Youth Workers,

God loves you! You are valuable! Thank you for all you do to lead teenagers and their families to experience God’s love. You have been tasked with a huge job. Thankfully, you are not alone. God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit is with you always. You know that life transformation that you want to see so badly in the lives of your students? It is God who makes the transformation happen! You get to be one used by God to walk with these amazing young people who need the Creator, Savior and Counselor. How awesome is that!?!

You are not alone! The Southern District Youth Commission and District Youth Minister (DYM) are here to help provide encouragement, support and resources for you and your ministry. Youth Commission is working to provide some great opportunities for your youth groups, including summer camps and youth conferences. DYM, Russ Claassen, is here to help you any way he can.

Here are some of the things available to you, as youth workers:

  • Youth Ministry Skill Development
    • Youth Ministry Realities Cohort – Every fall and spring, you have an opportunity to learn from and get to know youth workers from across the district and the country. USMB sponsors Lead Cohorts that provide a look into various topics. One of the consistent cohorts has been Youth Ministry Realities that allows youth workers to bring up topics they want to be discussed. There is a shared expertise that helps youth workers grow in their learned skills. In addition to this cohort, many others are offered, and you are encouraged to check them out at the USMB Lead Cohort web page.
    • Youth Ministry Intensive – The Intensive is a 24-hour retreat for youth pastors/lead youth workers. It includes elements of youth ministry training, personal soul care, building community together as youth workers, and sharing ideas with others that think about the same youth ministry things you do.
    • Russ is available to come and meet with you and/or the rest of your youth ministry team. He is happy to sit around a table and talk about anything youth ministry, answering questions and sharing from his 30, ahem, plus year of experience. If you prefer a more formal youth ministry training for your team, he will prepare training specifically for your group.
  • Personal Discipleship – Do you ever feel like the only time you spend in the Bible is to teach others? Need a little fresh wind in your life with God? Or are you just wanting to stay faithful in your daily walk with the Triune God? Russ offers to come along side you as you seek to deepen your relationship with God. This often comes in the form of meeting for an hour once a month either in person or via a Zoom video call. For more information, email Russ today. russc@sdcmb.org
  • Peer Mentoring – Would you like to engage in a meaningful youth worker to youth worker mentoring relationship? Russ can help you get connected to other youth workers in your area.
  • District Youth Events – You will find a separate page on this website for each of these events:
    • SDYC – Southern District Youth Conference for your high school youth group
    • JHYC – Jr High Youth Conference for your jr high youth group
    • Sr High Camp – summer camp for high school youth (finishing 9th-12th grade the spring prior to camp)
    • Jr High Camp – summer camp for jr high youth (finishing 6th-8th grade the spring prior to camp)
    • Kids Camp – summer camp for kids (finishing 3rd-5th grade the spring prior to camp)
  • Partners in Ministry
    • FaithFront is an incredible resource for raising up student leaders and developing their leadership skills and abilities. When a thunderstorm rolls across the countryside, the lightning flashes and the thunder rolls along the frontline. In the same way, effective leadership, authentic discipleship and innovative theological reflection happens at the place where faith and culture meet. We call it the FaithFront. Their vision is to identify, nurture and empower and growing community of called, skilled and equipped leaders who are uniquely prepared to lead the church along the frontline of faith and culture.
    • Multiply is our denomination’s agency of global mission. We are tied most closely with the Central USA Mobilizers.

      Central USA Mobilizers are committed to inspiring and equipping the Church for local and global mission. They partner together with local churches to cultivate passion for global transformation, and serve to resource local churches through our programs, training processes, consultation or speaking engagements and through opportunities to partner with long-term global workers. To explore church planting in this region or to mobilize your local church for global mission, contact our Central USA regional office.

Interested in any of these opportunities? Have ideas for additional resources that would benefit you or your youth ministry?
Contact Russ and get started now.

Russ Claassen
russc@sdcmb.org