It’s hard to feature free youth ministry resources every Friday without mentioning Simply Youth Ministry’s freebie page. Simply has tons of free resources available, spanning over the past several years, in categories like small groups, sermons, discipleship, training, games, drama, videos, forms, and a lot more.

If you haven’t recently checked out Simply’s freebie page, it’s be worth your time to do so.

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Each month our church comes together for an evening of worship that’s intended to be open, flexible, experiential and interactive. It’s always a great time!

Last week everyone was given a little rock as they entered the room and we used it for a couple symbolism things throughout the evening. I led the prayer time using the following meditative prayer outline I put together below. Feel free to use it with your groups as a way of breaking the prayer ruts we often fall into.

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The rock can represent a number of different things. Let’s prayerfully reflect on it together.
If you want to move to another place in the room for more privacy, kneel, feel free.

• Feel the stone. Study it. How is it unique from every other rock in existence? (pause for prayer/reflection)
• How are you unique from every other person created by God? (pause for prayer/reflection)
• READ ALOUD: Psalm 139:1-18, 23-24

Rocks can also causes us to slip and stumble, to loose traction in our walk.

• What’s causing you to slip and stumble in your walk with the Lord? What are you tripping over? Pray about it. (pause for prayer/reflection)
• READ ALOUD: 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

The rock can also represent our burdens, the things that weigh us down.

• As you look and feel your rock, what burdens does it represent in your life? (pause for prayer/reflection)
• How is God using that burden to teach you something? (pause for prayer/reflection)
• READ ALOUD: 1 Peter 5:3; Matthew 11:28-30
• Place your stone on the floor in front of you, symbolizing that you’ve laid it at the feet of Jesus.

But most importantly, the rock represents Jesus. He’s the only one who can help us, grant us victory, and be the solid, firm foundation that our lives were intended to have in Him.

• In what areas of your life do you need Jesus to be your rock? (pause for prayer/reflection)
• READ ALOUD: Psalm 27:1-8, 13-14; Psalm 28:1-2, 6-9; Psalm 18:1-3
• Think about what it means for Jesus to be “the rock of your salvation.” Praise Him, thank Him, and worship Him for that in prayer.
• Pick your rock up again and hold on to it as a reminder of Jesus being your rock.

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Rob Kashow who will talk with us about teaching theology in youth ministry. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Our friends at Cadre Ministries are giving away 3 resources to help you prepare for your short term missions trip this summer, and also to help you while you’re there.

1. Ten Short Mission Trip Land Mines Your Team Must Avoid. This one includes a FREE 13-page training session for your team for you to use before you leave.

2. Service Projects That Make Middle Schoolers Shine. Mission trips don’t have to be far away and they also don’t have to be only for older kids. Here’s why you should do service projects with jr. highers and how to make the experience leave a lasting impression.

3. Making The Most Of Mission Trips. Six things your groups needs to start doing now before you leave. Share it with your team as soon as possible.

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. There’s no featured guest, set topic or agenda except to have an open discussion. Ask questions, seek advice, share prayer concerns, vent, whatever you want. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

In 2004 a man named Roland Boyce, who would later become my sr. pastor, wrote a book for youth groups called, “Issues and Answers.” Today we’re both still serving together, albeit at a different location with different titles, and I still continue to see his heart for teenagers demonstrated in so many ways.

He’s asked me to make all 350+ pages of his work, “Issues and Answers,” available to you for free! This curriculum is intended to be a teaching guide to help youth workers and parents provide biblical answers for some of the tough issues in our society. In the introduction, Rol explains the format as:

“…a topical listing of 47 issues alphabetically, the Biblical background on the issue, the basic conclusions of Biblical teaching surrounding the issue, a statement of the youth’s culture prevailing perspective on the topic, and bibliographical helps for further study plus an interesting bit of trivia to add a little ‘seasoning’ to the subject matter.

The issues covered are:

• Abortion
• Alcohol
• Authority
• Bible (The)
• Birth Control
• Church (The)
• Cloning
• Clothes/Fads
• Counseling
• Cults/Occult
• Dancing
• Dating
• Death and Dying
• Death Penalty
• Depression
• Devotional Life
• Discipleship
• Divorce
• Drugs
• Ecology
• Evolution
• Euthanasia
• Food
• Gambling
• God
• Homosexuality
• Marriage
• Modern Day Religions
• Money-(Stewardship)
• Music
• M.T.V.
• Parent-Child Relationships
• Peer Pressure
• Pets
• Politics
• Pornography
• Pre-Marital Sex
• Racism
• Sabbath/Sunday (The)
• School
• Smoking
• Sports
• Suicide
• Swearing
• Tattoos/(Body Piercing)
• War
• Women’s Rights

Obviously, some of the topics are open to a lot of interpretation based on your theological background. I promise Roland Boyce will not take it personally if you disagree with his conclusions on any of these issues!

