YM360 the Magazine | Bible Study Resources and Training | Fall 2016

T H E M AGAZ INE

FALL 2016 ISSUE 7

THE COMMUNICATION ISSUE COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR STUDENTS’ PARENTS | COMMUNICATING THE BIBLE | KEEPING ADULT VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED

PLANNING AND EXECUTING YOUR DISCIPLE NOW, EVENTS, AND RETREATS SHOULD BE INTENTIONAL AND STREAMLINED. Event Resources helps you by delivering Christ-centered curriculum, valuable tools, essential training, and must-have Student Resources to help make your next event exceptional.

AND

PAGE 23 TO LEARN MORE

LET NO CORRUPTING TALK COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTHS, BUT ONLY SUCH AS IS GOOD F O R B U I L D I N G U P, AS FITS THE OCCASION, THAT IT MAY GIVE GRACE TO THOSE WHO HEAR.

E p he Sia ns 4 :2 9

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 TRENDS & CULTURE

2 5 TIPS ON COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR STUDENTS’ PARENTS

4 FEATURE ARTICLE

7 YM360’S FRIENDLY GUIDE TO YOUTH MINISTRY COMMUNICATION

8 2 COMMUNICATION TIPS TO KEEP YOUR ADULT VOLUNTEERS ENGAGED 9 SOMETHING THAT MAKES EVENT RESOURCES WONDERFUL 12 THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE GOD’S LOVE TO TEENAGERS 20 YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

14 GENERATE CAMP BY YM360

24 NETWORKING PARTNERS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT

As we thought about our theme for this edition of YM360 The Magazine, we realized that the one constant that unites all the different aspects of this landscape is communication. Whether it’s speaking to a student’s mom or dad or teaching God’s Word, being excellent at communication is key to being an effective minister. And so we put our collective heads together and came up with a well-rounded approach to communication in your youth ministry.

We hope you enjoy these articles and that they prove meaningful to you as you lead teenagers closer to Christ.

A NOTE FROM ANDY

God has continued to bless us here at YM360. As I type this, we’re about halfway through our first summer of GENERATE Camp, and it has been nothing short of amazing. We’ll do more CLEAR conferences this year than ever before. And we continue to create a variety of Gospel-centered, creative, and relevant Bible study and discipleship resources. We’re excited about what God has in store for us, and as always, humbled by the chance to serve amazing youth workers throughout the country and around the globe.

Dear Youth Workers, Stop and think a moment about the landscape youth workers operate in. There’s a lot to consider. The banner flying over it is the call to lead teenagers to know Christ and to make Him known. But there are various aspects of this landscape that make the effective carrying out of this call a challenge. There are tasks we do. There are skills we develop. And of course, there are people. Students, church staff, volunteers, students‘ parents . . . It’s a lot to consider.

Don’t hesitate to let us know how we can partner with you as you lead teenagers in their discipleship journey.

God bless, Andy Blanks YM360 Publisher, Co-Founder

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TRENDS & CULTURE

SCANS OF TEEN BRAINS WHILE USING

SOCIAL MEDIA

are FASCINATING

1

An experiment conducted by UCLA found that when teenagers were shown “likes” people had given their photos, their brain’s pleasure sensors lit up. The same brain circuits that are activated by eating chocolate and winning money are activated when teenagers see large numbers of “likes” on their own photos or the photos of peers in a social network. Researchers showed teenagers 148 photographs on a computer screen including 40 photos that each teenager submitted. Each photo also displayed the number of likes it had supposedly received from other teenage participants. They analyzed the teens’ brain activity using an MRI. When the teens saw their own photos with a large number of likes, researchers saw activity across a wide variety of regions in the brain, especially the brain’s “reward circuitry.”

Source: sciencedaily.com/releaes/2016/05/160531104423.htm

NO SPIKE IN COLORADO TEENS USING POT SINCE LEGALIZATION

A recent study reported a surprising result. Rates of marijuana use among Colorado’s teenagers are essentially unchanged in the years since marijuana was legalized in 2012. A study from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment shows that in 2015, 21% of Colorado teenagers had used marijuana in the past 30 days. That rate is slightly lower than the national average, and down some from the 25 percent who used marijuana in 2009, before legalization. “The survey shows marijuana use has not increased since legalization, with four of five high school students continuing to say they don’t use marijuana, even occasionally,” the Colorado health department said as part of the study.

Source: washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/21/colorado-survey-shows-what-marijuana-legalization-will-do-to-your-kids/

TEENAGERS’ MAIN

NEWS SOURCE? SNAPCHAT & TWITTER

THE % OF TEENS ABSTAINING FROM SEX IS RISING

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly 60% of high school students today have never had sex, an increase of 28% since 1991. This accompanies an additional report that shows teenage pregnancies continue to remain at rates considerably lower than the 90’s (though the US still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies of any developing nation).

Source: breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/23/pediatricians-abstinence-on-the-rise/

Recent research finds that teenagers are spending nearly 9 hours a day consuming entertainment media. The surprising thing? A lot of this time is spent checking the news. The interesting news, though maybe not all that surprising, is that they aren’t going to traditional news outlets to find their news. Nor do they go to Facebook. Many teenagers report getting their news from Snapchat and Twitter.

Another finding filed under the “not surprising” category? As a demographic, teenagers rank lowest among daily newspaper readers.

Source: techinsider.io/how-do-teens-get-news-2016-6

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2

TRAINING

5 TIPS

ON

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR STUDENTS’ PARENTS

Communicating with your students’ parents is a vital part of any youth ministry. We know this.

And so, here are five suggestions for being awesome at communication.

1. USE AN EMAIL CLIENT (SUCH AS MAILCHIMP) I say use MailChimp because I think it is hands down the best email client out there. I also love their corporate culture.

(But you could certainly use Constant Contact or any of the other email campaign providers.) It will take a little playing around with to get used to but it’s actually very easy to figure out. And the benefits are tremendous. Not only do they offer some really cool template building tools that will save you time (once you get your template “set”) and add an air of professionalism to your communication, but MailChimp will allow you to track exactly who is opening your emails and who isn’t. Which is huge.

2. BE CONSISTENT You need good habits in your communication. Send an email twice a month (or weekly if you’re feeling super awesome) no matter what. This creates a habit of expectation in your students’ parents. They will begin to look for (even subconsciously) your timely updates in their inboxes. You’ll be surprised how consistency leads to higher open rates.

mation is important. But it should only be one aspect of your communication.

