There are over 1,970 posts here on the Love God, Love Students blog on DYM. What a year it has been! As we countdown the year together, I thought it might be fun to post a few of the Top 10 posts of the year (read #6-10 here). Enjoy the list … and if you haven’t read these posts yet, they are some of the best of the best:

  • The 40-Year Old Youth Pastor
    Looking back, I thought they were the golden years of youth ministry for me….I was close in age with the students and was often confused for being a teenager by parents. I thought this is it…it will never get better. I related to their world and I didn’t have to try hard to be cool…I was cool (notice the past tense.) Now as I prepare to celebrate my 40th birthday…I can’t help but feel that I am a better youth worker than I have ever been.
  • Fun Free Youth Group Game: Jiggapuff
    One of the best new games we’ve done in a long time – Jiggapuff! The premise is simple – don’t do the same pose as the person running the game! You don’t need props or prep – just announce the game, show this slide on the screen and you’re all set!
  • Being an Introvert in Youth Ministry
    As I would eventually find out, there was a name for my disposition. There was a diagnosis for my condition. I was an introvert. And the reason I struggled through youth group was that it had been cultivated in an extroverted culture— or so it seemed. The energetic, small talk-heavy, high-octane world of youth ministry clashed with my reserved, reflective, one-word-at-a-time disposition.
  • Getting Stronger Speaking
    Writing a message is one thing; however, to deliver it is a totally different skill. Speaking is important in ministry because it’s how you can motivate your teens, parents and volunteers. It’s how you cast vision, encourage and challenge them to grow in their faith. While some people are naturally talented at speaking others have to work hard at it.
  • Take Your Kids to Camp
    My kids know camp. My kids love camp. They should… they are children of a youth pastor. They tagged along to camp before they could walk and have seen just about every time of camp/mission trip/overnighter there is. I loved having them there and they loved being there.

JG