For many of us, this past year has been one of youth ministry “survival mode.” There is a season for that.
And, there is also a season for thriving: for embracing life, joy and new tools in youth ministry. As we enter this new season, the Yale Youth Ministry Institute is pleased to be able to offer opportunities to hear from speakers who have done just that. We will hear from people about emotional intelligence, trauma, and sacred story. We will hear about children’s ministries, and from those who have engaged in anti-racism work with youth. Each of our presenters brings a unique perspective and experiences, but all of them hold a piece to the puzzle that will help us answer the question: How can my youth ministry not just survive, but thrive?

Upcoming Events › Thriving, Not Surviving: Building a Toolkit for a Flourishing Youth Ministry in 2021-2022
April 2022
Empowering Young People Toward Beloved Community
Online Event
This presentation will build upon the ethnographic and theological research in Church in Color to highlight practical steps congregations and other organizations can take to resist racism and embrace Beloved Community in the work of youth and young adult ministry. The practical theological framework is grounded in Kingian ethics that makes room for the particular stories, questions, and experiences of young people in distinct congregations or organizations.
Video and clips from the event are here: Empowering Young People Toward Beloved Community
Video
March 2022
Talking about Race with Young People
Online Event
Video
February 2022
Connecting and Integrating Children’s and Youth Ministry Across the Church
Online Event
So often our churches segment children’s ministry and youth ministry as if they were unrelated efforts. This presentation aims to equip lay and clergy leaders to take a wholistic view and approach to ministry with young people. We will discuss ways to join the programming we do with children to those programs offered to older youth, locate ways to integrate both into the life of the church, and discern where God is moving our ministries as we continue to emerge from the pandemic.
Video and clips from the event are here: Connecting and Integrating Children’s and Youth Ministry Across the Church
Slides from the event are here: Connecting and Integrating Children’s and Youth Ministry Across the Church
Video
December 2021
I Hear You: Creating Listening Spaces with Youth
Online Event
How well do you listen to youth's stories?
No, really.
And how well do your young people listen... really listen to one another, and to God's work in their midst?
Long-time youth ministry worker Mark Yaconelli has spent his career engaging in the quieter nature of youth ministry. Through the use of contemplation and compassionate exercises, Mark has fine-tuned the art of listening. By modeling this for youth, youth workers impart a valuable skill set to their young people: how to listen to one another, and how to be attentive for God's work in their lives.
Video and clips from the event are here: I Hear You: Creating Listening Spaces with Youth
Video
November 2021
Belonging
Online Event
As youth leaders, we strive to be welcoming towards everyone. We want every young person to feel like they belong.
But what does “belonging” actually look like? What might it mean to prioritize actual belonging in your youth group?
We all want to belong to a community and that sense of belonging is elemental to our well-being. Join Dr. Margaret Clark for a conversation about just how much young people want to belong, how they strive to belong and what really makes people feel that they belong.
Video from the event is here: BelongingSlides from the event are here: Belonging
Video
October 2021
Grief, we all feel it, but do you know what to do with it?
Online Event
Video and clips from the event are here: Grief, we all feel it, but do you know what to do with it?
Slides from the event are here: Grief, we all feel it, but do you know what to do with it
Video
September 2021
The Emotional Intelligence Factor: How to Apply EI to Youth Ministry
Online Event
Video and clips from the event are here: The Emotional Intelligence Factor: How to Apply EI to Youth Ministry
Slides from the event are here: The Emotional Intelligence Factor: How to Apply EI to Youth Ministry