Your communication should also include inspiration to your students’ parents. Provide links to relevant articles on discipleship or parenting. Include cool quotes or verses.

Have a short message from you encouraging them, telling them how awesome they are, lifting their spirits. Give them a goal to shoot for. Make them feel like they are part of a movement. Parenting is hard. (Seriously.) Inspire them.

4. EMBRACE MULTIPLE AVENUES OF COMMUNICATION People prefer having information (or inspiration) relayed to them through different means. Email may be the easiest for you, but if that’s your only strategy, you’ll miss some of your students’ parents. So, email should only be one part of your communication strategy. Make use of group texting apps. Shoot short desktop videos (don’t worry about production value) and post on Instagram. Or upload to YouTube, and post the video to your Facebook page or church website. Record a podcast. (WAY easier than you think.) Schedule a Google Hangout. Pick up the phone.

(Crazy, right?)

5. SLOW DOWN TO IMPROVE ACCURACY Listen, typos happppen. But they are almost always a result of moving too fast. Before you hit “send,” stop and double-check everything, especially your subject line. Better yet, ask a friend to skim an email for you to see if he or she catches anything you might miss. A typo every once in a while is no big deal. But a consistent habit of mistakes takes away from your credibility in some people’s eyes.

3. INFORMATION VS. INSPIRATION One of the things I see youth workers do too often is only communicate when they have information to pass along (“The All Weekend Long Lock In begins at 5:00 on Friday.

Any survivors can be picked up Sunday at Noon.”). Or, all of their communication consists of mostly information. Infor-

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ANDY BLANKS is the co-founder and Publisher for YM360. He lives in Birmingham, AL with his wonderful wife Brendt, their three daughters, and one son. When he’s not hanging out with his family or volunteering at his church’s youth ministry, you can find Andy trail running or mountain biking. Follow Andy on Instagram: @andy_blanks

WE EMPOWER DISCIPLESHIP AT YM360, WE WANT TO SEE TEENAGERS KNOW GOD AND MAKE HIM KNOWN. IN A WORD, WE WANT TO SEE THEM BECOME DISCIPLES. Whether it’s GENERATE, CLEAR, a Bible study resource, or a training experience, the things we create at YM360 are all designed to lead students, and leaders like you, closer to Christ. Everything we do is biblically-centered, culturally-relevant, and ultra-creative. If it’s from YM360, you can trust it.

When students give their lives to Christ, the Bible is pretty clear: THEY. ARE. NEW! But what does it mean to be NEW? What does it mean to see God in a NEW way?

What does it mean to live out the call to follow Christ? These questions can be daunting ones in the lives of the new or “young” Christfollowers in your youth ministry.

NEW: FIRST STEPS FOR CHRISTFOLLOWERS is a powerful, experiential journal which will help answer these questions and will help students take the first steps on their new journey with Christ.

What if there were a resource to help students take ownership of their faith? Well, now there is.

Introducing NEXT: GROWING A FAITH THAT LASTS. It is a 4-week devotional journal that helps challenge and equip your students to take ownership of growing deeper in their faith. NEXT will teach your students: why it’s important to own their faith, what their life’s purpose has to do with God’s mission, how to build spiritual habits that last a lifetime, how to use the influence they already have for Christ, and more.

Teenagers have the amazing potential to impact their world for Christ, not just some timet in the future. But right NOW! Today. Their worlds are rich with opportunities to share the hopeful message of the Gospel, and to show people the amazing difference Christ can make in their lives.

NOW: IMPACTING YOUR WORLD FOR CHRIST (RIGHT NOW!) will help students understand the PURPOSE God has in store for them; catch God’s VISION for exactly how He wants to use them; and practice real, PRACTICAL ways to impact their world.

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4

FEATURE

2 0 W AY

S

TO HAVE FUN COMMUNICATING THE BIBLE TO STUDENTS

BY ANDY BLANKS

And since we’re talking about communicating the Bible, there’s an added importance of making sure we’re being as effective and engaging as we can be.

I mean, this is the Bible we’re talking about here. So, I thought I’d pass along a list of ideas and tips to help you spruce up your Bible Study lesson.

BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS FOR A FEW MINUTES Think of an activity, whether it’s a game or studying a passage of Scripture, that gives you the opportunity to get students working in small groups. Allow them to do this for a few minutes, then come back together and report their answers.

ADJUST YOUR ROOM SET-UP Switching up your set-up is a SUPER easy way to liven things up a bit. Who doesn’t appreciate a change in scenery?

USE AN OBJECT LESSON This is one of my go-to’s. If I’m looking at a teaching time that needs a little life breathed into it, I find an object or an image I can use as a metaphor to drive home the theme I’m teaching.

TELL A STORY Now, don’t get carried away. You don’t want to be “story heavy, Bible light.” But killer stories that serve to illuminate the truth of your lessons can add a big-time creative boost to your communication.

CREATIVE PARTICIPATION Let students create something. Tie in an activity with your lesson where they are taking pictures with their phones, or writing words on a giant sheet of paper.

Paint is magical, for some reason. Have students use paint to draw or write.

Let’s face it: At some point in our time communicating the truth of the Bible to students, we can all get a little, how to say this nicely . . . predictable. We get in the habit of teaching the same basic structure of a lesson, or a talk over and over again.

THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT WE LOSE STUDENTS’ ATTENTION (AT BEST) OR FAIL TO CAPTURE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE (AT WORST).

COMPETITION RULES Don’t be afraid to craft some group games or competitions to use in your lesson. These are a great way to spruce up your teaching time.

USE VIDEO If you don’t use video regularly, arrange to show one.

Take the extra steps to borrow or otherwise finagle the

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FEATURE necessary equipment to make it happen.

DON’T USE VIDEO If you use a video or media clip each lesson, take a break for a lesson or two. Plug in one of these or some other suggestion in its place.

GET STUDENTS UP AND MOVING With a little work, pretty much any lesson plan can be adapted to get students up out of their seats. Use stations.

Ask yes/no questions of the group where one response has students standing up or sitting down. Do what you have to do to get kids up and moving.

DON’T FORGET CURRENT EVENTS For some reason, when teaching teenagers we don’t always think of events in the news. Big mistake. Tying-in current events are an easy way make a lesson relevant and timely.

