#YW2021 is officially over and wow – it was a great summer. I had the honor of visiting many of our sites and taking in all of the great service and fun of a YouthWorks mission trip. After missing an entire summer last year due to COVID, it felt so long overdue. While I experienced […]

Whether or not to take your students on a mission trip this summer is a more challenging decision than ever. We’re living through a pandemic, so is it safe? How many of my students will sign up? Will their parents be comfortable with having their teenagers travel to a new community? Will I even have […]

Planning service projects for families? You’re in the right spot. Service projects for families can be a key way that your ministry can support discipleship from a family-first perspective. Afterall, getting a family to own their faith, to communicate about it, and to lean into each other, is one of the best ways to help […]

Guest blog from our friend Ben Zuehlsdorff, High School Director at Marin Covenant Church and contributor at www.averageyouthministry.com Youth ministry is all about setting the table. Throughout everything we do as youth workers, we know that Jesus is the one who changes lives, so we continually create spaces for Jesus to show up. Intuitively, we know […]

Weighing the pros and cons of a DIY mission trip? These questions will help. Mission trips are an incredible opportunity to invite students into the work of God in communities all across the country and the world. But the way you organize a mission trip can happen in lots of different ways. Some use a […]

Guest blog from our friend Benjamin Kerns who is the Lead Pastor at Marin Covenant Church and founder and curator of www.averageyouthministry.com Many of us have been working so hard to keep our own ministries afloat that the ministries and missions organizations that we are connected to have diminished. This is understandable, but it is […]

Exploring local mission trip options? This post is perfect for you. Local mission trips are a perfect option for groups wanting to mobilize teenagers to serve this summer without the potential risks of traveling to a new community. COVID-19 has changed so many elements of youth ministry this year, and as thrilled as we are […]

If you’re like a lot of youth leaders, fundraising might be one of the more daunting parts of planning for your mission trip – especially coming up with fundraising ideas during a pandemic. We’re here to help. With over 25 years of mission trip experience, we’ve compiled some great fundraiser planning tips as well as […]

Planning your next youth ministry event? These tips will help keep your group safe in 2021. You have your next youth ministry event in mind, but like us, no one gave you a roadmap for planning it in a pandemic. Social distancing feels a bit antithetical to how most churches and ministries operate, so having […]

This post is all about local service project ideas for your youth ministry. Local service projects can be a powerful way for your youth ministry to make a lasting impact in your own backyard. At YouthWorks, our hope is that every student (and adult!) will take what they’ve learned on a mission trip and live […]