(August 6, 2007, UMNS) Six young people to address General Conference
Six United Methodists ranging in age from 15 to 28 have been chosen to work together to develop and deliver the first Young People's Address at the 2008 General Conference.

Global Gathering Draws 6,200 United Methodist Youth
Youth 2007 is a place where young people can come and not only get outside the four walls of their church and see the connection in person, but also experience God in a way that will change them and stay with them," said Jay Clark, director of Youth 2007.

New Film Festival to Share United Methodist Youth Insights
The United Methodist Church is calling on aspiring young filmmakers in its ranks to share their insights through the denomination’s first online film festival for youth.

Devozine Announces SoulTunes Contest
The Upper Room Ministries magazine for youth and young adults, Devozine, has announced a SoulTunes Contest, a competition for youth bands and songwriters. The deadline for entries is March 31, 2007.

Youth2007 Expected to Draw 10,000 Young People
More than 10,000 United Methodist youth from across the world are expected to converge on the Greensboro, North Carolina Coliseum and Koury Convention Center for Youth2007, the largest quadrennial youth event of The United Methodist Church.

Their Space . . . Or Yours? Internet Issues Come to Camp
The popularity of social networking sites, such as Myspace.com and Facebook.com, raises important issues for camp directors intent on protecting their campers — and their camps — from the dark side of the online world.

Information: Youth Ministries (Winter 2006)
Over the past four years it has been my privilege to be a part of the Exemplary Congregations in Youth Ministry resource team representing The United Methodist Church.

The Spirit and Culture of Youth Ministry: Congregations Establishing Mature Faith in Youth
What might an exemplary congregation be doing to establish vital faith in youth and young adults?

Evidence of Mature Christian Faith in Youth
The Exemplary Youth Ministry research project identified nine major themes that give evidence of mature Christian faith in youth.

Research on Adventure-Based Education and Programs

Rite of Passage Prayers for Teens Receiving Their Driver's Licenses
The following are some ritual resources and prayers for use with youth receiving their driver's licenses. Families, congregations, and pastors should adapt them and include symbols, actions, and expressions that are full of meaning in such rites.

Planning Worship for Confirmation: Highlighting the Journey with Action

Safe Sanctuaries for Children and Youth DVD and Study Guide
Order the Safe Sanctuaries for Children and Youth DVD and download the free study guide (in pdf format).

What the United Methodist Social Principles Say About Human Sexuality
The United Methodist Church has Social Principles that speak to issues in the lives of people. You may or may not be aware that there are paragraphs that address human sexuality. We have excerpted the portions that apply to human sexuality and have them here for you to read.

Few U.S. Protestant Teens Regularly Read the Bible
Fewer than one-third of all U.S. Protestant teenagers (32 percent) report that they personally read the Bible alone once a week or more often, according to researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion.

Safe Sanctuaries Downloadable Logos

Never Alone, by Mike Ratliff (from Cokesbury's ileadyouth.com)
Youth Ministry provides tremendous possibilities for the development of important, life-changing relationships between youth and adults. There are many challenges in building those relationships effectively and safely.

U.S. Teenagers' Involvement in Religious Summer Camps (from National Study of Youth and Religion)
Spring is here and with it comes the time for many parents to plan summer camp options for their teens. So what do we know about teen religious camp attendance? Nearly 40 percent of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 have been a camper at least once at a summer camp run by a religious organization with religious teachings or songs in its program, according to researchers with the National Study of Youth and Religion.

Get Real With Youth

Viewing Guide for The Passion of The Christ for Those Who Work With Youth
A suggested pre- and post-viewing guide for The Passion of The Christ.

Christian Parents as Sex Educators: One Couple's Approach To Guiding Their Teenagers

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Many of us, in varying degrees, have a distorted view of self. We become overly self-conscious about the size or shape of our bodies. The steady pressure to have the "right" look can backfire, leading us to an endless search for perfection.

United Methodist Youth Ministry Logos

Helping Hurting Teens (from ileadyouth.com)
Broken promises, miscommunication, misunderstandings, harsh words, divorce, abuse, hard tests, fights, not fitting in, peer pressure, overlooked feelings, betrayal, being left out . . .

Connecting With Youth: Listening to Teens Is a Powerful Opportunity (from ileadyouth.com)
Youth often expect to be treated as an annoyance. Thus, many youth are surprised when an adult listens to them.

Storm Warning: Helping Youth in Crisis (from Ileadyouth.com)
Sometimes life threatens to overpower youth. . . . So how can adults who work with youth help?

Human Sexuality Education Resources
A summary of resources to be used in supporting individual and group study in human sexuality education.

Parental Religious Devotion Protects Against Major Delinquency

Prayers for Families in a Time of War

Web Resources for Helping Children and Youth Cope With Issues of War and Peace

Resources for Dealing with Violence, Conflicts, Tragedies, and Grief

Doin' the God Thang: Are Your Fundraisers Going Where They Should? (from ileadyouth.com)

Laying the Foundation: Make Your Fundraising More Successful (from ileadyouth.com)

Helping Teens Cope with Dating Violence

Connecting Worship and Back to School

Update on Fifteen-Passenger Vans and Rollover Risk

EI? . . . EI! . . . Oh! Emotional Intelligence and Christian Formation

Teacher Tips: Some Teaching/Learning Ideas
Check out this handy list of teaching activities! Most are suitable for teens and older.
(Click here for pdf version of this article)

Take Violence Seriously

How Youth Learn:
Developmental Tasks of Middle and Senior High Youth