https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/rss.xml Church sub channel Copyright https://www.crosswalk.com 2026, Crosswalk.com Mon, 25 May 2026 22:19:27 -0400 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/how-can-we-teach-teens-to-be-in-the-world-but-not-of-it.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/how-can-we-teach-teens-to-be-in-the-world-but-not-of-it.html Sarah Garrett https://www.crosswalk.com/author/sarah-garrett/ By explaining worldly patterns to teens, and showing them how Christ calls us to live differently in these situations, we can help them understand the concept of being 'in the world but not of it.' Thu, 21 May 2026 09:46:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/things-to-do-when-launching-your-graduate-into-a-secular-world.html https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/things-to-do-when-launching-your-graduate-into-a-secular-world.html Sue Schlesman https://www.crosswalk.com/author/sue-schlesman/ Graduations bring anxiety and excitement to parents and their children. New family dynamics require monumental shifts as children move into a new season of independence, which means parents must move into a new season of release. The most dramatic adjustment involves sending your kids to college or living independently as working adults.As a Christian parent, you may experience a heightened sense of worry when your child graduates and enters the “real world,” particularly over concerns about their faith. Will they gravitate toward Christ-followers or find friends who embrace a secular mindset? Will they believe what professors and classmates tell them about God, the world, and their own psyche?According to Lifeway Research, two-thirds of young adults drop out of church or fall away from faith during the ages of 18-22. The post-Christian culture we all live in bombards kids and young adults with godless messaging about their body image, love, gender, success, and faith. As parents, we can easily feel afraid because we’ve watched the world’s impact on other young people, and we know we’re releasing our kids into this same world. Good teens often go off to college or the workplace and return home agnostic, pluralistic, or just plain uninterested in following Jesus.Although your child, as an “adult,” will make his/her own decisions, you can and will still have a profound effect on their decisions at launch time and afterward. To help you embrace and succeed in your newest role as the parent of a graduate, here are ten ways to support and coach your son or daughter as they enter a world that you can no longer supervise or control:Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/nirat  Thu, 14 May 2026 11:45:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/6-fun-ways-to-get-youth-actively-involved-in-the-church-body.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/6-fun-ways-to-get-youth-actively-involved-in-the-church-body.html Ashley Hooker https://www.crosswalk.com/author/ashley-hooker/ The decline of church attendance today happens, in part, because we have chosen to believe the myth that the youth are our future. They are not. They are our present and as the church we have a responsibility to them. Thu, 07 May 2026 10:45:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/things-the-next-generation-of-church-leaders-must-know.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/things-the-next-generation-of-church-leaders-must-know.html Erica Wiggenhorn A massive shift is happening in our church history. In the last five years, we have seen something new in the American church: more churches are closing than opening.We are also seeing radical numbers of Christians forsaking regular church attendance. How should church leaders respond to these startling statistics and what do they mean for followers of Christ in the near future? Dallas Willard, a modern theologian and psychologist, is attributed with the following statement: “Every church needs to be able to answer two questions. First, what is our plan for making disciples? And second, does our plan work?” If the church increasingly loses regular access to people who no longer attend, these questions become more important than ever. And more difficult to discern. Here are four things the next generation of church leaders must know to effectively make disciples in the coming generations.Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/KatarzynaBialasiewicz  Fri, 01 May 2026 15:55:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/ways-to-equip-teens-with-spiritual-independence-after-graduation.html https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/ways-to-equip-teens-with-spiritual-independence-after-graduation.html Jaime Jo Wright https://www.crosswalk.com/author/jaime-jo-wright/ Graduation season is upon us! Along with the empty nests comes the sending of our kids off into the world. Our parental memories come in heavy this time of year as we remember babies in onesies, toddlers gripping our finger to balance on little legs, elementary-aged kiddos riding bicycles too big for them, and teenagers asking for the car keys. Where did time go? It flew by, that’s what, and now we’re planning graduation parties. With adulthood staring down many of our teens, the reality of them being on their own also becomes very blatant. They’re going to be financially independent (we hope!), within their careers, social lives, and spiritual lives. Have you prepared your teens for spiritual independence, and what does that even entail?Let’s break it down into some points that you can put into play even if your teen has only a few weeks of high school left on their calendar:Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Nirat Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:30:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/wise-words-of-advice-for-upcoming-high-school-graduates.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/wise-words-of-advice-for-upcoming-high-school-graduates.html Sarah Hamaker https://www.crosswalk.com/author/sarah-hamaker/ It’s nearly graduation season for high schoolers, and what better time than now to think about what advice to give these young men and women on the cusp of adulthood. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:50:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/ways-to-get-kids-to-put-their-phones-down-for-church.html https://www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/ways-to-get-kids-to-put-their-phones-down-for-church.html Carrie Lowrance https://www.crosswalk.com/author/carrie-lowrance/ Cell phones dominate our society. Everyone has one, and we’re absorbed in them 24/7. This is especially true for kids. Everywhere I look, kids are on their parents' or their phones. I can’t remember when I saw people having an authentic conversation. Something distracts everyone too much.No wonder our kids won’t put their phones down for church, let alone anything else. They have them at school, at the dinner table, and in church. The latter can be highly frustrating for parents. Church is a place of reverence, learning, and connection. Phones should only access notes on the sermon or an online Bible. So, how can we get our kids to put their phones down for church?Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Daisy Daisy Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:15:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/7-reasons-your-kid-is-going-to-love-church-camp.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/7-reasons-your-kid-is-going-to-love-church-camp.html Kayla Figueroa https://www.crosswalk.com/author/kayla-figueroa/ A Christian summer camp isn’t just an activity. It’s an investment in your child’s faith, character, and confidence. Here are seven reasons why you should let your kids go to camp this summer. Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:15:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/3-christian-cliches-destroying-young-adults-mental-health.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/3-christian-cliches-destroying-young-adults-mental-health.html Amber Ginter https://www.crosswalk.com/author/amber-ginter/ ...to ignore the rich provisions and helpmates He’s given us forfeits the full life He calls us to live.   Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:30:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00 https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/top-5-reasons-churches-need-to-prioritize-youth-ministry.html https://www.crosswalk.com/church/youth-ministry/top-5-reasons-churches-need-to-prioritize-youth-ministry.html Mel Walker https://www.crosswalk.com/author/mel-walker/ There are at least five great reasons that churches should prioritize youth ministry: teaching God’s Word, providing fellowship, connecting generations, teaching service, and implementing spiritual disciplines. Thu, 19 Mar 2026 10:30:00 -0400 2026-05-25T22:19:27-04:00