YouthWorks Blog

In high school, I used to compete in the mile. You wouldn’t know from looking at me then—a 210-pound lineman—but I did alright, twice even recording sub-five-minute miles! What I learned is this: The last 300 meters are the hardest and also the most important. The key is to push through and finish well at […]

It’s no secret that leaders are an important factor in your upcoming mission trip experience. Whether you’ve put together a dream team or begged for whatever adults would say yes, there are things you can do to walk alongside your leaders during the trip to help care for them. Here are three simple things you […]

“How many of you have been on one mission trip? Two mission trips? Five? Ten? Twenty?!” While leading workshops on best mission trip practices, I’ve asked that sequence of questions to roomfuls of youth workers and volunteers a bunch of times. My findings? Adults in youth ministries have a broad range of experiences when it […]

“We don’t need to do anything afterward because the mission trip was so life-changing on its own!” I had been asking other youth workers what they did after their mission trip to bring the experience home. Some shared about post-trip meetings, some told me about service projects and most everyone had said something about sharing […]

“How do we help students become leaders?” There are lots of great answers to that question, but near the top of my list every year is this: “Get them to go on the mission trip!” There are a lot of built-in aspects of service experiences that help students become leaders. But with intentionality, we as […]

I love the economy of ice cream cones. Their function is simple: Carry a delicious experience to my mouth. But a great cone—a freshly baked crispy waffle cone—goes a step further: It melds with the ice cream to become a valuable part of the experience. And in the end, no part is wasted. Mission trip […]

We get excited about helping teenagers encounter Jesus in contexts that are different than their own. A mission experience is such a unique opportunity for teenagers to be changed by what they learn about God and how they understand themselves in light of those revelations. But we know a mission trip with YouthWorks is just […]

Executive Director Erica Schimelpfenig describes YouthWorks’ mission of connecting teens to God, one another and communities through life-changing, Christ-centered mission trips in this conversation with the ELCA Youth Ministry Network. Below are highlights from that conversation, or you can watch the full webinar above. A focus on teenagers “We make sure we are connecting with […]

One of the biggest temptations I face as a youth pastor is to allow my work to become routine. My calendar is filled with staff meetings, outreach events, retreats, Bible studies, youth group and school events. Any free time is filled with office hours. Not only that, I’m also a vital member of the church, […]

Francisco Becerra-Lanza participated as a teen volunteer on two YouthWorks mission trips in Minnesota and South Dakota. He shares his reflections about communities and service: “I’ve learned that it’s rough all over. From the YouthWorks trips, I learned how important it is to humble yourself, be more appreciative of what you have and be kind […]