Youth Discipleship Certification

Registration for the 2024-2025 certification is closed.

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• Philosophy of Youth Ministry
  Why do churches invest in youth ministry? What is the best way to start in youth ministry? We’ll answer these questions and many more as we take a closer look at discovering your personal philosophy of youth ministry.
  Book Requirements:
  1. Fields, Doug. (2002). Your First Two Years in Youth Ministry: a personal and practical guide to starting right. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan/Youth Specialties.
  2. Scazzero, Peter. (2015). The Emotionally Healthy Leader: How Transforming your inner life will deeply transform your church, team and the world. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective.
• Leading Volunteer Leaders
  Recruiting, training and empowering adults is a vital skill in leading youth ministry. We will discuss some proven techniques to build a framework that will help volunteer leaders onboard into your ministry.
  Book Requirement: Blevins, Nick. (2023). The Volunteer Playbook :A proven framework to help your church recruit, train and empower more volunteers. Volunteerplaybook.com
  
• Teaching Teenagers the Bible through Small Groups
  Teaching students starts with the right Bible study leader who is called to lead teenagers. There are various learning styles you can implement to help create a more effective environment. We will discuss various options to optimize learning during a small group Bible study.
  Book Requirement: Blanks, Andy. (2012). The 7 Best Practices for Teaching Teenagers the Bible. Birmingham, AL: youthministry360.com.
• Family/Parent Ministry
  Family Ministry isn’t just an ‘add-on’ to youth ministry. The work of reaching & serving parents should be woven through everything happening in a church’s youth ministry. This session will address the different models of family ministry so you can implement the best method in your church context.
  Book Requirement: Earley, Justin Whitmel. (2021). Habits of the Household: Practicing the Story of God in Everyday Family Rhythms. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan
• Communication and Navigating Relationships in Youth Ministry
  Leading youth ministry in the local church can feel isolating but it doesn’t have to be. Youth leaders have more influence than they realize when it comes to building relationships with other individuals and ministries in the church. The youth ministry should exist to serve the church and not as a parachurch organization looking from the outside in.
  Book Requirement: Scroggins, Clay. (2017). How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
• Event Planning 101
  Camp, D-Now, Retreats, and Mission Trips are just a few of the events that happen in the course of a calendar year for a youth ministry. There are some tools that can help any church leader navigate these events to help you work smarter and not harder. How you protect students, youth leaders and your church is also an important part that we will consider.
  Book Requirement: Dean, Jody and Jackson, Allen. (2019). Protect: A Youth Worker’s Guide to Navigating Risk. Birmingham, AL: youthministry360.com.
• The Youth Leader’s Health and Family
  Youth ministry is a calling. For some that is for a lifetime and for others it’s a season. However long you serve in youth ministry, you need to make sure you are taking care of yourself and your family.
  Book Requirement: Trent, Chris. (2022). Youth Ministry for the Longer Haul: A Field Guide for Longevity. Birmingham, AL: youthministry360.com.
• Student Leadership & Calling out the Called
  Youth ministry has the unique opportunity to enlist teenagers to help serve in their own ministry. There are some effective ways to help empower these students as they begin their leadership journey. Some of these students will be our future church leaders, ministers and pastors. We will discuss how to encourage those sensing God’s call to ministry and how to pursue that calling.
  Book Requirements:
  1. Franklin, Doug. (2010). Student Leaders Start Here; Assessments & Tolls to Help You Grow as a Leader. Carol Stream, IL: LeaderTreks.
  2. Byrd, Grant & Wheelington, Rusty. (2022). Following Your Call to Ministry: Recognizing and Responding to God’s Call. Dallas, TX: GC2 Press.