testers have made sure that Sidekick was ready for primetime in whatever scenario you can throw at it.

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In addition to the beta setups – we’ve shown it to a few groups of youth workers publicly, too – we showed a teaser at DYM’s First Few Years Conference and really took attendees for a more extensive tour during the DYM100: Roundtable Conversations Conference. The reaction has been incredible … the anticipation very real … and all of that hard work banging on every edge case we could come up with has helped shape it for YOU with your students.

Which means, it’s ready for you to use… TOMORROW NIGHT!

Jump in and enjoy the new Sidekick – this is just the beginning – and engage your students like never before!

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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5 Dec 2023

What’s New in Sidekick? 🎉 December 2023

By |2023-12-12T19:56:24-08:00December 5th, 2023|Sidekick Hero Blog, Sidekick: What's New|2 Comments

 What’s New? 🎉 December 2023

  • Full-featured presenter launched!
  • Video backgrounds
  • Embed YouTube and Vimeo
  • Song Select CCLI integration
  • Polls w/Live Voting via Phone Connection
  • Remote Control – use your iPhone or iPad to control the presentation
  • CloudSync – build your presentation anywhere and it’s in the youth room computer

What’s Coming! January 2024

  • Wheel of Destiny
  • Pick Me
  • Boxes
  • Upload your own video
  • Chrome Window Control
  • Q&A from phones w/moderation
  • Bug fixes & optimization

What’s Planned after that?

  • Content library to store your files
  • 100s of pre-loaded FREE worship backgrounds
  • Sync your purchases of DYM games, media and more
  • Scan QR code for student check in
  • AI generated options for engagement tools

Would you like to suggest a feature?
Because we want to hear from you!

Click the link below to suggest new features or to vote on features that other users have already submitted:

Submit and Vote on Features Here!

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

If you’re using Sidekick and you run into any issues, or if you just have a question, please feel free to reach out to our support team at: [email protected]. Or you can check out other helpful articles and walkthroughs at the Sidekick Help Desk by visiting https://help.sidekick.tv.

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let us know how you do it and what types of polls you do because we want to highlight you. Our goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Sidekick to help their students engage. If you’re interested in being recognized as a Sidekick Hero, just click the big red button below:

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5 Dec 2023

Why I’m BEYOND Excited About the NEW Sidekick!

By |2023-12-07T09:06:34-08:00December 5th, 2023|Sidekick Hero Blog, Sidekick: What's New|3 Comments

This may sound like a hyperbole… but, it’s not… it’s how I genuinely feel about the launch of the NEW Sidekick. It’s one of the most exciting things that has happened to me/DYM/youth ministry in a long time. Now, to be fair, I share that same excitement about Coleader (that we launched earlier this year)… but at the time we launched Coleader, we didn’t have the vision that we’d be able to combine Sidekick with Coleader (check this out).

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Okay… BUT WHY AM I BEYOND EXCITED? 

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1. Sidekick will change the way I communicate! 

I will use a Sidekick Poll EVERY TIME I speak. Since I got to play around with this before most, I’ve used it in a large crowd (1,400 couples at a marriage event) and a small crowd (9 interns in a training event). In each message, I included 3 different polls, and the people loved participating. 

2. Sidekick moves the phone from distraction to engagement!

When I first started in youth ministry, there was no such thing as phones in the hands of teenagers. Phones hung on the wall. For the last decade, phones have been one of the constant battles with teenagers. Now, with the NEW Sidekick, their phone will become a tool of engagement.

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3. Sidekick allows me to run my presentation from my phone!

This alone almost gives me an aneurysm of excitement (most of my medical comments should not be taken seriously). I like to use graphics when I teach. I use A LOT of them, and it’s really hard to delegate “timing” to the AV person. Don’t get me wrong, I love my AV people, but humor/timing isn’t usually one of their gifts. But now… I.AM.IN.CONTROL (yes, this comes up in counseling). In 40+ years of speaking to teenagers I’ve never had the freedom to run my presentation from my phone or my iPad. Now I do… and, my heart is happy. 

