Youth Ministry

The Barefoot Way: A Faith Guide for Youth, Young Adults, and the People Who Walk with Them
This devotional from one of the Presbyterian publishing houses is only a 21-day journey but provides opportunities to journal and explains spiritual practices.

Cross Words: A Devotional for Youth
This daily devotional from Church Publishing has a mainline, liturgical perspective; it uses approachable language and has space for youth’s own reflections.

OMG Devotionals for Teens and Young Adults
These devotionals are written by progressive Christian pastors and writers whose differing backgrounds, ages, and opinions make them unpredictable and meaningful to all kinds of people.

The Simple Truth Bible: The Best Minute of Your Day
This resource from Simply Youth Ministry features 365 daily devotions. Each devotion includes thoughts on a specific passage of Scripture and how it relates to students' lives.

Digital

D365
An online devotional experience that invites teens to pause, listen, think, pray, and go. Instrumental music is available for the devotional experience.

May It Be So: Forty Days with the Lord's Prayer
This Kindle book is a contemporary prayer guide using-words and images to help teens spend time in conversation with God. It is also available as a physical book.

Pray The Day
This download from Vibrant Church Communications is a modern interpretation of fixed-hour praying, meant to connect us to God no matter how crazy our days are. There are digital and printable files and cost is based on church size.

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These links and resources come from a variety of sources with varying theological perspectives. Please use them thoughtfully, adapting them as necessary to fit your church's theology.

FOR YOUTH

KidSpirit
KidSpirit is a nonprofit online magazine and community by and for youth to engage each other about life’s big questions in an open and inclusive spirit. Its mission is to promote mutual understanding among 11 to 17 year-olds of diverse backgrounds and support their development into world citizens with strong inner grounding.

Hollywood Jesus
This site has visual movie reviews with explorations into deeper, more profound and spiritual meanings behind films, music, comics, and pop culture.

FOR YOUTH LEADERS AND PARENTS

Axis
Axis is a non-profit ministry that provides resources to help parents navigate conversations with their teens. The resources are designed to help parents connect with teens as they navigate teen culture. Their conversation starters include a video series and a discussion guide for parents and kids to work through together. You should check to make sure you agree with the viewpoint of a resource before using it.

Center for Parent/Youth Understanding
The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding site has up to date information about youth culture for parents and youth workers.

The Center for Youth Ministry Training
Their website states that they equip “youth ministers and communities of faith to develop innovative, effective, and theologically informed ministries so youth may experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ.” They partner with congregations and individuals representing the theological views and diversity of mainline Protestant Christianity. Besides training for youth ministers, they offer articles and resources for those in youth ministry.

A Cosmic Adventure through Science & Faith
The Science for Youth Ministry team has created a free video curriculum (with support from the John Templeton Foundation and Luther Seminary) which includes four downloadable videos, a printable student guide for each episode, and a leader’s guide.

Dare to Share
Dare 2 Share provides free and paid resources for youth leaders to equip teens for Youth Ministry.

Egad Ideas
On Egad, you'll find free student ministry resources including fundraisers, sermons, illustrations, activities, resources, and ideas for those who work with youth.

Faithlens
From the ELCA, this site offers free weekly Bible studies on current events and the lectionary for youth and young adults.

Fuller Youth Institute
The Fuller Youth Institute’s mission is “to turn academic research into practical resources, equipping leaders and parents to help faithful young people change our world.”

Lesson Plans that Work
The Episcopal Church offers free lessons on racial justice and climate justice for middle school and high school students.

The Source for Youth Ministry
You'll find free resources, articles, reviews, and activities for youth ministry here.

Youth Ministry
This website from Group Publishing has free icebreakers, small group activities, dramas, seasonal ideas, training, sermons, a weekly newsletter and more.

Youth Pastor
This website has free youth ministry resources for youth pastors, ministers, workers and volunteers. Online resources include a job center, free lessons, a searchable directory of ministries, and game ideas.

Youth Specialties
This site offers books, articles, training, youth events, a job applicant search, and more.

GAMES AND ICEBREAKERS

Bible Games Central
This site offers free Bible games for youth; each game has ready-to-use lessons, along with free printables where necessary. It also sells Bible card and board games.

The Source for Youth Ministry
The free games and icebreakers here are in various categories such as mixers, anywhere games, and outdoor games. You can also search for games using criteria such as group size, preparation time, etc.

Youth Group Games
The youth group games and icebreakers here are divided into Top Ten categories including the Top Ten Water Games, Top Ten Virtual Youth Group Games, Top Ten Quick and Easy Games, etc.

MISSION TRIPS

Appalachian Service Project
This Christian ministry inspires hope and service through volunteer home repair and replacement in Central Appalachia.

Commissioning and Covenant Service for Mission Trip Groups and Congregations
The website of the United Church of Christ has a commissioning and covenant litany for mission teams and congregations.

Group Mission Trips
Group Mission Trips organizes domestic and international Jesus-centered mission trip experiences. Group Cares is the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization behind Group Mission Trips.

Harvest of Hope
Harvest of Hope is connected to the Society of St. Andrew and offers events for middle school, high school, and college groups, as well as intergenerational ones. Participants glean and distribute produce remaining in fields after harvest each morning and learn about the realities of hunger each evening. They also participate in ecumenical Bible study and worship.

How to Design a Mission Trip Project
This article lists criteria for congregations and judicatories planning social action experiences with youth.

Mission & Outreach Resources
The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has forms for your mission team to fill out before leaving and links to short-term mission trip handbooks.

Mission Trip Planning Ideas
The United Church of Christ offers tips for planning a mission trip.

Picture Rules for Mission Trips
This post on the Download Youth Ministry blog offers suggestions for crafting photo rules that become part of a mission trip covenant.

Planning a Mission Trip
This article on the ResourceUMC website includes ten steps to ensure that mission trips are helpful for the host community, meaningful for participants, and safe for all involved.

Preparing for the Journey
R.E.A.D.Y., a youth ministry website of the United Church of Christ, has a four-session curriculum to equip youth with the tools to continually evaluate who they are, their world, and God’s mission. The sessions include Challenging stereotypes and prejudices, Recognizing God in all religious traditions, Discovering differences and similarities to people in different cultures, and Realizing God’s mission requires a constantly evolving worldview.

Red Bird Mission Work Camp
Red Bird Mission was founded in 1921 in the southeastern corner of Kentucky to provide education and Christian evangelism ministries to residents of the area. Work Camp strives to provide home repair for low-income community residents and maintenance for Mission buildings and grounds. Light duty work is also available. Evenings are spent in Christian fellowship and learning about the diverse ministries of Red Bird Mission.

Short-Term Mission Trip Toolkit
Presbyterian Mission of the PCUSA has a toolkit for short-term mission and study for leaders seeking resources for discerning whether to go, where to go, and how to prepare for and guide a group.

YouthWorks
This organization offers weeklong fully setup summer mission trips and year-round custom service experiences for middle school and high school students.