What expectations do teens have about attending church? 45% Worship or make a connection with God.42% Better understand what I believe34% Spend time with friends34% Get encouraged or inspired30% Volunteer to help others. What do teens learn from their experiences in church? (top four answers) 65% Moral and ethical standards62% Relationships55% Faith traditions50% Personal evangelism
“A man may study because his brain is hungry for knowledge, even Bible knowledge. But he prays because his soul is hungry for God.” – Leonard Ravenhill My oldest son is part of a prayer group of men. I thought I would share with you an adapted version of his encouragement to them, to me […]
Recently the expert culture watcher, Walt Mueller was conducting a Q&A session with parents. One of the parents from the audience asked Walt what he felt was the single most impacting cultural change that those who live with and serve youth should be most concerned about. His answer is no surprise but a sober reminder […]
At some point all of us have been annoyed by a persistent little pest. I am not talking about the overprotective, high maintenance parent that likes to bend your ear before and after every ministry event. I am talking about Genus Anopheles, the most common mosquito found in North America. These little blood suckers are […]
No, I am not talking about your Intern staff or the effect your last successful ministry event had on your psyche. I am referring to the invisible shield that surrounds the adolescent with regards to his/her perceived consequences for actions.Like a private tattoo engraved just below the surface, there is a marking on the chest […]
Ever heard this question? What happens when an unstoppable force or object collides with an immovable object? The standard answer and the one I was always told is that the end result of this scenario would be Total Destruction. But recently I discovered that this is not the case. A physics professor explained it this […]
In meeting with a small group of student leaders recently, one comment in particular caught my attention. One minister declared; “well, we don’t DO summer camp any more, we do mission trip. Our kids would rather do missions than camp and I think that reflects mature ministry.” For a little while I managed to keep […]
Good communication is an essential element of accomplishing any youth ministry. We communicate to students and leaders, to parents and church staff. We communicate in large groups and small groups, with our words and our actions, and in our fliers and our bulletins. Nearly every aspect of ministry involves communication. Our purposes may be determined, […]
Just saw a great update from Walt Mueller over at CPYU. He was discussing the ever changing world of Marketing, pushing the envelope and how that “push” of the envelope affects our response, perception, and ultimately, our ministry. That caused me to think about how we spend our energy in ministry trying to keep up […]
I can tell you that after 27 years in student ministry, I am not very easily shocked – not by students, not by leadership and not by parents. From sex in the baptismal pool to telling a parent to shut the crap up during a heated meeting, I have heard of many situations and actions […]
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Testimonials
Testimonials
We especially want to thank Charles Boyd for helping us through his Student Ministry Essentials consulting organization. What a blessing Poker has been to us during this season! He is a true, experienced professional who loves God and this church. We are grateful for his vision in creating this unique ministry and for being such a strategic help in preparing us for a greater future in student ministry. Student Ministry Essential truely was a consulting, empowering, encouraging, and equipping ministry for our students and student leadership.
Dr. Jay Dennis, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church at the Mall
Dr. Charles (Poker) Boyd is both an academician and practitioner in Student Ministry. As an adjunct professor for The Baptist College of Florida, he has excelled in both facets of the work. I recommend him to you for biblical, Godly, and practical leadership of students and student leaders.
Robin Jumper Ph.D. The Baptist College of Florida
Poker Boyd came and brought ALL of his resources with him: a servant’s heart, love for our students, encouragement for our parents, personal integrity, unbridled enthusiasm, and a contagious love for Jesus.
Dr. Phillip Hanes, Idlewild Baptist Church, Tampa, Florida
I have used SME for many youth ministry needs. But my favorite resource is the leadership training (Essential Seminars) designed for youth leaders. Poker uses his many years of experience, along with his knowledge of current youth trends, to effectively communicate to youth leaders how to reach teenagers in our world today. Our youth leaders look forward to our yearly training weekend; to quote one of our leaders, “It’s more than a reminder, it’s like drinking a Red Bull full of youth instruction.”
Obrien Satcher, Student Pastor, First Baptist Church of Henderson TX
Blog Archive
Lessons From Pee Wee Football
When my sons were young and playing peewee city league football, I noticed how much time coaches spent trying to teach these little dreamers their individual assignments. Getting an eight-year-old to move on the snap to the right place on the field was quite an accomplishment. My youngest son was placed on a football team […]
Cotton Candy and Plate Spinning
I was a young boy when the circus visited our small town. Our family loaded up the Fleetwood station wagon and went to the big show. From food carts and clowns to endless contest booths, I have two distinct memories that remain. First, my older brother, sister, and I were each given a white cardboard […]
Why Summer Camp Should Be on Your Student Ministry Calendar
For the past ten years, I have heard whispers questioning the validity of summer youth camp. As the whispers turned more frequently into questioning voices from passionate youth ministers, I felt a need to weigh-in on the subject. Camp or no camp? Unquestionably, all student ministry programming should be held to honest evaluation and scrutiny. […]
Seven Practices of Growing Student Ministries Deeper and Wider
If you have been around youth ministry very long then you have observed how some student ministries seem to grow wide but have little to show for it when it comes to growing deeply devoted followers of Christ. On the other hand, you may have noticed that some youth ministries grow spiritual roots deeper than […]
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