Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary

Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary We form Christian leaders for thoughtful, just, and creative ministry with young people.

08/31/2026

Reset and Recharge: Worship

Worship doesn’t just have to take place in a sanctuary with a full band and curated set list.

Worship is one of the most versatile of the spiritual rhythms because it can occur anywhere, anytime.

However, it can also be the hardest to remember when we’re already set in our habits.

Rather than replacing routines entirely, try adding worship in first and then going about your regularly schedule program.

Make the first song you listen to in the morning a worship song. Write a quick prayer of gratitude in your notes app before you respond to all the texts from the night before.

Worship doesn’t even have to take place in the form of music. Worship can be done through prayer, reflections of gratitude, or through different forms of art!

At its core, worship is a remembrance of God’s love and power and response of gratitude and glorification. It doesn’t need to be perfect. As God is with us in the mundane, let us worship God in the mundane.

08/28/2026

When I was in undergrad, I led a small youth group at a small local church. Because the group was so small, I often felt like I had to “bring the energy” to make sure the students felt free to be excited and to have fun, rather than feeling the need to be cagey or reserved out of fear of ridicule.

The only trouble was, I’m an incredibly introverted person. So I would inevitably be spending the 15 minutes I had before needing to be “on” for youth group with charging up and preparing to spend all my energy during the gathering. Music was my favorite method: slow and meditative for my restful exhale, and then hype and energy to get me ready to wrangle my teens and other volunteer leaders.

How do you “hype yourself up” or otherwise prepare for the emotional expenditure of your ministry and events?

08/21/2026

Okay, I love breaks. As an enneagram 7, there is little I love more than exploring new places, treading new paths, and having a season full of new experiences.

But as the summer inches to an end and I transition back to school and the grind of class, ministry, work, and social obligations, I’m wondering how to make a holy experience of the “lock in.”

How do you motivate yourself to return to your programming year? What sort of habits or spiritual practices have you formed to transition from the summer to the fall? What does honoring the wild freedom of vacation look like as you also participate in the holy work we get to do in our normal day-to-day?

One of our incredible featured lecturers at the forum this year, Dr. Keri Day, passionately proposed joy to us as a salv...
08/12/2026

One of our incredible featured lecturers at the forum this year, Dr. Keri Day, passionately proposed joy to us as a salve and a protection from exhaustion!

Throughout the lectures and workshops of the 2026 Forum on Youth Ministry, we had students taking note of what inspired them, what informed them, or what caused them to ponder. Now we are sharing these impactful insights with you! Show some love to the incredible thinkers and leaders who graced us with their wisdom this year, and get excited for more to come in 2027!

08/09/2026

Reflect and Recharge: Silence and Solitude

One of the hardest spiritual rythmns to fit into a busy schedule can be silence and solitude. It can be stressful rather than peaceful to set aside time to be alone with Jesus (and with ourselves).

Sure, we understand that we need it and why it’s important, but given the demands of our lives and our ministries, it can easily be buried in the depths of our to do lists.

One way to keep solitude peaceful rather than burdensome could be to take advantage of a niche already in your schedule. Rather than trying to carve out more time, just work it into time you already have! Take your commute for example: instead of playing music or listening to a podcast on your way to work, intentionally take that time for your silence and solitude.

God just wants to spend time with you, He doesn’t care if it doesn’t look “cute” or “aesthetic.” Who knows, you may just be surprised at what happens when you intentionally refrain from the “noise” that we often fill these voids in our schedule with.

Ted Smith gave us an incredibly insightful look into data surrounding church membership decline, and offered his thought...
08/05/2026

Ted Smith gave us an incredibly insightful look into data surrounding church membership decline, and offered his thoughtful theories of where ministry to young people is going from here!

Throughout the lectures and workshops of the 2026 Forum on Youth Ministry, we had students taking note of what inspired them, what informed them, or what caused them to ponder. Now we are sharing these impactful insights with you! Show some love to the incredible thinkers and leaders who graced us with their wisdom this year, and get excited for more to come in 2027!

08/04/2026

Partnership can be about structured organization, or it can be about the ways we open ourselves up for unstructured connection and inspiration!

08/03/2026

The Forum was a magical time and we loved learning about all of your stories!!

07/31/2026

I hate working alone. Sure, as an introvert, I have my moments of joy getting sucked into a spreadsheet or creative brainstorming project, but if I spend a whole day or week working all alone, I find myself absolutely exhausted and demoralized.

I thrive when I have people to check my work, bounce ideas off each other, and even straight up call me out for missteps. Maybe that’s why my proudest youth ministry moments are moments of partnership. Whether it was facilitating the combination of two church youth groups, doing summer work trips with my Methodist friends, or building an entire trebuchet for a joint Halloween event with my youth min friends, the times of partnership have led to some of the coolest results.

As you prepare for the beginning of another programming year, what partnerships do you have or are you seeking out? Maybe it’s personal relationships that keep you motivated and inspired, unexpected ministry combos, or something else entirely! What partnerships are you proud of from the past years of ministry, and what might the future hold?

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