Youth Ministry Resources - Top 5 Resources For Youth Ministry

Youth ministry resources are not the end all to be all of youth ministry, just a component of it.  But they are a big component as they allow you to do your job more effectively and easily.  Granted, the most important thing remains relationships and being able to share the Gospel and build those disciples through those relationships. And with the right resources I believe you cannot only do that better, but also be able to focus more on those most important things. That is why, not only do we want to provide you with those resources but also give you a little bit of direction as to which of these resources are most important to include in your library.

1. Games- Some of us love games and some of us hate them, but I believe we all could agree they are an important part of student ministry.  Not only do our students need to let loose from time to time but also our games can be a great opening door into your ministry and a way for your students to build relationships with you and your leaders as well as your others. That is why I would suggest having PowerPoint games as well as a collection of traditional outdoor crazy games that we all know and love or dread.

2. Sermons- Your students need to hear from you and hear you teach the Bible. This is not all they need but it is important. Now you can write your own sermons, but this takes away from that time you could be using for prayer and deepening relationships with your leaders and students. That is why I suggest using some pre-prepared sermons so that you can share the truth you want to share but take the other time during your week to handle other important tasks. 

3. Curriculum- Be it discipleship curriculum or Sunday School curriculum, you need to have something for your students so they can dig into the word. Granted, all you need is a Bible, but curriculum makes for a great guide. Yes you could write your own but I suggest avoiding this unless it is your true gifted area, for the same reasons that I gave for sermons. 

4. Events- Your calendar does not need to be loaded with events because you need to have time at home with family and also do not have an unlimited budget. But they are good to have from time to time to either refocus your students spiritually or reach out to your community. We have some great prepackaged events that you can use so that you can have a great event with only some of the headaches that they can bring.

5. Apps- This is a new type of resource in youth ministry, but also a useful one.  Not only are they cheaper than traditional resources but also are easier to get into the hands of your leaders and students. I encourage you to search for youth ministry apps and see what you find that could be of use in your ministry. 

These are not all of the resources that are available but are definitely the major ones that I would make sure you have in your library. Because again, they are not exactly what ministry is about but they can help you do ministry in a much more effective way.