IMPORTANT: Each lesson has parts that are in different documents. The main lesson is clearly titled as such, but supplemental statistics for each lesson can be found in the “issues and answers stats.doc” document, and a teachable activity/exercise for each lesson along with the lesson’s aim is found in the “Life Labs” document.

ALSO IMPORTANT: Pastor Roland Boyce is providing this to you for free, but he would greatly appreciate hearing your feedback about it, especially if you use it with your groups. Please email him at rboyce@alexandriacovenant.org with your thoughts, recommendations, suggestions and encouragement.

Download “Issues and Answers” Youth Group Curriculum

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Jeff Borton, co-author of a brand new book, Simple Student Ministry. He’ll lead us in a discussion about simplifying our student ministries. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Sherrie Haldeman, a high school youth director in Louisville, KY, sent me the following idea on Facebook. With summer right around the corner, this sounds like an amazing relationship building time to have with kids! If you’re trying to find more ways to connect with youth group teens this summer, consider her idea:

A mystery ramble is a trip I take my high school youth on. They do not know the destination or the activities. I give them a packing list and a “fake” schedule. The schedule is not subtle clues about what we will be doing. The youth director before me started this and I have was his main chaperon before taking over. We have been to St Louis, Gulf Shores, and Ohio. We have done both a week long and a long weekend (Thursday-Monday) it depends on your group and where you want to go on the length.

Last year we ended up in Ohio in Amish country. They toured an Amish house, rode in a horse and buggy and really got to know about their culture and religion. We ended at the Alive Festival.

I find churches or friends along the [route] to house us [and] cut down on the cost.

We always try to do some kind of service project in the community we stay in: clean up trash, help with a church function etc.

This is an amazing trip to get kids to know each other better, work as a team, and see unique places along the way. Its fun to find unique things to do in other states.

On the day that we leave I give all the parents a sealed envelope with all the details of the trip. When and where we will be and all the contact stuff.

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Mike King from YouthFront. He’ll lead us in a discussion about adolescent development and how it impacts growth and learning. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Luke Trouten, Youth Pastor at Northwood Church in Maple Grove, MN, donated the instructions for the game Whip ‘n Strip for you all! It looks like it has the potential to become a pretty violent game, so it must be fun! The name alone makes you a bit curious about how to play. Fortunately, you can just download Luke’s PDF of the game’s instructions below.

Luke has this to say about the game:

This game works better outside, but can be played in a gym. A single game can take anywhere between 5 minutes and an hour depending on how strategic the students get. I’ve brought this to every camp/youth group I’ve worked at and it’s always been a hit. In the summer we get face paint and go Braveheart style, it’s pretty intense.

Download “Whip ‘n Strip” instructions

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Joshua Griffin, high school pastor at Saddleback Church, and he’ll lead us in a discussion about working with high school students. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Almost two years ago for Freebie Friday #37 we gave away a photo scavenger hunt list that my own group used and had a blast. In fact, it became tradition to end each school year’s jr. high small group ministry with all the small groups competing against each other. When it’s over, I quickly dump all the group’s pictures into iPhoto and play a slideshow while we eat ice cream and laugh together.

Below is the list I used for this year’s photo scavenger hunt. You can see some of the pictures here. Not all the groups got their pictures turned in, but it’ll give you an idea anyway.

1. Everyone in your group sitting in one chair together at the house of someone from your group – 200 pts.
2. Someone in your group juggling two or three balls while at least 5 strangers watch and applaud – 250 pts.
3. Your group with an outdoor sculpture – 150 pts.
4. Everyone in your group laying on the ground, spelling out a word with your bodies – 200 pts.
5. A group photo with one member from your group dressed in very formal attire – 350 pts.
6. Something that begins with the letter Z. (No made-up words) – 300 pts.
7. Someone from your group on a motorcycle ride – 350 pts.
8. Your group posing a scene from a Disney movie in the middle of the mall – 400 pts.
9. Your group doing exactly what a sign says. (Your group may not create the sign.) – 200 pts.
10. Fit your entire group under a picnic table – 400 pts.
11. Group picture with someone in a uniform – 300 pts.
12. Create a work of art with sidewalk chalk in a public parking lot – 500 pts.
13. Picture of someone from your group wearing a blue Walmart vest, greeting people and handing out yellow smiley face stickers to strangers – 500 pts.
14. Someone from your group pumping gas for a stranger – 250 pts.
15. Your group with someone 85 years or older who is holding their ID with birth date – 400 pts.
16. Your entire team simultaneously drinking from the same soda can with straws – 250 pts.
17. Your entire team being chased by another Journey team – 150 pts.
18. Your entire team in the dark with each person shining a flashlight on their face – 400 pts.
19. Your entire team in a boat – 250 pts.
20. Two people from your team helping a stranger fold clothes at a laundry mat – 400 pts.
21. Two members of your team bagging groceries for strangers at someplace other than Walmart – 350 pts.
22. Your entire team giving a group hug to a Fleet Farm employee – 350 pts.

