Appointments are great opportunities to connect with young people, hear their stories, address their needs, and even share the gospel. But appointments can be difficult at times as well. So we thought we'd have a little fun in this episode and share some tips to ensure you have the worst appointment ever... please don't do these things ;)

We took a little break right after the new year, partly due to the fact that Reggie was across the country in Denver, Colorado serving as a presenter and small group facilitator for YFC Institute, Youth For Christ's flagship training event for new staff. In this episode we discuss his experience at Institute and how it relates to Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

If you attended YFC Institute recently, we would love to hear about your experience! Send us a message and let us know.

In our first episode of 2021 we made some pretty bold predictions about what we thought we would see in the world of youth ministry this year. Now, as we wrap up the year, we're taking a look back and discussing what actually happened and evaluating the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of our predictions.

What do you hope to see happen in the realm of youth ministry in 2022? Visit us on Facebook and join the discussion.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we wanted to take time to reflect on a few quotes from a book that has made a lasting impact on my (Brian) life and ministry for the last 20 years, The God-Bearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Ministry by Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Foster. The quotes we discuss in this episode are listed in the paragraph below. If you get a chance to listen, we would love to hear your thoughts.

"The Eastern Orthodox tradition calls Mary Theotokos, or "Godbearer," because she (quite literally) brought God into the world. In the biblical witness, God seems especially fond of calling upon unlikely suspects for such missions. Young people--impetuous, inexperienced, improbable choices by all accounts--figure prominently among God's "chosen" in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. And while God does not ask any of us to bring Christ into the world as literally as did Mary, God calls each of us to become a Godbearer through whom God may enter the world again and again."

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Visit us on Facebook and join the discussion.

Merry Christmas!

Family gatherings. Company parties. Youth group Christmas celebrations. There's a lot happening this time of year and we have the guide that will help you make it through. Listen in and share with a friend, because in this episode we're sharing the ultimate youth worker's Christmas survival guide!

What did we miss in this guide? Visit us on Facebook and let us know what else is essential for your survival through the Christmas season.

The Ministry Leader Conference is one of our favorite events of the year and we're excited to be able to meet again locally, in-person, for the first time in a couple of years. In this episode we discuss why this conference is so valuable for our ministry teams and give you a preview of what you can expect at this year's conference which is happening on January 29, 2022.

We hope you can be a part of the MLC, in-person or online, wherever you are. If you have questions about the event happening locally in northern Indiana, send us an email at [email protected].

For general questions about the MLC in other parts of the United States, visit the Ministry Leader Conference website.

Christmas break provides great opportunities engage in some fun and different activities to build relationships with young people. In this episode we discuss some of our favorite building times for Christmastime.

What is your favorite Christmas break activity? Visit us on Facebook and join the discussion.

With Thanksgiving coming up in just a few days, we wanted to take an opportunity to celebrate a few of the small things we witnessed this year that often get overlooked in our ministries. As you listen in on this conversation we'd encourage you to take a pause to consider the little things you are thankful for in the past year.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Today marks the kick off of the second annual We Believe in You(th) campaign across northern Indiana and we are inviting you to participate from wherever you are listening - locally or globally. This is a one week, all out campaign for the young people in our communities to let them know we see them, we love them, and we believe in them. Here are a few ways you can engage:

For more information on the We Believe in You(th) campaign check out these resources:

We are also in the third week of our 4 weeks of giving thanks challenge. If you have someone in your life you are thankful for, let us know and use the hashtag #givethanksTMLP.

The week of November 15-19, 2021 Youth for Christ of Northern Indiana is launching a one week, all out campaign for the young people of the region to let them know we see them, we love them, and we believe in them. We'll tell you more about it in this episode and how you can get involved.

Check out https://yfcnin.org for more info. You can give to the campaign at https://give.yfcnin.org/you