By Aaron Wilson NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- What do a virtual reality lab, a selfie studio, a comedy show and an NHL locker room have in common? If you’re Zac Workun, these venues are prime settings for youth ministry training. Workun is a student ministry specialist for Lifeway Christian Resources who helps plan and lead the Experience, an immersive training event for … [Read more...]
Lifeway’s FUGE Camps team blesses church after devastating tornado
By Marissa Postell NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When the FUGE Camps team at Lifeway Christian Resources heard about the tornado that devastated Bremen, Kentucky, they jumped in to help Wade Wilkins take students to his 30th year of FUGE Camps. Wilkins has served as the music and youth director at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bremen for 33 years. When a tornado destroyed their church … [Read more...]
ETCH Conference: Kids, student ministries move beyond surviving to thriving
By Aaron Wilson NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Between wrangling toddlers, filling volunteer spots and helping teens navigate adolescence, the responsibilities that lace the gamut of kids and student ministry can make for a tough gig. But God doesn’t intend for these crucial ministries to merely survive, but thrive, said leaders at the 2019 ETCH Family Ministry Conference held October … [Read more...]
New book, ‘Within Reach,’ offers insight for student ministry
By Carol Pipes NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today’s high school graduate is faced with an abundance of choices. Go to college or enter the workforce? Dorm life, apartment life, or mom and dad’s basement? But no decision may be as important as whether or not to continue attending church. A new study from Lifeway Research and Lifeway Students reveals that two out of three young … [Read more...]
Most Teenagers Drop Out of Church as Young Adults
By Aaron Earls Church pews may be full of teenagers, but a new study says college students might be a much rarer sight on Sunday mornings. Two-thirds (66 percent) of American young adults who attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22, according to a new study from … [Read more...]