PLAY A GAME ON POWERPOINT Create a slide show presentation with multiple-choice questions based on the general theme of your lesson (love, forgiveness, etc.). Make it a competition. Have fun.

LET STUDENTS OWN THE SPOTLIGHT Create activities that have students talking about themselves. Maybe stories from their family’s past, opportunities to talk about their achievements, arranging to have them take pictures during the week and display them during the lesson, talking about key figures in their lives, etc.

CREATIVE PRAYER TIME Set up prayer stations. Guide students through biblical examples of different prayer postures. Do one-word prayers.

Do sentence prayers. Have student turn to their right and pray for their neighbor.

HAVE OPEN-ENDED DISCUSSIONS 99.9% of our discussions look for predetermined “right” answers that must be spoken before we move on. They are linear discussions. What about discussions where the goal is to wrestle with a concept? The Bible is chock-full of huge concepts that can’t neatly be dealt with in a 7-minute discussion. Have some fun with those concepts.

5

EXPERIMENT WITH YOUR ENVIRONMENT What if students sat on pillows instead of chairs? What if you adjusted lighting? Used candles? Decorated your room to coincide with your lesson’s theme?

LET STUDENTS TEACH Adapt your lesson so students are teaching each other, whether in groups or as individuals.

ROLE PLAY Any narrative passage of Scripture can be turned into a script really easily. Have students volunteer to be specific characters. When time comes to read the lesson’s passage, it becomes a little mini-drama your students can both watch and follow along with in their Bibles.

DRAW ON A DRY-ERASE BOARD Story through a Bible story on a dry-erase board drawing pictures to represent characters and events in the course of a narrative.

POP CULTURE NARRATIVE Movies, TV shows, and celebrities are awesome fodder for creative examples. Look to popular culture to pull analogies and stories that will help serve as examples for your teaching time.

FILM FESTIVAL Give your students two weeks to shoot and edit short movies (3-5 minutes) around a specific theme. Give them guidelines and rules. Then, on the day of your lesson, use them to support the biblical theme your teaching.

The Bible is God’s primary means of teaching us about Himself. Communicating His Word effectively, and engagingly, is too important to take lightly. I pray that these ideas offer you some creative food for thought.

Sharpen your skills as a CLEAR Bible communicator at one of our 5 CLEAR conferences.

LEARN MORE & REGISTER AT

PREACHCLEARLY.COM

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GOSPEL-CENTERED, BIBLE BASED, EASY-TO-TEACH, AMAZINGLY PRICED THE THREAD: DISCOVERING THE THREAD OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE BIG-PICTURE STORY OF THE BIBLE This 52-lesson Bible study will help students discover the life-changing narrative of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

Most importantly, it will lead them to discover how the thread of the Gospel is woven through every story.

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STUDY FEATURES: Leader’s Guide + Bible Backgrounds Weekly Student Devotions Weekly Parent Pages

Teacher Prep Videos Social Media Guide for each Lesson Background Images for your presentation software Promotional Artwork

TO LEARN MORE & DISCUSS HOW THE THREAD CAN WORK IN YOUR MINISTRY, CONNECT WITH LEE. CALL LEE. He’s a 34 year youth ministry veteran who is in love with Nike shoes!

888.969.6360 // LEE@YM360.COM // CHAT ON THE WEB AT YM360.COM

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TRAINING

7

ADULT VOLUNTEERS: Get them all in a room, walk them through the process to download the Group.

Me app, and set that thing ablaze. It’s so easy, and you can quickly disseminate information. Information such as: “I’m bringing donuts to Sunday School today!” You know. Really important things. Spiritually formative things.

FRIENDLY

GUIDE TO

YOUTH MINISTRY COMMUNICATION

Communication is changing faster than we can type, “hashtag blessed,” and as the youth minister, you’re probably considered the most technically-savvy staff member at your church. There are so many different ways to communicate and so many different people to communicate with.

Where do you even begin?

Right here.

Lucky for you, YM360 is on the up and up with how to talk to whom. (See? We’re even grammatically correct.) We’re here to guide you in navigating the choppy waters of communication in youth ministry. #heretoserve

YOUR STUDENTS: Oh man. Where do we even start?

Maybe it’s better to talk about how NOT to communicate with them. With the caveat that all the technology mentioned will probably be obsolete by the time we go to print. Okay, no Facebook (they’ve vacated since their parents took over), no email (it might as well be the Pony Express in the dead of winter for how frequently they use it), and no Twitter (for olds, aka you and me).

YOUR SPOUSE: You know what’s the worst? Getting a text message from your spouse while you’re driving a van full of sweaty teenagers. That’s valuable cargo, and texting while driving is a Class A No-No. But your husband needs a reminder where the socks go or when the plumber is coming by, and he needs it now! Y’all, Voxer is about to change your life. Download that app and you’ve now got the dreamiest walkie-talkie on your phone. No looking at your texts. #distractionminimized The world of communication is your oyster. Crack that sucker open, pour some butter on it, and get to work.

So let’s consider the different folks you communicate with on a regular basis.

PARENTS: Parents live and die by their email. Are you trying to announce a parent meeting on Twitter? You are speaking into the ether, because the only people parents are following on Twitter are their kids ghosted accounts and Joanna Gaines.

Shoot those parentals an email and you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches.

YOUR SENIOR PASTOR: Look. We love the guy, but why are you emailing your senior pastor? Stand up, get some steps logged on your FitBit, and bribe his secretary with cupcakes to get a face-to-face. Plus, you’ll get to sit in those comfy office chairs. BONUS!

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ERIN MOON is YM360’s Creative Director. Since 2004 Erin has been working to integrate creativity and imagination into authentic worship experiences through live video, spoken word, and interactive elements, specifically built to engage the minds and hearts of students. A displaced Texan in Dixie, Erin lives in Birmingham with her husband, Ben, and their two daughters, Holland and Marlo.

8

TRAINING

2 COMMUNICATION TIPS TO KEEP YOUR ADULT VOLUNTEERS

ENGAGED It’s nice when your ministry is growing on all fronts, not only when you see new students walking in through the door, but when you attract adults who want to get involved. Now you have someone to set out the pizza, stack chairs, and invest in the lives of the teenagers in your ministry. (Woo-hoo!) But if you’ve been in ministry long enough, you know that what sometimes happens is that after a few months stacking chairs, serving pizza, and hanging out with students, volunteering gets a little stale for some of your adults. Their interest wanes, and next thing you know they disappear for a week or two at a time. (Boo!) Why do these adult volunteers leave? Can’t they see that we need them? Oftentimes, I think the reason why volunteers leave isn’t because they don’t see a need. I think they leave because we haven’t communicated to them a clear vision. Many leave because they simply don’t feel invested or engaged.