4. It’s so easy to use that even I can use it. 

The team at DYM teases me about my age and technology… I feel like I could talk to HR about that, but technically I’m HR. Anyway, I may be a little behind on the newest tech-wizardry that “the kids” are gushing over, but I can make a Sidekick deck… AND… run it… without help. Boom. Mic drop. And I’ve done it (I even have photos to prove it!). I’ve taken old Keynote presentations, exported the slides, imported them into Sidekick, made my own polls (which takes about 1 minute), and presented on my phone, my iPad, and my laptop. So, if Doug Fields can do it… you can do it!

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5. There are upcoming features that I can’t even tell you about.

We’ve put together a list of so many features that will be added to Sidekick, and there are so many that our developers don’t want them released… but, the developers aren’t in charge of me (what? Who talks like that? Since when have youth pastors been so bold? 😄) There is going to be a Spinny Wheel (AI integration–yep, probably), there will be Scripture Inserts (type in a reference and it creates a verse slide), there will be Name Picker (coming in January), there will even be the ability for students to text in comments and questions that will appear on the screen (with the ability to moderate, of course!).

SERIOUSLY!

There are so many fun ways that Sidekick will change the way you communicate with teenagers and program for them. 

Finally, if you choose to use the new Sidekick… let me know how you do it and what types of polls you do because I want to highlight you. My goal is to highlight a youth worker every week with different ways they’ve used Live Voting and Sidekick. If you’d like to become part of our Sidekick hero team, just click the big red button below:

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27 Nov 2023

Take Some Time Off to Plan Your Youth Ministry

By |2023-11-27T07:43:34-08:00November 27th, 2023|Uncategorized|12 Comments

It’s (almost nearly) Christmas!

I know that means a lot of your ministries are going nuts. There are parties galore and lots of desserts being passed around. But January 1 is coming.

Do you know what next year holds for you and your youth group?

If you’re not yet planned out for the next year, consider taking some time off this month to plan. I don’t mean take a vacation day to plan your youth ministry. I mean, take a day off of what you would normally do and use it to schedule out what next year is going to look like.

Go find a coffee shop or fast food place nearby, put in your headphones, and really focus down on getting the next year planned out. Bring along your team if you’ve got one.

If this isn’t a part of your normal routine, consider adding it in this year. This is what it could look like.

Grab Every Calendar You Can

Take advantage of all the calendars that are available to you. Your church calendar with the men’s retreat and the women’s overnight trip. The local school calendars should be out too, so you can plan around spring break, fall break, when school starts and when it finishes.

If you plan with these calendars in mind, you’ll save yourself a lot of heartache knowing that your weekend trip isn’t the same as homecoming.

Tent Pole Events

You know what these are already. You may even have them on your calendar. Summer camp. Your big Disciple Now in-town retreat. A big conference in the spring.

These are the events that your youth group always does and ones that, frankly, take up a lot of time on your calendar. Plan these out first so you know NOT to plan a massive all-night lock-in in three weeks before you go on a week mission trip. When you start with your big events, you can plan margin in intentionally.

Small Events

These are the things that might not take up as much time but are still good to have on the calendar. Maybe you have a big kick-off night for your small group Bible studies. Or maybe you always take a group to go play minigolf on the day after school gets out. Place these on the calendar for your sake and so that you can let parents know as far in advance if something is coming.

Teaching

Now that you know your big and little events, you can plan out your teaching calendar to help supplement what you already have on the calendar. Maybe you know your theme for summer camp, so you can teach with it in mind the month before and help break it down the month afterward. February is probably a good month to do a relationship series, and Christmas will usually be Christmas.

Then you can take a good look at what your teaching calendar has on it and what it’s missing. That way you’re not trying to figure out what to teach next week, because you’ve already got it planned. Or, you could use Co-leader’s Roadmap to help you!