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Mark Matlock and he’ll lead us in a discussion about shaping youth ministry around parents. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Yesterday I wrote that I’m thinking about ending our large-group youth meetings and mentioned a survey that helped me come to some of the conclusions that I shared. You can download a copy of my survey below.

However, my lesson was on Matthew 9, specifically on Jesus’ illustration of the wine skins. I used the video called Spilt Milk from 36 Parables and most of the lesson that accompanies it, but I only used it as a guideline since I wanted to explain more about Jesus’ message within the larger context of Matthew 9. My lesson notes below are free for you to use, but I didn’t write down most of my message about Matthew 9 itself, so you should study that passage on your own before teaching it.

New Wine Skins Lesson
New Wine Skins Survey

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Julio Nieves and he’ll lead us in a discussion about soul care for youth workers. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Perhaps one of the most significant parts of my youth group’s missions trip to Belize last summer was the hour we all spent alone with God each morning. At the beginning of the trip some of the kids weren’t too sure about reading their Bibles and praying for an hour every day, but after 10 days of it, some kids said it was the highlight of the trip.

If you’re considering a missions trip this summer, be sure to make personal time in the Word and in prayer a central part of the trip. In our case, we didn’t give the kids a devotional book or anything — just God’s Word and some private quiet time. But if you would rather give your kids something to use, HCBJ Global has a FREE 30-day devotional ebook on missions called, Be the Voice and Hands of Jesus. It’s very well-done, professionally designed, and follows the traditional format of a verse or two with an explanation, story and application. Here’s a list of the devo titles:

• Day 1 - Jesus Reached Out to the Unexpected
• Day 2 - Jesus Mobilized Others to Reach Out
• Day 3 - Jesus Acknowledged Faith
• Day 4 - Jesus Prayed Before Choosing Partners
• Day 5 - Jesus Touched People with Power
• Day 6 - Jesus Welcomed Interruptions
• Day 7 - Jesus Recognized an Open Heart
• Day 8 - Jesus Didn’t Follow the World’s Priorities
• Day 9 - Jesus Felt Great Compassion
• Day 10 - Jesus’ Hands Looked for the Lost
• Day 11 - Jesus Allowed Affirmation of His Ministry
• Day 12 - Jesus’ Voice Spoke the Truth
• Day 13 - Jesus Accepted Persecution
• Day 14 - Jesus Loved Difficult People
• Day 15 - Jesus Was Confident in His Treasure
• Day 16 - Jesus Counted the Cost
• Day 17 - Jesus Prayed for Unity
• Day 18 - Jesus Demonstrated Authenticity
• Day 19 - Jesus Made Priorities
• Day 20 - Jesus Honored Sacrifice
• Day 21 - Jesus Asked People To Trust Him
• Day 22 - Jesus Engaged the Whole Person
• Day 23 - Jesus Encouraged Commitment
• Day 24 - Jesus Championed the Poor
• Day 25 - Jesus Is the Bread of Life
• Day 26 - Jesus Transformed People
• Day 27 - Jesus Saw Potential
• Day 28 - Jesus Asked for Courage
• Day 29 - Jesus Promised His Presence
• Day 30 - Jesus Did the Impossible

You’ll have to part with some personal information in order to download the ebook, but it’s worth it. You’ll also get:

• 30 Day Household Prayer Guide
• Worship Music (MP3, Sheet Music and Powerpoint Slides)
• A downloadable sheet that helps you to plan your next outreach project
• Voice and Hands Video: A downloadable video that shares about what it means to be the Voice and Hands of Jesus

Get “Voice and Hands of Jesus” devo book and more!

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Our featured guest is Mike Kupferer and he’ll lead us in a discussion about finding the right youth ministry position. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.

Paul Turner, a 15 year youth ministry veteran, emailed me this past week with an interesting projected called, The Cure for the Common Youth Ministry. Just shy of 100 pages long, his ebook begins by venting about his frustrations with youth ministry, many of which we all are very familiar with. He covers everything from church rivalry to families and apathetic kids. But, unlike most youth ministry blog rants, he actually gives some answers. Furthermore, almost half the ebook consists of worksheets for you and your youth staff to work through together to come to your own answers and conclusions. Personally, I’m not sure I agree with all his answers nor the direction of some of the worksheets, but at least he’s offering answers and helping us think through the issues. That’s more than a lot of people are doing right now, including myself. (I admit, I’m still in the “this is totally not working and I have almost no idea what to do about it” category.)

Paul will most likely publish his work, so download it while it’s still free.

Download “The Cure for the Common Youth Ministry” ebook

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Join us at 2:00 PM EST this afternoon in our LIVE YM Talk. Matt McAlack, a youth ministry professor, will lead us in a discussion about academic youth ministry training. College, seminary, do you need it, where should you go, what happens afterwards, and more. We’ll also talk about the future of formal youth ministry training. See the LIVE YM Talk page for details on how to join the call and/or the live chat.