When volunteers walk into our ministry, most of them want to do more than chaperone. They want to be a part of the excitement. They want to be a part of a story, a part of the life-change taking place in students. To allow them to be a part of all of this, there are a couple things you absolutely must communicate to them.

COMMUNICATE THE VISION When you recruit adult volunteers, you’ll discover that they may be serving for a number of reasons (i.e. want to be closer with their child, want to give back, etc.). No matter why they come to serve, you want to give them a reason to grow in that ministry. What you want to do is give them the reason your ministry exists. After a volunteer serves for

the first time at one of our student programs, I like to have a personal chat with him or her. One of our point people and I communicate to him or her about what we’re looking to accomplish. I love to tell these folks that they’re helping us create irresistible environments and a consistent opportunity to connect in authentic relationships.

My goal is to give our volunteers the vision of our ministry over and over again so that it becomes a part of their vocabulary. The more they think about our vision, the more they think of ways to fulfill it.

COMMUNICATE YOUR WINS When volunteers take ownership of the vision, they become mindful of success. And you want your volunteers thinking of the different ways that your ministry can succeed. In fact you want to breed a culture that promotes that mindset.

At the three-month mark, and again at the end of the year, we like to get the new volunteers together to help evaluate our ministry. There are at least two benefits to this process. The first is that we allow them to tell us (with fresh eyes) what is matching and not matching with our mission, goals, and vision. It also tells them that we care about their opinion. When you can paint the vision, they are going to think about how the entire ministry can win. If you encourage your volunteers to evaluate the ministry, they are going to want to own the problems and own the wins.

Adult volunteers aren’t chaperones, they are active investors in our programs. As such, we need to grow the number of investors we have and that comes from giving them clear vision and allowing them a piece of the investment.

CHRISTOPHER WESLEY Chris graduated Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH) in 2003 with a BA in Communications (Electronic Media). He moved to Baltimore in the fall of 2003 where he served as a Jesuit Volunteer for a year. During that time he felt God’s calling to Student Ministry. In the summer of 2004 he was hired by Church of the Nativity in Timonium, Maryland as a Middle School Youth Ministry. He currently oversees grades 6th-12th as the Director of Student Ministry. Today he lives in Pikesville with his wife Kate and his sons Matthew and Benjamin. Chris loves to cook and create new recipes, he’s an avid runner who believes there are no limits. You can read more about Chris and his ministry at christopherwesley.org

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FEATURE

YOUR EVENTS MATTER, OUR TEAM LOVES HELPING

9

Anna, We had a great Disciple Now weekend and the material, books, and devotion books were a huge part of the successful time we had. The students definitely were engaged with the books/lessons and I know myself and several other leaders I spoke with loved the layout of the teacher lessons and the student books. You guys did a great job with making the lesson seamless.

The weekend was jam packed, so we are discussing the option of using the material again for a four-week stretch in April and seeking to do a family Bible study with parents and students coming together for the lessons on a Sunday evening and then taking the material home and digging in together during the week to allow it to sink in even deeper. We will probably do a large group time to lay out the lesson (which I will do) and then we will break out into groups with our Student Ministry small group leaders taking a group of parents and students to lead through the lesson. I am excited about the potential of this for our families!

We would be honored to serve you with great teaching material and student resources for your next event.

We have written 8 of these Gospel-centered Event Resources and created authentic student resources to assist you in making your events life-changing.

YM360’s Event Resources assists you in creating world-class, Gospel-centered experiences. To be honest much of what makes this experience like no other is our team members! We are dedicated to CRUSHING HASSLES. One of our team members in particular, Anna, serves as your Personal Concierge for all your events needs. She ensures you, the youth leader, are fully supported to execute your event. (Disciple Now, Weekend Retreat, Mid-week teaching series, Summer Camp, any youth ministry event.) One major highlight for Anna, and the rest of the team, is getting feedback post-event. We love this stuff!

This is what Justin Schultz, Student Pastor, at Catawba Heights Baptist Church in Belmont, NC wrote us after his last youth ministry event:

COME VISIT US ONLINE RIGHT NOW AT YM360.COM/YM360-EVENT-RESOURCES

BETTER YET, GIVE

ANNA A BUZZ RIGHT NOW 888.969.6360 Begin planning your next youth ministry event!

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NEW 52-WEEK CURRICULUM GOSPEL-CENTERED, BIBLE BASED, EASY-TO-TEACH, AMAZINGLY PRICED

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The Rescue: Discovering How the Gospel Rescues and Redeems Us unpacks this reality in a powerful way. The Rescue gives your students a comprehensive and transformative view of exactly what the Gospel is, how it radically changes their lives, and how their lives will in turn be used to change the world. The Rescue gives your students a rich, in-depth view of the Gospel and its impact that many of them have never seen before.

100% DOWNLOADABLE & REPRODUCIBLE STUDY FEATURES: Weekly Parent Pages

Online Scheduling & Teacher Management included for 12 months

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Social Media Guide for each lesson

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Leader’s Guide + Bible Backgrounds

Promotional Artwork

Background Images for your presentation software

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THE RESCUE’S 52-WEEK JOURNEY IS ORGANIZED INTO 6 UNITS* THE RESCUE DEFINED

THE GOSPEL RESCUING ME

SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THE NATIONS

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LEE IS DEDICATED TO HELPING YOU FIND THE BEST CURRICULUM FOR YOUR MINISTRY. CONNECT WITH HIM TODAY! He’s a 34 year youth ministry veteran who’s passionate about helping youth leaders succeed in ministry.

888.969.6360 // LEE@YM360.COM CHAT ON THE WEB AT YM360.COM

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THE GOSPEL IS COSTLY

12 TRAINING

the BEST WAY to

COMMUNICATE GOD’S LOVE TO

TEENAGERS Take it from a 35-year veteran, today’s youth worker has tools of communication that make what we had twenty years ago look like preschool toys. Text messaging and Instagram have replaced the old phone-tree system of delivering messages. No need to wait for a local printer to make posters for upcoming events when a laptop can produce the same thing almost instantly. Better yet scrap the poster and post the event on Instagram!