Leader Training

Since you’ve got fantastic leaders helping you along the way, why not go ahead and plan times for you to get together with them and train them? You can make these happen right before a youth group meeting or right after church on Sunday. As long as you include lunch of course! DYM is getting ready for it’s National Day of Volunteer Youth Ministry Training this year. AND, big news, you can have it on whatever day works for you! Check it out here and put it on the calendar now.

Parent Meetings

Sprinkle these in. I usually had three a year: one in the fall, one in January, and one right before summer. That way parents are always a step ahead and know important dates. I would also pitch resources and whatever big student ministry news I had at the moment. If you have these consistently, you’ll develop clout with parents and help them stay on top of youth group!

Everything else!

There are a lot of things you can plan out ahead of time: social media, emails, when volunteers are going to teach for you, your vacation, and a whole lot more. The more you have a plan, the less you’ll have to stress out at the last minute. Save yourself some pressure and take some time to plan now!

Struggle to plan? Check out these great resources from DYM!

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20 Nov 2023

What to do when no one shows up for youth group?

By |2023-11-20T11:54:40-08:00November 20th, 2023|Leadership|6 Comments


I remember quite vividly the night it happened. We had planned for Youth Ministry to proceed as usual that Sunday evening. Even though it was a holiday and we expected our numbers to be low, we did our best to ensure there would be something for our students to do.

But nobody showed up.

It can definitely feel like the most defeating thing to experience in a new ministry. You make plans all week long, prepare a lesson, organize games, buy snacks, but what do you do when no students show up?

Check Your Communication: Did everyone know there was supposed to be a youth group? Did you ensure that both parents and students were informed? If there are any official communication channels in your church, such as the website or the bulletin, did all that information go out? We should communicate a lot. I know the most frustrated I’ve ever been as a parent is receiving a half sheet of paper from the school about an event in three days that I had no prior knowledge of.

Let’s be better about that in our communication!

Look at Church Patterns Outside of Youth Group: In my church, there are men’s and women’s Bible studies that meet at the same time as our youth group. We all coordinate when we are going to meet and when we are going to take a break. Every year on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we don’t have any midweek Bible study. The main reason for this is because so many people weren’t coming. It was almost a wasteland at church. So instead of making a lot of people feel guilty about not coming to Wednesday night Bible study, we decided it would be better as a church if we didn’t meet.

If you don’t have any students showing up, is it because there are also no adults or kids who would naturally be coming during this time as well?

Pray: Either spend some time praying right then and there with your volunteers or try to get a few parents together to pray for your students sometime in the near future. It’s also a good moment to check your own heart and pray, asking God to show you what you need to learn from this.

Meet with Your Leadership: Definitely not a fun meeting to request, but it’s better to be proactive about letting your leadership or senior pastor know that you didn’t have any students show up. Maybe they know something going on that you aren’t aware of. Maybe they can offer you some tips or ideas. They might even be able to recommend whom to meet with to figure out what to do next. Be open during this meeting. It probably won’t be enjoyable, but it might be a productive time where you try to solve some real problems.

Watch for Opportunities: He walked in about 10 minutes late. The other adult volunteer who had shown up that night and I looked at each other and shrugged. He was new, but he was there. So we went on with the lesson and had youth group. Josh accepted Christ that night. He became a leader in our youth group, led worship, and became someone I could depend on for the next several years.

Sometimes God throws you a curveball. He takes what you thought might be a loss and turns it into a God story. Be faithful. Keep reaching out to students. Watch for what God is doing. You’ve got this. More importantly, God’s got you.

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13 Nov 2023

Network and Build Stronger Youth Ministries

By |2023-11-06T06:48:51-08:00November 13th, 2023|Youth Pastor Life|8 Comments

Ministry can be a solitary journey, but it doesn’t have to be. In this post, we’ll explore the immense value of networking with other youth pastors. Building a community of like-minded individuals can lead to more vibrant and effective youth ministries.

Ministry Can Be Lonely, But It Doesn’t Have to Be

As a youth pastor, you might have experienced the occasional loneliness that comes with the territory. The weight of guiding young souls can be isolating. However, by connecting with fellow youth pastors, you can find a support system that understands the unique challenges and joys of youth ministry. No one should navigate this journey alone, and with a network of colleagues, you won’t have to.

We Get Better Ideas in Community with Others

Youth ministry thrives on creativity and fresh ideas. While you might have a wealth of innovative concepts, imagine how much richer your arsenal of ideas can become when you network with other youth pastors. Sharing experiences and brainstorming together can spark new, exciting approaches to engage and inspire your students. When we pool our collective wisdom, everyone benefits.

Encouragement Comes Best from Those Who Get Us

There’s nothing quite like the encouragement that comes from someone who truly understands your role. Fellow youth pastors can offer a unique perspective and empathetic support. They’ve been there, experienced the challenges, and found ways to overcome them. Their encouragement can be the fuel that keeps your passion for youth ministry burning brightly.

Wins Are Sweeter with Someone to Celebrate With

Every victory, no matter how small, is worth celebrating in youth ministry. Whether it’s a student’s spiritual breakthrough, a successful event, or personal growth in your role, sharing these wins with a network of youth pastors makes them even more meaningful. When you have someone who understands the significance of these moments, the celebration becomes more profound and fulfilling.

In conclusion, networking with other youth pastors is not just about connecting; it’s about creating a web of support, idea-sharing, and shared victories. By building this community, we can alleviate the loneliness, amplify our creativity, draw encouragement from those who understand our journey, and make the sweet moments in youth ministry even sweeter. So, reach out to your fellow youth pastors, connect, and start building stronger youth ministries together.

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6 Nov 2023

Creative Ideas for Indoor Youth Ministry

By |2023-11-06T06:58:45-08:00November 6th, 2023|Youth Ministry Ideas|10 Comments

As it gets colder outside, you probably are going to start thinking that doing indoor events is the way to go. You’ve had your fun fall festival and annual bonfire, but now it’s just too cold to be outside! Or maybe it’s been snowing in your state for the last two months. I don’t know how snow works; I live in Texas. If you do find yourself retreating indoors because your students complain about the cold, here are some tips on how to have some great indoor events!

Learn to be creative with your space

If you were lucky enough to have a youth room, think of some ways that you can spice up your space for an event. Maybe you can move the orientation of the room. Perhaps you could put a projector on a different wall than normal. You might even ask a couple of adults to come in and decorate the place for you. Whenever you do an event that’s outside your normal programming, it could be a chance to make your space feel really different. Go for it!

Take what you do before youth group and AMP IT UP

Do your students like playing video games before you get started? Do they go play nine square in your church gym? If you’re looking for an idea of an event to host, maybe you could take one of those things that you normally do and really amp it up to make it a big deal. My students were constantly asking to have a Smash Brothers tournament. What a great event to really buy into what students were excited about. Or maybe you could play volleyball if you’re one of those lucky youth pastors who have a gym to meet in. You can think of a whole bunch of different ways to make volleyball crazy and exciting. Use a giant 6-foot-wide beach ball. Make it teams of 20. You’ve got a lot of options!

Meet in a different spot in your building

If the event you’re trying to do can take place in a different space in your building, why not take advantage of that? Instead of meeting in the youth room, consider meeting in the fellowship hall or the gym. Giving your students a chance to switch things up might put them in a different mindset and allow them to think about whatever it is you’re trying to do with your event. Familiarity can be good, but putting students in a different space can also open them up to thinking differently!

Be a good steward of your building; clean up afterwards!