We have some fancy stuff to help communicate information to students. But what about communicating the love of Christ? What is the best tool we have to accomplish this?

was at His best one-on-one. Think about the woman caught in the act of adultery who was about to be stoned. Think about the impact Christ made when He said, “The one among you without sin, let him cast the first stone.” Think about Zacchaeus, the hardened tax collector. He was forever changed when Jesus simply told him He wanted to have dinner at his house. Jesus’ one-on-one encounters changed the lives of people forever.

The best tool for communicating God’s love to your students? One-on-one, person-to-person communication.

A few years ago, my church put together a book of letters from former students in honor of my twenty years at the church. One letter that hit me big time was from a student who had passed through our youth ministry 15 or so years ago. This student said the most memorable thing about the time spent in youth group was one afternoon when I took this student around town dressed up as our VBS clown to film a segment to show in church. The teenager recalled our conversation and how special it made them feel getting my undivided attention for a couple of hours.

One-on-one time with students is a big deal!

Today we are living in a very impersonal world. Now more than ever students need to experience the love of a personal Savior. All our technological toys are wonderful when it comes to passing on information.

But the love of Christ is best communicated with a very simple thing we all have at our disposal: one-on-one interaction. And in these budget crunching times that is something that doesn’t cost a penny.

Before you answer, this tool may be one you’ve forgotten about . . . The greatest tool for leading students to connect the dots between God’s love and their personal lives was best demonstrated by the master communicator, Jesus Christ.

While He used techniques such as object lessons, parables, and even lecture (the old stand by), I think Jesus

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RICHARD PARKER has been involved in youth ministry for the past five decades, working as a student pastor, writing curriculum, and speaking at various venues. Most recently he has helped start a new church, Branches Church, in Russellville, AL, where he serves as the student pastor.

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PER PERSON

s. re participant

ty is based ousing priori H . es g d lo r o dorms beds! Either in sit is paid.

You sleep in o ep ur group d off of when yo

L O D G IN G

small on plans for ages ss le d un so des biblically book with interactive p t YM360 provi Our team at student receives a studen ry ve E s. group es. and quiet tim llow the M IN G designed to a lity P R O G R AksMtart, and First Light are all ex ua q e ill perienc way.

Worship, Kic ur students w n elements in a relevant Yo . rk o w e th o e producti Word to do orship, and liv preaching, w

UM C U R R IC U L

STUDENTS R U O Y H IT up time.

D T IM E W in church gro kids.

D E D IC AT E es and end it ur focus on yo y in quiet tim Begin the da f the details so you can o We take care

. ek of camp fo r th e ir w e t ir sh td e g e t a th e m p a r ti c ip a n ts

T -S H IR T A ll

LEE UNIV • TN EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIV • TX LOUISIANA TECH UNIV • LA WA K E F O R E S T U N I V • N C COVENANT COLLEGE • GA W I N D E R M E R E C O N F. C T R • M O SOUTHEASTERN UNIV • FL FORT LEWIS COLLEGE • CO

5 CAMP OPTIONS

CHOOSE YOUR OPTION At GENERATE, we believe in letting YOU CHOOSE what is best for your group. So, at every week of camp you have 5 options to choose from for your group to take part in.

LEAD TEAM

CONNECT

POPULAR

SERVE

POPULAR

A great option for community building within your group. Groups in this option (called “villages”) will be in Bible study for part of the day, and will also participate in recreational games. The Bible study will be led by your adult leaders.

Allows your group to get off campus and serve at a mission project for much of the day with one of our Community Partners (our team will take care of the details).

EXPLORE

Do you have adults who are willing to come to camp, but don’t want to teach the Bible study? GUIDE is for you.

Instead of your adult volunteers leading your students in Bible study, recreation group building activities, and worship pre-gatherings, one of our Village Guides (a GENERATE staff member) will do so.

Allows you to decide how you want to spend your day from 10:00 a.m. through dinner. If you want to be off campus enjoying what the area has to offer, go for it!

GUIDE

One of the best ways to learn to be a disciple-maker is to learn alongside other disciple-makers, and LEAD TEAMS perfectly facilitate that. Your group (10th grade students and older please) will participate in staff devotions, meetings, development, worship, and areas of concentration such as production, recreation, and support roles. (MAX of 20 people per week)

REGISTER BEFORE AUG.31 & GET

$10 OFF PER PERSON GENERATESTUDENTS.COM

WE ARE HIRING THE 2017 SUMMER STAFF

.COM/JOINTHEFAMILY

PICK YOUR WEEK & PICK YOUR OPTION!

REGISTER BEFORE AUG. 31 & GET $10 OFF PER PERSON

2017 DATE

L O C A T I O N

C O M M U N I C AT O R

WORSHIP LEADER

MAY 29 - JUNE 2

LEE UNIV., CLEVELAND, TN

JASON COOK

RUSH OF FOOLS

AS LOW AS $279

JUNE 5 - 9

EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIV., MARSHALL, TX

TIMOTHY ATEEK

THE MUSEUM

AS LOW AS $279

JUNE 12 - 16

LOUISIANA TECH UNIV., RUSTON, LA

DREW WORSHAM

JARED WOOD

AS LOW AS $269

JUNE 19 - 23

SOUTHEASTERN UNIV., LAKELAND, FL

JOBY MARTIN

DAVID WALKER & 10,000 FATHERS

AS LOW AS $289

JUNE 26 - 30

WAKE FOREST UNIV., WINSTON-SALEM, NC

DAVE RHODES

AARON KEYES & 10,000 FATHERS

AS LOW AS $279

JULY 3 - 7

COVENANT COLLEGE, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA

LANDON DOWDEN

MICAH MASSEY

AS LOW AS $259

JULY 8 - 12

COVENANT COLLEGE, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA

JASON COOK

MORE THAN THIS

AS LOW AS $279

JULY 13 - 17

COVENANT COLLEGE, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA

CHAD POE

ISAAC PITTMAN

AS LOW AS $279

JULY 17 - 21

COVENANT COLLEGE, LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GA

TBA

BETHANY BARR-PHILLIPS

AS LOW AS $289

JULY 24 - 28

WINDERMERE CONF. CENTER, LAKE OF THE OZARKS, MO

ED NEWTON

RUSH OF FOOLS

AS LOW AS $269

JULY 31 - AUG 4

FORT LEWIS COLLEGE, DURANGO, CO

JOSH GRIFFIN

THE MUSEUM

AS LOW AS $289

2017 FOCUS

JOIN US FOR CAMP NEXT SUMMER

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

The power of the Gospel is transformative. It takes hearts of stone and turns them into hearts of flesh.

It flips the light switch on darkness. It resurrects the dead and breathes life into them. It delivers hope, it offers peace, and it changes everything.

2 C O R I N T H I A N S 5 :1 7

WHEN YOU JOIN US FOR SUMMER 2017, WE’LL DIVE INTO WHAT IT MEANS TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE LOVE AND GRACE OF JESUS CHRIST, AND HOW NOTHING CAN EVER BE THE SAME.

GENERATESTUDENTS.COM

LEADING THE WAY WORSHIP WITH

R E G I S T E R N O W. P A Y I N 2 0 1 7.

GENERATESTUDENTS.COM

20 YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

WE INVEST INTENTIONALLY.

The YM360 team believes in the next generation of Christ-followers and the people who lead them.

Students don’t just have potential for the future; they have power for now. Everything we create is specifically geared toward laying a foundation of faith that will last long into adulthood. Students matter deeply to God. And we’re grateful to be a small part of empowering the next generation to impact the world for Christ.

We envision teenagers transformed through a deeper understanding of God and His Word.

We are committed to providing youth workers, like you, with an ever-expanding offering of Gospel-centered, Bible based, easy-to-use, and amazingly priced resources which are innovative, creative, and relevant. From Sundays to Retreats and everything in between, YM360 is here to serve you with great resources.

FOR YOU AND YOUR LEADERS CONSIDER THIS

THE 7 BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING TEENAGERS THE BIBLE

To say that youth ministry can be challenging is an understatement. Few callings have as many variables. Discipling teenagers is tough enough. But what about the dynamics with the staff and leadership of your church? What about the challenges of engaging with your students’ parents? And let’s not get started on the way that ministry impacts your family. Youth ministry is not for the faint of heart. Especially if you’re just getting started. Which is why Consider This is such an important book.

You desire to lead student closer to God. What’s the most effective way to do this?

By teaching students the Bible. The Bible is God’s main way of making Himself and His ways known and your students need sound Bible teaching now more than ever. This resource offers you seven ultra-practical and deeply meaningful “practices” you can use to help teach the Bible in a transformative and dynamic way.

As low as $7.99/ea

As low as $8.49/ea

PEN TO PALACE

DISCIPLE: THE ORDINARY PERSON’S GUIDE TO DISCIPLING TEENAGERS

A youth ministry evangelism and discipleship strategy for a post-christian culture. If you’re a youth worker with a desire to reach teenagers growing up in the post-Christian culture we find ourselves in, you and your entire team will benefit greatly from this resource.

Benjamin Kerns uses this thoughtprovoking twist on a beloved parable as the framework for a rich examination of the cultural landscape. Helping you reach lost students and know how to begin discipling them.

Written by one of the leading voices in youth ministry, Dr. Allen Jackson, is a practical, down-to-earth guide for leading teenagers to pursue Christ. No matter if you’re a veteran or a newbie, Disciple will help challenge and equip you and your team to get serious about disciple-making.

As low as $8.49/ea

As low as $9.99/ea

.COM/STORE

OR

CALL 888.969.6360

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

21

ONGOING BIBLE STUDY CURRICULUM Great for Sunday mornings, mid-week Bible studies, discipleship purposes, and small groups.

100% digital and reproducible. *Saving you time and money

NEW

NEW

THE RESCUE: DISCOVERING HOW THE GOSPEL RESCUES AND REDEEMS US

A 52-lesson curriculum which gives your students a comprehensive and transformative view of exactly what the Gospel is, how it radically changes their lives, and how their lives will in turn be used to change the world. It gives your students a rich, in-depth view of the Gospel and its impact that many of them have never seen before.

$299 YM360.com/rescue

THE THREAD: DISCOVERING THE THREAD OF THE GOSPEL THROUGH THE BIG-PICTURE STORY OF THE BIBLE

A 52-lesson curriculum created to help students discover the life-changing narrative of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. But most important, show them how the thread of the Gospel is woven through every story.

$299 YM360.com/thread

ELEMENTS

A 2-year Bible study curriculum helping teens understand 25 core building blocks of faith and know how to live them out.

$299 YM360.com/elements ELEMENTS TEACHES 25 CORE CONCEPTS IN POWERFUL 3-LESSON STUDIES VOLUME 1 VOLUME 2 VOLUME 3 VOLUME 4 VOLUME 5

GOD’S LOVE, SALVATION, GOD’S JUDGEMENT, GRACE, DISCIPLESHIP HOLY SPIRIT, GOD’S WORD, SPIRITUAL GIFTS, EVANGELISM, GOD’S GLORY GOD’S KINGDOM, THE CHURCH, WORSHIP, PERSECUTION, GOD’S MISSION GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY, SUFFERING, PRAYER, GOD’S POWER, COMPASSION GOD’S KNOWABILITY, OBEDIENCE, SERVICE, GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS, STEWARDSHIP

TEACH AT YOUR OWN PACE - TEACH ONE, A FEW, OR TEACH THEM ALL!

THE JESUS STUDIES

A 52-lesson curriculum designed to cut through the confusion, teaching your students a Christ-centered look at the major issues they deal with in their daily lives.

$259 ALL-ACCESS BUNDLE EACH 4-LESSON SERIES: $24.99 YM360.com/Jesus-studies

J eSus and

Jesus and Identity a 4-lesson Bible Study

StRes§ A 4-Lesson Bible Study

Jesus & Relationships A 4-Lesson Bible Study

JESUS

AND YOUR

FUTURE A 4-LESSON BIBLE STUDY

.COM/STORE

OR

CALL 888.969.6360

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

JESUS AND MEAN PEOPLE A 4-LESSON BIBLE STUDY

22 YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

STUDENT DEVOTIONALS WE’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT EQUIPPING YOU TO HELP YOUR STUDENTS GROW DEEPER IN THEIR FAITH THROUGH THE PERSONAL STUDY OF GOD’S WORD.