Last, but not least, if you’re meeting inside at your church, be considerate to the people who have to come behind you and clean it up, or to the people whose room you’re borrowing for the evening. Make sure you plan to have people help you clean after the event. I always struggled with that and thought that I would just clean it all up myself. Don’t do this! Ask people specifically to help you clean up so that you don’t come in the next day to a trashed youth room or an angry email from the cleaning crew.

Do you have any other ideas? I’d love to hear them! Comment down below or reach out. You’ve got this!

Also, if you’re looking for a few ideas for indoor events, check out the resources below.

Get your students thinking with this fun interactive game!

All students need for this one is their phone and the instructions on the screen. Super fun!

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30 Oct 2023

Spooky Season is Here!

By |2023-10-30T10:22:48-07:00October 30th, 2023|Youth Ministry Ideas|1 Comment

Hey youth pastor!

This week is Halloween. You probably already knew that from all of the social media posts with your students going around and hitting every trunk-or-treat in the tri-county area.

But what are you doing for your students this week?

DYM has got you!

If you’re hoping for a night with some Halloween themed games, check these out with some suggestions on how you can play them with your whole group!

Give your students or a small group a whiteboard and a dry erase marker and see who can unscramble the word the fastest! Throw candy in the general direction of the winner!

Put up a spooky looking 1, 2, and 3 around your room and have students move to the answer they think is correct. Or, if you’ve got a huge group, have them hold up their fingers to answer. Either way get every one standing up! They sit down when they get an answer wrong. The winner could get their own pumpkin to carve.

This is a great ice-breaker to have students moving around the room. I love to go and quiz students on their answer and why they chose what they did. Give them a handful of bubble gum if they’ve got a decent answer!

Need to show your senior pastor that not everything you do on Halloween is “of the world”? Use this game to have a conversation about the WILD stuff that’s in the Bible. This could be an upfront game with students holding signs that say “Old Testament” or “Scary Movie”. Hand out a copy of a bargain kid scary movie you found at a thrift store.

Need a way to get everyone involved? Crowd Charades is a great game to get people moving! Give the winning team a shower of candy. Should be loads of fun!

Need a great lesson on not being fake and wearing a mask? This one will be an EASY win for the week of Halloween! Make the stories your own and have a great discussion with your students!

And that’s it!

Have a great week and spend time with students and way less time planning games and the lesson.

We believe in you.

You’ve got this!

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23 Oct 2023

Go Outside With your Students this Fall

By |2023-10-23T07:40:33-07:00October 23rd, 2023|Youth Ministry Ideas|7 Comments

I love the fall, even here in South Texas, where we get some fall weather. After our first false fall, when it goes back up to 90 degrees for a few weeks, that is.

Once the weather becomes cooler, being outside is a lot more fun!

So why should you take your students outside once everyone has a pumpkin-spiced latte?

Nature is God’s

I personally love being outside and being in nature! I feel closer to God when I am observing what He has made. I know we can often be proud of our youth spaces and the room we have made for students to come together and experience God collectively. But there is something wonderful about being outside and experiencing God’s creation together.

I also find that the changing season makes me think about changes in my life. That’s something we can help students capture as well.

No Screens Means Connection

I love technology. I’m typing this on my computer as I look at multiple screens. I don’t know where I would end up without the Internet and a phone to connect with many friends throughout the day.

But there is something super special about being in a place without screens, and you get to look and see what God is doing outside of a screen.

Encourage your students to put their phones down and pick their eyes up! They may have a great chance to connect in person outside!

Creativity When You Shake Things Up

When you take away your normal tools, you have to get creative! Without my computer and my big screen and sound system, I have to think about what programming elements get involved in whatever event we’re going to do. I have to think outside the box. There’s something about that that makes planning outdoor events really fun for me. I get to be really creative! It’s also great to invite students into that creativity with me.

Need some inspiration for an outdoor activity? Check out these five great games for your students next time you get outside!

And plan some time outdoors with your students!

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