.COM/FOR-STUDENTS

NEW: FIRST STEPS FOR CHRIST FOLLOWERS

NEXT: GROWING A FAITH THAT LASTS

One of the most used new believer resources in youth ministry, this powerful 4-week devotional experience will help your new believers get off to a strong start on their new journey with Christ.

A 4-week devotional journal which helps challenge and equip your students to take ownership of growing deeper in their faith.

As low as $7.99/ea

As low as $7.99/ea

FACING YOUR FEARS: A 40-DAY DEVOTIONAL

(EXTRA)ORDINARY

A 365-day devotional journal your students will actually read, it isn’t like other yearlong devotional journals. With 3 different sections teens can choose where they want to pick up each day based on how they feel or what they are going through: Ordinary Times, Crazy Times, and Holiday Times!

An essential devotional resource for teenagers and young adults that will allow the Lord to reveal where fear has taken hold of their lives and guide them to put an end to these strongholds through a powerful, Scripture-driven experience.

As low as $9.99/ea

As low as $17.99/ea

HARK! DEVOTIONS FOR CHRISTMAS & ADVENT

TRACING THE THREAD: A 52-WEEK JOURNEY THROUGH THE STORY OF THE BIBLE

A Christmas devotion created to get students in the perfect state of mind to truly appreciate the significance of Jesus’ arrival by helping your students re-focus on Jesus, His story, and their love for God. Watch the Christmas season take on an entirely new meaning for them!

A meaningful daily devotion for teenagers.

It guides them through the big-picture story of God’s Word. More than that, it helps them trace the thread of the Gospel through the narrative of Scripture. This devotion is an amazing compliment to The Thread 52-week curriculum.

A must have Christmas/Advent resource for your entire group! Order early as these sell out each year.

As low as $4.99/ea

As low as $11.99/ea

NT ENCOUNTERS

OT ENCOUNTERS

A 4-week devotional designed to help shape the way teens see the Bible, God, and themselves as they journey through the lives of some of the most interesting people from the Old Testament.

A 4-week devotional designed to help shape the way teens see the Bible, God, and themselves as they journey through the lives of some of the most interesting people from the New Testament.

As low as $5.99/ea

As low as $5.99/ea

.COM/STORE

OR

CALL 888.969.6360

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

23

YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

THE ALL-IN-ONE YOUTH MINISTRY EVENTS SOLUTION DESIGNED FOR DISCIPLE NOW, SEASONAL RETREATS, SUMMER CAMPS, AND SPECIAL EVENTS

ARRIVING IN AUGUST! Published in partnership with ED NEWTON

$49

TO GET STARTED

.COM/STORE

PER STUDENT

OR

ONLY

$12.95 PER STUDENT

CALL 888.969.6360

SUPER BUNDLE

WHEN YOU BUY BUNDLES

BOOK BUNDLES

SAVE BIG

ONLY

$9.95

ESSENTIAL BUNDLES

4 SMALL GROUP LESSONS Streamlined, easy-to-teach lessons delivered online to your teachers 4 LARGE GROUP OUTLINES Designed for your speaker -- choose from simple or detailed -- these help your large group sessions work perfectly with small groups LARGE GROUP MEDIA VIDEOS to kick off and wrap up your weekend, background loops, PowerPoint images, and more INTERACTIVE STUDENT BOOK Full color Student Books are designed to help your small groups have maximum impact for your students 4 DEVOTIONS Included in our Student Books, these four devotions can be used during or after your Event weekend FOLLOW UP JOURNALS These 4-week devotional journals help your students continue growing long after the weekend T-SHIRTS Authentic. Themed Design. These shirts offer your group a sweet look for your weekend. We'll even customize them for you if you'd like!

ONLY

$15.95 PER STUDENT

BEST VALUE!

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

24 YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

BIBLE STUDIES

Feature-packed, 4-6 week Bible study options perfect for your ministry.

VIDEO DRIVEN

alk in the light, as he is in the light, llowship with one another, and the us, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

- 1 John 1:7

d in many ways define, teenagers’ lives. Friendships are vital to how

their culture. This is especially so with Christ-centered friendships.

Christ-followers take on a much deeper meaning. Or at least, they

s are called to Christ-centered friendships, where Jesus is at the

gage with one another. And when this is fully realized, your students

kindred

ps take on greater meaning, and greater purpose. Christian fellowship mradery of friends; it is a coalition of saints, called to the highest

endship becomes kinship. This is the message of KINDRED.

on, video-driven Bible study, will challenge your students to see

s believers is dependent on the centrality of Christ in all they do.

en Bible study includes the following features:

hort film that drives the Bible study

n Guides for building a Bible study around the movie

ENGAGE

KINDRED

kindred

A 4-lesson study. The world your teens live in is almost universally opposed to the basic principles of God’s Kingdom. So, how do they respond? Do they immerse themselves in culture? Do they flee from it? Or do they engage their world with the light of the Gospel? This study challenges them to live for Christ.

A 4-session, video-driven Bible study, will challenge your students to see how their friendship as believers is dependent on the centrality of Christ in all they do.

Discovering Christ-centered Friendship

al Art and PowerPoint backgrounds

ges and Student Devotions to keep the conversation

of class

As low as $39

at:

8

58558

00230

0

See web for current sale pricing

A 4-LESSON VIDEO-DRIVEN STUDY

youthministry360.com 1.888.969.6360

VIDEO DRIVEN

LIVE DIFFERENT A 4-session, video-driven Bible study, will help your students see the relentless nature of God’s love, and how we are changed by it.

A 4-lesson study. Live Different, teaches students God's intent for sex and how God views sex outside of this intent. But most importantly, Live Different will challenge your students with God's call to live a holy life in a world of sexual immorality.

As low as $39

See web for current sale pricing

VIVID

THE LEAST OF THESE

DRIVE

A 6-week study on the book of James. Do your students' lives reflect their beliefs? The Book of James calls us to live a life that looks like Christ. In a word, James is a book of action.

James calls his readers to live a life of vivid faith! Help them know how.

A 4-lesson study. No matter where you go in this world, you’ll find poverty and suffering. And for many this is one of the main reasons for rejected God. “Why would God allow suffering?” The Least of These helps your students answer this question, and much more.

See web for current sale pricing

See web for current sale pricing

PROOF

A 6-week study on the book of John. Proof helps your students see exactly who Christ is through His powerful teaching, His amazing miracles, and His death and resurrection.

See web for current sale pricing

FOCUS

A 6-week study on the book of Colossians. Teaching your students that Christ is to be the focus of who they are, the very center of their attention and affection. Teach Focus to help your students' lives reflect a single-minded devotion to Christ.

YM360 BIBLE STUDY SUPER PACK See web for current sale pricing

See web for current sale pricing

REACH

A 6-week study on the book of Psalms. This will show students how "alive" their communication with God can be by looking at examples of various ways they can reach out to God. Use Reach to show students what an active and dynamic relationship with God can look like.

YM360 36-WEEK BIBLE STUDY BUNDLE

See web for current sale pricing

.COM/STORE

See web for current sale pricing

OR

CALL 888.969.6360

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

YOUTH MINISTRY RESOURCES

25

WHAT’S COMING He’s the co-founder and publisher here at YM360. If it’s a GENERATE Bible study, blog post, resource, or workshop, he has overseen the development. He’s the husband of his wonderful wife Brendt, and Daddy to their one son and three daughters. He’s a pretty big fan of both the Boston Red Sox and anything involving the Auburn Tigers #WarEagle. When he’s not hanging out with his family or volunteering at his church’s youth ministry, you can find him trail running or mountain biking.

MEET ANDY BLANKS

Andy guided the YM360 team through the core values in recent months.

The first one being, We Elevate Christ. It is fleshed out like this…

YM360 helps youth workers lead their students to be passionate about the Way, the Word, and the world. Everything we do, from resources to events, is Christ-centered and Gospel-driven. We don’t just want students to be consumers of the Gospel, we want them to be conduits of the Gospel, taking the good news of Christ to a world in desperate need of it. Ministry isn’t just a paycheck. It’s a calling.

WE PRAY THE RESOURCES WE CREATE SERVE YOU AND YOUR MINISTRY WELL. THANK YOU FOR LETTING

SERVE YOUR MINISTRY!

IN THE COMING WEEKS & MONTHS at NEW

52-WEEK CURRICULUM

COMING

FALL

11 GENERATE 2017 DATES,

2016

EACH WITH 5 OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM. A MISSION JOURNAL CREATED WITH OUR NETWORK PARTNER “SERVANT LIFE”

BY DR. ALLEN JACKSON

NEW

STUDY AUG. 2016

.COM/STORE

OR

THE TABLE, A 4-SESSION, VIDEO-DRIVEN STUDY

3 CLEAR CONFERENCES WITH ED NEWTON, CHAD POE, & OTHERS

CALL 888.969.6360

FREE SHIPPING ON MOST ORDERS OVER $99 • VISIT US ONLINE. SAMPLES FOR EVERYTHING YOU SEE AND MORE YOU DON’T.

Mission Trips SHORT TERM

Cuba Dominican Republic Haiti Ecuador Costa Rica Nicaragua Guatemala Ukraine United Kingdom Bulgaria Kenya South Africa Uganda Houston Memphis New York City Toronto East Asia

Check out our summer-long opportunities for college students!

SERVANTLIFE.COM | 800.772.2615 | INFO@SERVANTLIFE.COM /SERVANTLIFE

@SERVANTLIFE

SERVANTLIFEMISSIONS

At Mid-America, we believe some of the best lessons occur

B M

BACHELOR OF ARTS

far outside the lecture hall. That’s why every Mid-America

MASTER OF DIVINITY MASTER OF ARTS

our Practical Missions Program, where ministry comes to life.

D

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

student and faculty member is involved in and inspired by

connected campus

Of course, we’ve got the Ph.D.s

ONLINE DEGREES AND COURSES

you would expect to find at a

and the state-of-the-art facilities world-class seminary, but it’s the state of the heart that’s different here. Missions and evangelism are our heartbeat. Visit our website to explore what else is

DR. ED NEWTON Mid-America alumnus Class of 2000

distinctive here, such as: donor-funded tuition that frees you to focus on ministry, not money; faculty who get involved in your life; and outstanding scholarship that doesn’t force you to choose between excellence in academics and a

“MID-AMERICA HELPED IGNITE A PASSION AND A WONDER FOR EVANGELISM IN MY HEART THAT

conservative, Christ-centered, biblical education. You’ll find everything you need to prepare for ministry in the real world.

STILL BURNS TODAY.”

MEMPHIS • NEW YORK

MABTS.EDU

CHANGING A

LIFE HAS NEVER BEEN

EASIER. CardFunder is a fun, simple way for the youth in your church to help children in poverty by collecting new or unwanted gift cards.

Host a CardFunder event at your church!

Visit cardfunder.org to learn more.

every day. every week. every t-shirt need.

Custom Design Work that's truly free & truly custom.

Brought to you by the teams of

52threads

|

52threads.com

: step up, step out The 46th Annual National Youth Workers Convention Cincinnati, Ohio, November 17th-20th This year’s theme is ARISE. We’ll explore how youth workers can ARISE to a new vision for youth ministry, a new passion for leading students to be the light of Christ in their communities, and a new challenge for the Church to think outside the safety of its walls.

NYWC will feature a powerful Big Room experience, amazing training, networking, encouragement, soul care and resources.

In addition, we’ll be releasing a nationwide study on the state of youth ministry, conducted by Barna Group. This original research will help everyone engaged in the world of youth ministry ARISE to better serve teenagers.

Be part of something big.

Join thousands of youth workers as we ARISE at this year’s NYWC. The earlier you register, the more you save, so sign up today!

Register at nywc.com or call 888.346.4179

Ready to start the conversation about your next mission trip?

We are.

Wish your squad1 could just focus on spreading the Word?

Tired of working on the travel-planning grind? 2 FTI can handle all the deets3 & save you mad moola.4 Can I get an Amen?!

We’ll work with you to design turn-key missions projects that are on eek5 for your ministry. Or, if you’re just looking to save the kids some serious bank6 on ights, we’ve got swag7 missionary contracts with a bunch of airlines.

Fellowship Travel International Planning trips that change lives.

fellowship.com 800.969.3273 mail@fellowship.com

1 Team.

2 When you’re pushing yourself to meet a goal.

3 Details.

4 A lot of money.

5 The quality of being perfect or on point.

6 A lot of money.

7 Cool.

A PRICE YOUR PARENTS & YOUR PASTOR WILL LOVE.

GENERATESTUDENTS.COM

leading s tudents to know chris t & make him known